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Concord, Calif.-based Swinerton has a new solid wood lead.
Amid the growing demand for the material, the contractor has selected William Silva as a the company’s new national director of solid woodaccording to a December 9 press release. Swinerton has tasked Silva with creating the company’s new solid wood center of excellence, a cross-functional initiative to integrate the company more closely with its solid wood subsidiary, Timberlab.
As of Dec. 9, Swinerton and Timberlab have built more than 80 solid wood projects nationwide, with an additional 30 in design or construction, according to the release. The projects total nearly 6.5 million square feet. The couple also recently outgrew a 192,000 square foot manufacturing facility for cross laminated timber.
Silva and the center of excellence will focus on centralizing companies’ expertise and driving innovation with the building material, as well as grassroots wood advocacy within the industry, including policy reform to help spur greater adoption. The initiative will also focus on research to drive cost and programming efficiencies and support grants that remove market barriers.
The demand for solid wood has grown over the last decade, according to data from WoodWorksa non-profit organization that advocates the use of alternative construction material. As of September 2025, 2,598 multifamily, commercial or institutional solid wood projects have been built, a sharp increase over the 439 projects in September 2018.
Silva has spent 15 years with Swinerton and has more than three decades of experience in the construction industry, according to the press release. He led the company’s first solid wood project in 2016 and has been key to Swinerton’s push with the material ever since.
“William’s leadership in solid wood is unmatched,” said Tim Kretzschmar, COO of Swinerton, in the press release. “His experience and vision will accelerate our efforts to make solid wood a mainstream construction solution.”
The company has been one of the most high-profile contractors championing the material, particularly as an alternative to steel. In June, Timberlab CEO Chris Evans told Construction Dive that the material could give contractors options amid steel tariffs.
