A trip to Aiken includes plenty of time outside, learning about history, meandering around beautiful parks, and some great shopping in a thriving downtown. World-class equestrian competitions and various festivals are also held in the city. In this lively community, there’s always something new to explore.

If you’re looking to open a business in the area, we’ve listed some of the best retail contractors in the city to assist you. These companies were chosen for their track records, portfolios, and accolades.

J.E. Stewart Builders, Inc.

237 Chesterfield Street N, Aiken, SC 29801

J.E. Stewart Builders was started in 1955 by its namesake, who saw a need for a professional home builder in the Aiken region. For the first ten years, the firm’s primary focus was home construction. In the mid-1960s, the firm began to diversify and entered the commercial and industrial industries. Its portfolio demonstrates the many services it provides to clients in the commercial, medical, religious, municipal, industrial, and retail sectors.

The firm has grown tremendously under the leadership of Joshua Stewart and Nathan Stewart. The firm specializes in the design, engineering, and construction of commercial and industrial buildings of various sizes. The company also uses design flexibility, superb engineering, state-of-the-art technology, and advanced construction techniques in its projects. In 2019, J.E. Stewart Builders, Inc. was chosen as the Best Commercial Builder during The Aiken Standard’s annual Aiken’s Choice Awards.

RD Brown Contractors

410 Carolina Springs Road, North Augusta, SC 29841

R.D. Brown Contractors, Inc. has a family history in the building sector that dates back 40 years. The firm has the experience of a large company while providing the individualized customer care of a smaller firm. It serves the Georgia-Carolina region’s religious, educational, healthcare, industrial, commercial, and civic sectors. The firm’s mission is not to be the largest contractor—RD Brown wants to create high-quality developments and long-term client relationships.

R.D. Brown Contractors is a member of several notable organizations in the building industry. During its four decades in the business, it has also been the recipient of various awards for its projects. The most recent include Green Globe Awards for its work with Aiken Scholars Academy and USC Aiken (2021). The firm also won the Historic Augusta Award for the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection (2021)

Gillam & Associates, Inc.

1652 Columbia Highway N, Aiken, SC 29801

Gillam & Associates, founded in 1985, specializes in building large-scale retail complexes that include big-box retail shops, shopping malls, and chain supermarkets. The firm, headquartered in Aiken, has built roughly 30 million square feet of space over a 10-state geographic region in the southeast. The firm has worked on projects for a wide range of retail and commercial customers, including the nation’s largest retailer, on a steady basis for over a quarter-century.

BB&T Insurance recently presented Gillam & Associates, Inc. with the Lighthouse Beam Safety Award. The award honors the firm’s dedication to the safety and health of its workers, clients, and the general public, as well as its excellence in safety performance. 

Headed by Stephen Rawson as president, the company is a member of the Aiken Chamber of Commerce. Stephen has a degree in finance from the University of South Carolina in the Honors College. With 25 years of construction-related experience, he holds a Master’s in International Business from the same university. Stephen also volunteers his time as Treasurer for the United Way of Aiken County.

Attaway Construction & Associates, LLC

4234 Wheeler Road, Martinez, GA 30907

Founded in 2011, Attaway Construction & Associates, LLC works in the commercial, hospitality, medical, professional office, public, restaurant, retail, and assisted living sectors for a wide-ranging clientele in the southeast. It conducts pre-planning sessions with the owner, architect, and key personnel. Collectively, these vital people define specific project goals with consideration to scheduling, quality control, cost, and safety.

With Roger “Roddy” Attaway’s leadership as president, the team includes accomplished professionals skilled in commercial and government, all BBB A+ accredited. Attaway Construction & Associates, LLC is a member of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce. It is committed to providing quality while finding the best solutions for its clients. It always aims to exceed their expectations.

Allen+Batchelor Construction

1063 Franke Industrial Drive, Augusta, GA 30909

Allen+Batchelor Construction is a general commercial contractor specializing in design-build construction that works in CSRA and beyond. The firm serves the healthcare, commercial, government, institutional, and religious sectors and is under the oversight of Douglas Devane Batchelor and John Charles Allen. The company also holds memberships with the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Columbia County Chamber. 

A+B has successfully executed projects in the Central Savannah River Area, Columbia, and Sandersville over the past 24 years. It has a proven record of completing projects on time and within budget for its clients thanks to its systematic approach to project execution. Throughout the firm’s history, most of its projects have been design-build or construction management at risk. These projects were given preconstruction services during the design phase to guarantee that the client got the best value, stayed within their budget, and provided the required construction on or ahead of schedule.