The evenings are longer this time of year and it’s great to see so many people out enjoying the weather. These moments — at events, receptions, and backyard barbecues — often lead to meeting new people. And inevitably, someone asks the classic question:
“So, what do you do?”
I genuinely love that question.
It gives me a chance to talk about Fortney & Weygandt, Inc. — a company with a rich history and a national footprint. I share how we started as a “mall rat” contractor, traveling across the country to support retailers as they expanded city by city. Over time, our work evolved — from retail to hotels, senior living, multifamily housing, and commercial construction.
I talk about our people, our culture, our charitable work, and the projects we're proud to build.
But lately, my answer has started to change.
There’s so much more to talk about now.
Yes, we still do all of that — and more.
Every issue of our newsletter showcases a snapshot of projects we’re working on across the country, segmented by market. But those snapshots only tell part of the story.
For instance, our retail work has grown far beyond mall tenant fit-outs. We now build big box stores like Nordstrom Rack and Academy Sports, as well as full shell buildings that house national brands that we've worked with for decades. The definition of retail continues to evolve, and we’re right there with it — building fitness facilities like Pure Barre, F45, and Planet Fitness into retail centers. We're also completing nationwide rollouts for brands like CVS, including remodels and ground-up builds. The variety is incredible.
And it’s not just retail anymore.
We’re seeing a surge in veterinary clinics and urgent care centers taking over traditional retail spaces. We’ve expanded into medical office buildings, including boutique facilities like Good Nature Therapy Services. As healthcare becomes more specialized, we expect to see even more opportunities in this area.
In the related space of senior living, we’ve been building across the full continuum of care — independent living, assisted living, and memory care — either as standalone projects or as part of larger planned communities. Consolidation in this sector is driving even more work through remodels and additions for new and evolving brands.
Our hotel portfolio is also growing rapidly. We continue to be trusted by clients to deliver ground-up hotels like Fairfield Inn & Suites, Hampton Inn, Extended Stay America, WoodSpring Suites, and more. With projects underway in three states and a track record in nine, the momentum is strong.
Commercial work is also on the rise — from office buildouts for financial and insurance companies to cold-storage facilities, warehouses, and even a first for us: a cheese processing facility.
Then, of course, someone at the barbecue offers me a burger and asks:
“Do you want cheese on that?”
It reminds me — I haven’t even mentioned our restaurant work!
We’ve built everything from fast food chains to upscale dining. Brands like Arby’s, Taco Bell, First Watch, Darden, Brinker, and others rely on us for remodels, new builds, and multi-site rollouts. It’s a segment we know well — and one that always makes me a little hungry.
So yes, I’ll take cheese on that burger and ask you the same. What do you do? And how can we help?
