For forty years, Kershaw Builders Inc. has played a foundational role in South Carolina’s development. Established in 1985 as a family-owned operation in Kershaw County, the company has grown into a specialized sitework and utility contractor with nearly 100 employees, serving municipalities, general contractors, and developers across the region.
While much of their work lies below grade — underground utilities, storm systems, mass grading and site preparation — its impact is highly visible. Schools open on time. Parks welcome families. Roads expand to support growth. Communities function because the infrastructure beneath them was built correctly.
Kershaw Builders’ work is foundational in the truest sense. The company specializes in clearing, grubbing, grading, asphalt paving, concrete paving, water and sewer installation, storm drainage and utility infrastructure. From roadside cleanup to complex site preparation, its projects form the base layer upon which communities expand and modernize. The company’s trajectory shifted notably in 2011 when Wilbert Blizzard’s health started to decline. Leadership transitioned to his son, Robin Blizzard, who remains Vice President today. Reflecting on that period, he explains, “I took the company over in 2011, and shifted direction from being a general contractor to a site work contractor.”
That strategic pivot narrowed the company’s focus while strengthening its identity. Today, Kershaw Builders is recognized as a woman-owned business operating in partnership with the State of South Carolina, the Office of the Governor and the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Those relationships underscore the company’s credibility in public-sector infrastructure and utility work.
The milestone of forty years carries particular weight because the business has remained anchored in family. Robin Blizzard emphasizes that continuity: “40 years in the business – we’re family owned and operated, and we have some key family members still working for the company today. My mom still works here every day, and I run the company’s day-to-day operations. My son Hunter works here as our COO, along with my wife, Amy, who does accounts payable, and Hunter’s wife, Ashleigh, who is the head estimator. 40 years in the making and we’ve continued growing.”
That multigenerational presence reinforces a culture built on long-term accountability. Decisions are not framed around quarterly cycles but around decades of presence in Kershaw County and beyond.
Over the years, Kershaw Builders has taken on a range of high-profile assignments that illustrate both scale and adaptability. One such project was the Horse Creek Academy charter school in Kershaw County. A grammar school set on 13 acres, which required delivery on a compressed timeline to ensure completion before the academic year began. Robin describes the pressure and coordination required: “It’s one of the first of many in our area. It’s a good-sized school. We completed the sitework. It will eventually expand to middle and high school. It was a pretty rewarding project. It was one of the jobs that we were on a tight schedule – we started the job in May and only had three months to complete it. It took a significant part of our workforce to get it done, but we were able to get it completed, paved and ready for the kids on time.” Meeting that deadline required mobilizing equipment, labor and subcontractors with precision. It also demonstrated the firm’s capacity to deliver community-critical facilities under time constraints.
Another landmark undertaking was Woodward Park, one of the company’s largest projects to date. The $8 million sports complex spans 18 acres and includes baseball, soccer, basketball and disc golf facilities. The scope extended well beyond surface improvements. Robin outlines the transformation: “It was a pretty good undertaking, with an existing ball field there to start with. We tore it down, cleared it and demoed everything, raised the site up about a foot, put all new concession stands in, new bathrooms and made everything handicap accessible.” The project exemplified the company’s ability to handle demolition, grading, infrastructure installation and site accessibility in a coordinated program, all while maintaining community engagement.
Kershaw Builders is also currently involved in significant interstate infrastructure improvements. On Interstate 20, which runs through South Carolina and Kershaw County, the firm is performing dirt work, storm systems and utility relocation in preparation for the construction of a new bridge over the Wateree River.
Robin explains the scale and complexity: “We’re doing everything but the paving up to the bridge abatements. That’s a good-sized job here because requesting Interstate closure and lane shifts and helping build infrastructure for new bridges.”
Such work demands meticulous coordination with transportation authorities and public safety stakeholders. Lane closures, traffic shifts and utility relocation introduce layers of logistical challenge that test field management and planning.
Asked about the core of Kershaw Builders’ success over forty years, Robin points to mindset and availability. “It’s down to hard work and dedication to getting the job done, having the right tools, and not being afraid to take on jobs. Being able to jump in with both feet, understanding and continuing to learn, taking jobs on that way, so we continue to educate ourselves, and always being available. This isn’t a nine-to-five job; being able to answer the phone after hours is vital. We do a fair amount of emergency repair for local municipalities; you must be able to answer the call and jump into it. It is so important to continually educate yourself and take on jobs nobody else wants to do.” That willingness to respond outside standard hours reinforces municipal trust, particularly when emergency repairs are involved.
“It’s down to hard work and dedication to getting the job done, having the right tools, and not being afraid to take on jobs.”
Looking ahead, 2026 is positioned as another record year. The company plans to reinvest in people, equipment and technology while expanding its service radius beyond its traditional 60-mile footprint. “Our 2026 plans are to continue our growth, keep trying to reinvest in the company, reinvest in our employees, equipment and technology, as well as continuing education, trying to make our employees have a better benefit package,” Robin says.
Geographically, that expansion could extend operations to a 75-, 80- or even 100-mile radius. “We’re trying to expand our coverage area – we used to try to stay within about a 60-mile radius of our office, but in 2026 we’re expanding that to probably a 75/80-mile radius, maybe even a 100-mile radius,” he notes. Such growth introduces new markets and competitive dynamics, but the company’s identity remains rooted in Kershaw County.
Robin concludes with a blend of ambition and continuity: “So in 2026, we’re reaching out, getting to broaden our horizon a little bit. We’re just trying to continue our growth, we just want to keep working, get our name out more, do a little better marketing to paint a better picture for people. We still have people in our hometown who don’t know what we do, even though we probably have about 100 employees, so expand our community involvement. We have a good foothold in Kershaw County where we’re located, but we’re trying to get a little bit of a foothold in our local counties that are adjacent to us. We’re 40 years in the making, and we hope to be here another 40 years or more.”
In an industry defined by cycles, consolidation and constant change, Kershaw Builders’ forty-year arc stands as a testament to focused specialization, family stewardship and steady reinvestment. The ground they shape today reflects not only technical capability, but a long view built on continuity and commitment.
