Robert Utsey, a former Skanska USA Building Inc. executive, has been named as Coastal Construction Group’s new senior vice-president for the firm’s Orlando office.
Utsey is going to work alongside Coastal’s president for central and north Florida, Sean DeMartino. The two have began working together back when they served as co-chairs for the Orlando Economic Development Commission. More recently, they also have assisted in merging Orlando Chamber and Orlando Economic Development Commission to form the Central Florida Partnership.
In an interview, DeMartino tells the Orlando Sentinel that Utsey approaches clients with consistency and integrity. “We build assets that complete our clients’ business strategy, so we need to know their business. He talks and communicates and thinks in that manner,” DeMartino shares.
Before his current appointment, Utsey has worked with Sanska for 17 years. He last served as the organization’s senior vice president, specifically as part of the team responsible for developing client collaborations. During his time, Sanska built prominent facilities within the region including University of Florida’s Downtown campus, Nemours Children’s Hospital and Verizon Finance Center.
With two industry veterans spearheading the firm, Coastal is busy with major projects in the Florida area, ranging from commercial construction to disaster assistance. Among the projects, the most notable is Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort’s tower with 350 rooms.
Coastal has been a big player in the construction industry since 1988 and takes pride in being ranked in the top 100 construction management companies in the United States. Aside from commercial construction, the firm also tackles residential, mixed-use and historic preservation projects. According to DeMartino, the firm’s Orlando office is looking for more hires.
