When Arch Willingham IV came home from his freshman year at Auburn University, the engineering student spent the summer in Chattanooga digging holes and other construction work for T.U. Parks Co.
The young Lookout Mountain resident quickly fell in love with building and decided to switch his major at Auburn from the civil engineering track his father had encouraged to studying building science – a discipline he says he loves.
Three decades later, Willingham was named Tuesday as the president of one of Chattanooga’s biggest and oldest construction companies – T.U. Parks where he began his construction career.
Willingham, 53, becomes the first president of the 71-year-old T.U. Parks Construction Co., from outside the Parks family, which continues to own the business. Larry S. Parks, the third generation head of the company who followed founder T.U. Parks and his father C.A. “Red” Parks as head of the building business, will assume the role of chairman and CEO.
“The timing is right for Arch to take over as president,” Parks said in a statement Tuesday. “He is an incredibly strong leader who brings a wealth of knowledge and commitment to the job. His vision and understanding of the company prove he is ready and capable to lead T.U. Parks as we enter the next chapter. There is no doubt in my mind of his ability to continue this company’s 71st year and beyond.”
Willingham has served the company in residential construction, residential development, residential remodeling and information technology for 31 years. He directly has overseen more than 300 major projects, including the restoration and renovation of The Honors Course facilities, structure repair work for the Downtown YMCA, renovations to properties in the Bluff View Art District and the estimating and construction of 227 custom luxury condominiums in Heritage Landing. Collectively, Willingham estimates he has worked directly overseeing more than $45 million of work.
“My daughter gets tired of me talking about it, but I love to tell people about the projects and buildings I have been a part of all over town,” he said.
Willingham is the current chairman of the Associated General Contractors of East Tennessee, the local chapter of the leading construction association in the United States. He also has served as an expert witness or consultant in 23 civil cases, and has taught at least one course in UTC’s Construction Management program as an adjunct professor every semester since 2011. He is on Lookout Mountain’s Town Council, and served on the town’s planning commission from 2007-2016.
“There’s a lot of business opportunities right now, but it is still a very, very competitive business,” Willingham said.
T.U. Parks Construction Co. typically handles about $50 million a year in projects within a 100-mile radius of Chattanooga and employs about 60 to 80 workers during its summer building period.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6340.