Company Spotlight: Kast Construction - Tampa Bay Business & Wealth

You’ve probably seen Kast Construction banners on various projects around the Tampa Bay area.

Founded in West Palm Beach, Kast Construction has been behind some of the largest projects in the Tampa Bay area, since 2011. In 2016, it established its Tampa office.

The company has two new towers planned in 2020, including Saltaire in St. Petersburg, and Eleve61 in Tampa.

Kast has completed more than $1 billion in projects over the past four years. This work includes condominiums, multifamily, senior living facilities, office buildings, municipal projects, country clubs and educational facilities.

While the construction company is bullish on taking on new projects Mike Neal, CEO of Kast Construction, says it’s much more than business, it’s about community.

“We went to St. Petersburg to build the One St. Petersburg condominium/hotel project, but we felt very strongly that we need to support local communities in areas where we do business,” Neal says.

In 2019, Kast was able to donate more than $1 million to charities across the state, including local organizations such as Unity Youth Football League, Family First of Florida, St. Petersburg Free Clinic and Lift Academy. One philanthropic project that was recently completed was an outdoor pavilion, and playground, for the Children’s Cancer Center in Tampa which was funded locally through Kast’s partners.

Sean Ouellette, division manager and senior vice president of Kast’s Tampa office, says if it weren’t for the caliber of the team it has in place, it wouldn’t be able to secure such in-demand contracts. “One thing that makes us successful is our people,” Ouellette says. “We look for a perfect combination of technical talent and a cultural fit. Hire good people, give them the tools and trust them. Our business is very relationship-driven.”

The future of Kast looks bright. The company is focusing on diversification and expansion. It has begun taking on mixed-use projects like The Channel Club in Tampa, which will be anchored by a Publix, and plans to move into the Orlando market.

In June, Kast is set to start the Balm Hotel in St. Petersburg’s Edge District. This might be changing from hotel to multifamily dwelling, and starting later this year.

Earlier in 2020, Kast Construction bought out its parent and founder, The Kolter Group. Kolter Group will continue to be a client of Kast for its future projects. ♦