Cooper Tacia General Contracting Company

Cooper Tacia General Contracting has its office on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh and builds industrial, education, government and airport projects. Completed work includes the Enviva biofuel plant, Henderson Collegiate and hangars at regional airports.

The company grew out of a friendship between two high school students, John Cooper and Chris Tacia, who started by splitting and selling firewood in Sanford in 1996. John Cooper leads the firm today as president and chief executive. The stated goal is to be one of the most sought after and creative project management, land development and construction companies in the state.

What to know

• The first construction jobs, in 2003, were bathroom and kitchen renovations.
• A single house was built speculatively in that early period.
• The Great Recession hit the business in 2008.
• The firm took its current name in 2020, honoring the friend who helped it start.
• A downtown Atlanta office opened in 2024.