Harper & Sons, Inc., a 56-year-old Talbot County construction company, sits at the edge of a major thoroughfare in Easton, yet is humbly tucked inside a bank of storage units, effectively hidden in plain sight. But step inside, and you’ll find a family business with a reputation for excellence and a portfolio of construction projects that stretches across the Eastern Shore.
Howard Harper, the founder, got his start as a lumber salesman in the ’60s, but he could see the Eastern Shore growing. He believed that expanding into construction would be a prudent business move. Back then, those who sold lumber also became builders to diversify their interests. The Talbot County native launched Howard G. Harper and Sons as a general contractor in 1968, which became Harper and Sons in the ’70s.
Today, grandsons and brothers Benson and Lee are the “sons” in the business—Benson serves as vice president and Lee works as the company’s site work superintendent—while their father, Stephen, oversees financing and bonding as the company’s president. Their commercial projects range from the newly renovated St. Michaels Community Center to the New Crew Building at Easton Utilities to Choptank Health’s new medical center in Federalsburg.
A Reputation for Excellence
Over the years, the company has expanded to meet the changing needs of the Eastern Shore. But the Harpers are best known as general contractors, a term used to describe construction professionals who manage a project from start to finish.
“General contracting is a blanket term that means that you would hold the prime contract with the owner,” Benson explains. “You would be responsible for all subletting, purchasing materials, and hiring labor, bringing the entire thing under one envelope so that the owner has one point of contact.”
Some general contractors are single individuals with a hard hat and a phone, and they subcontract everything. But that’s not the Harper & Sons approach. “We really have boots on the ground, and we think that that produces a better result for the owner because of our direct control of the details, the materials, and the labor,” Benson explains. “Quality follows.”
Another thing that sets Harper & Sons apart is they offer general contracting for both building construction and site work. “We actually have both of those under our umbrella,” Benson notes. “That helps us get projects underway faster and helps us tackle projects that no one else wants to do.”
If that’s not enough, the company is becoming known as design-build general contractors too, yet another aspect of the Harper’s expertise. In this construction delivery method, Harper & Sons also controls the design side of a project, which Benson and Lee believe benefits the project owner.
“We can bring that whole team together and work through the design, giving feedback as the design increases in detail,” Benson explains. “When the owner gets to the point where they have a final set of drawings, they’re not just seeing the price for the first time. We’ve been working through that the whole time. They get the feedback that hopefully prevents more changes when they’re under construction.”
Attention to Detail
Regardless of the project they take on, Benson and Lee agree that the thing that sets their company apart is their hands-on approach to construction projects. “We have staff members who install, build, and renovate things,” Benson explains. “It makes us more involved in the details which translates to better quality and often better pricing for our customers.”
Some would call this approach old-fashioned, Benson admits, but the company has built its reputation by offering a level of service and attention to detail that can’t be beat. “All of the general contractors that I know who operate this way nationally have a great track record with their clients,” he notes.
The brothers agree that growing up in the business has given them an advantage over the years. Both worked summers at Harper & Sons, as did their siblings, and visiting job sites is among their earliest memories.
“I guess the best thing is that we enjoy building things,” Benson says with a smile. “We like to have people on our team who enjoy the same thing. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you have the right mindset.”
The brothers also have a great deal of respect for what each other contributes to company operations. “The management side and the field side of things have two very different challenges,” Benson says. “We’re constantly trying to keep the paper moving so waiting for approvals doesn’t get in the way of what they’re trying to do in the field.”
Lee is often the first person on a job site and the last person to leave when a project is complete, making sure the last sitework details are finalized. He oversees site preparation, from the installation of infrastructure, completion of the foundation work, and creation of stormwater management features. Then, he turns the site over to another crew to start the building package.
Weather, supply chain jams, and meeting inspection goals are some of the challenges the field crews face. “In the field, their challenge is to keep moving,” Benson says. “We try to make sure the approvals are out ahead of them. We try to align our goals. Some days, those guys out there just perform magic. What they put in place, how they pull it off, sometimes against all odds, is amazing.”
Crossroads of the Mid-Atlantic
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that Talbot County has 182 construction-related businesses. This doesn’t surprise the Harpers. “Historically, this was an area where people were very active with their hands,” Benson says. “We were watermen. We were farmers. We were builders.”
Benson also believes the economic base of Talbot County sets it apart. “It attracts folks who want to put significant investment into real estate, residential real estate mostly which I think is where a lot of the construction companies are focused in Talbot County,” he observes. “But there’s also opportunities for businesses to grow and renovate here as well.
“Talbot County is kind of a crossroads in the Mid-Atlantic, if you will,” Benson continues. “Even though we’re not the largest, most populated county, there’s a lot of economic activity in this area, financial as well as intellectual. Since 2020 it’s even growing faster because now more talent is coming to this area because they can live and work here, bringing more of that talent in.”
Looking to the Future
Both brothers hope a fourth generation of Harpers will grow to take over the company. Eight grandchildren are waiting in the wings. “I’d love to think it’s one of my four,” Benson says of his brood, “but I would like them to do construction because they want to, not because Dad said they had to because that’s a big difference.”
But perhaps more importantly, Benson and Lee believe more young people should consider construction as a career.
“If we don’t encourage people to enter the trades, construction is going to continue to experience a shortage of skilled labor,” Benson predicts. “We’re not replacing the talent that we’re losing quickly enough. It means that projects have a harder time getting accomplished because the supply and demand of labor drives construction costs through the roof.”
Benson and Lee agree that, for them, construction has been a great career choice. “While it’s a very physical business career, it’s also very rewarding because you can see the tangible outcome of what you accomplish,” Lee says. “I don’t think that’s being passed on to the younger generation.”
The construction industry may also have a bit of an image issue, the Harpers concede. Today’s young people who gravitate toward technology may overlook construction as a career path, which can be shortsighted. Applications such as GPS-guided grading systems, 3D animation, and drone imaging are commonplace on job sites these days. Construction jobs often offer an opportunity to combine the nuts and bolts of construction with technological solutions.
For more information about Harper & Sons, Inc., visit the company’s website at www.harperandson.com.
About Talbot County Department of Economic Development and Tourism
The Talbot County Department of Economic Development and Tourism’s mission is to enhance and promote a business-friendly environment for current and prospective enterprises and to advocate for policies that support and strengthen the economic vitality of Talbot County. The department’s vision for Talbot County is built on the principles of strong communities, empowered businesses, and innovative solutions.
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