BALDWIN & SHEIL.

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BALDWIN & SHELL CONSTRUCTION CO.

Baldwin & Shell’s religious projects have
included Garvan Woodland Gardens’
Anthony Chapel in Arkansas.

A ‘Blessed’ Constructor
Baldwin & Shell Construction Co. says it has earned a reputation for building with strong ethics. The
company is now at work on its new headquarters, which will become LEED certified.
By Alan Dorich with its clients. “That is a very key element to our success,”

A fter 62 years, Baldwin & Shell Construction Co.

has established itself as a general contractor with
integrity, Senior Vice President Doug Henson
says. Based in Little Rock, Ark., the company specializes in
medical, religious and educational construction projects in
its home state.
Founders Werner C. Knoop, Olen A. Cates and P.W.
Baldwin formed the company in 1946. Today, Baldwin &
Shell has three offices in Little Rock, Rogers and Jonesboro,
Ark. The company has annual revenues of more than $100
million, Henson says.
Baldwin & Shell serves many repeat
Baldwin & customers, including the University of
Shell Construction Co. Arkansas, Arkansas State University and
www.baldwinshell.com Baptist Health, a major medical system in
Annual revenues: $100 million+
Headquarters: Little Rock, Ark. central Arkansas.
Employees: 300+ “Eighty percent of our work is [for]
Service: General contracting and repeat clients,” Henson says.
construction management
Doug Henson: “Eighty percent Henson notes that the company earns
of our work is [for] repeat clients.” loyalty by building trusting relationships
Henson says.
For instance, Baldwin & Shell takes the time to meet with
owners to suggest alternative building methods that can help
the project meet its budget. “We know that if we can’t get the
job within the owner’s budget, we don’t have a project,”
Henson says.
Ethical and Green Practices
Henson joined Baldwin & Shell in 1979 as an estimator and
project manager. Through the years, he also served as corpo-
rate secretary before taking on his current role in 2001.
After nearly three decades with the company, Henson
continues to enjoy working for Baldwin & Shell because of
its strong ethics. For instance, the company does not allow
bid shopping, which is a practice used for obtaining lower
bids from subcontractors.
“When subcontractors bid Baldwin & Shell, they know
they’re going to give us their best price on bid day,” he says. “If
any of our estimators even think about [bid shopping],
we don’t want [them working] around here.”

102 ■ WWW.CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM ■ FEBRUARY 2009