ME Contracting: Building Brick by Brick With Integrity and Work Ethic

ME Contracting, a Columbia-based licensed commercial general contractor, founded by Columbia native Michael Eargle in summer 2023, is focused on the institutional and government projects that matter to the communities they serve. Eargle described ME Contracting as “bringing a level of care and accountability to institutional work that larger contractors often don’t. We are small enough to be hands-on, but experienced enough to handle complex government and university projects. Our clients get a licensed, credentialed contractor who is personally invested in the job,” Eargle shared.

He obtained a construction science management degree from Clemson University and was encouraged by a family friend to pursue a contractor’s license while he was working as a project manager for another firm. Construction has always been a passion especially given his family ties to the trade. “My father and grandfather laid the foundation for everything I know about this industry,” he said, noting that his family along with mentor, James Jordan, all “(continue) to be (people) he leans on.” All their combined experience in the field and business has shaped his approach to leadership and project delivery. “They’ve taught me work ethic, integrity, dependability, and being men of their word,” he explained. 

After receiving his contractor license, he wrapped up a project in Atlanta before returning to Columbia where he started bidding procurement projects and local projects. The biggest challenges he has had were acquiring projects, especially starting out. “You’re starting into something fresh and new, but you have the industry experience,” he said, explaining that when someone bids, they can either lose by a small amount or large – it varies. 

Entrepreneurship often comes with lessons learned. For Eargle, he learned that knowing the profession you’re in is just as important as understanding the business side of things. “There are legal contracts with subcontractors and operations,” Eargle said. With operations, leadership is unique within itself. “Leading people who are working for you is different from being a coach, " he explained, adding that when an owner is sick, “they can’t call out sick, and when it’s your business, you have to show up.”

In the next two to five years, ME Contracting aims to grow more as a company and acquire more unique projects – ones that impact people in a meaningful way. Eargle recalled having a client based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, who got a leased building after operating in a food truck for 10 years. ME Contracting worked on their restaurant. He recalled how happy the clients were during the grand opening and wants to continue to do projects with a huge impact on others. Another project favorite was the USC Anne Frank Center where ME Contracting renovated the garden of the space.

The advice he would give to aspiring entrepreneurs would be “to invest in yourself” and “not be afraid to reach out to people who are doing something you aspire to do. He encourages entrepreneurs to take classes, read a book about what they want to do and know that "a lot of opportunities can stem from blessings from others.” 

ME Contracting serves private developers, aviation facilities, health care facilities, educational institutions, and government sectors within South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. They work on “ground-up builds” to renovations of current buildings. Some of their clients include the University of South Carolina, Town of Lexington, Brookland-Landview Empowerment Center, Winthrop University, and several others. 

To start a project, inquire about opportunities or to learn more about ME Contracting, view the website and complete the contact form: https://mecontractingpros.com/#home