The company’s motto is: “A Commitment Made. A Commitment Delivered.” This has remained true for over 15 consecutive years. Brunson Cooper is the CEO of Corenic Construction, and his team consists of over 50 full-time staff members who have collectively completed more than 1,000 projects since the company’s inception in 2009. As a result, they have sound financial stability. Corenic has quickly become known in the market as a firm that delivers on time, every time! From a vast spectrum of lobby renovations to full-floor tenant improvements, Corenic has the expertise and the desire to creatively build beyond its clients’ expectations.
As for Cooper, building and nurturing relationships is a driving force in his life—a value instilled in him by his father, after whom he’s named. Without deliberately taking time to foster key relationships, he’d never be doing what he does today: owning and operating his own construction company, D.C.-based Corenic Construction. Black Enterprise caught up with him to talk about the evolution of entrepreneurship and his role as a trailblazing leader of his multimillion-dollar company.
Black Enterprise: What keeps you inspired as a visionary leader today?
Cooper: The opportunity to provide a place where people can see themselves developing their career without judgment or criticism.
BE: What are some of Corenic’s most recent awards and recognitions?
Cooper: Awarded FSC First Small Business of the Year Award
Ranked No. 21 for the Washington Business Journal (Businesses Ran By People of Color)
Ranked No. 34 for the Washington Business Journal (Largest General Contractor)
Ranked No. 31 for the Washington Business Journal (Most Diverse Business)
BE: Since your company’s inception in 2009, how has the company evolved?
Cooper: We’ve grown from receiving our first check in 2010 for $17,000 to finishing out last year around $68 million. In the beginning, the type of work we provided for our clients was small carpet and paint projects, working with our clients to really get what they needed. Then, growing from interior and retail projects to small-based buildings to larger building repositioning projects to doing rec centers, car dealerships, schools, and presently one of our largest projects, the renovation of the Baltimore Ravens Stadium.
One of the biggest things for us as a company is that our service has been No. 1, the same as it has been from the beginning, really making sure we understand our clients and treat them the way they want to be treated. We want our clients to say that we make their life easier—that’s the goal of our service.
