greater:SATX sat down with Steve Lyons, Vice President of Business Development at Skanska USA Inc., to find out more about this about this organization benefitting of San Antonio residents.
Tell us a little bit about Skanska and your presence in the Greater San Antonio region.
Skanska has a long history in Texas, and 2024 marks 60 years since we began building in Texas. We have committed ourselves to creating a sustainable future for our clients, people, and communities by using our knowledge and foresight. We continue to create and build innovative solutions that support healthy living beyond our lifetime as the San Antonio region continues to expand. Skanska operates as a local builder backed by a strong global brand, financial strength, and a vast network of resources.
Some of our key recent and current projects include:
Civic Park phase 1 and 2
Alamodome Renovations
Alamo DSO
Methodist Hospital Expansion
Lackland ACC
City Tower
Jackson Middle School (NEISD)
How do you see yourself growing in the future and continue positively impacting our Greater San Antonio region?
San Antonio is a target market for our team because we’ve seen and continue to see a lot of development in the region. Since the pandemic, the city and stakeholders have focused on implementing a resurgence of activity back in the city, particularly downtown. We moved our offices to this corridor to specifically be a part of and support this revitalization effort.
Skanska is deeply committed to contributing positively to the Greater San Antonio region. As we look towards the future, we envision our growth intertwined with the continuous development and prosperity of our city. One of our core values is being an active participant in community life, so we will continue investing in local projects that have a direct positive impact on society such as infrastructure improvements and educational initiatives.
We are also committed to collaborating closely with local institutions and stakeholders. By developing partnerships and engaging in open dialogues, we aim to understand better and respond effectively to the unique needs of the region. Skanska’s growth will be marked by a strong commitment towards social responsibility, and we’re excited about making a lasting positive impact on the Greater San Antonio region.
How would you like to see the San Antonio region continue to grow?
San Antonio is thriving while seeing one of the largest population increases in the country. The investments into our city through projects such as the airport improvements, upgrades to the Alamodome, and the investment in making our downtown a true destination has been incredible to see.
We’d like to see an increase in the construction and trades industry. The workforce constraints are a continuing concern for our industry. Younger people aren’t seeing it as a career opportunity, so we’re out in our community actively communicating with middle and high-school students to help them understand that construction isn’t just about swinging a hammer. There are a lot of technical jobs within the industry and opportunities in fields like emerging technology, marketing, and finance. We’ve been hosting Days of Discovery, where we invite students from schools in the area to a job site. They can see a job in progress while attending a presentation where we talk about all these different opportunities.
Why did you invest in greater:SATX?
We want to contribute to the future growth of our city. greater:SATX is committed to retaining our local businesses, recruiting new high paying employers and advocating for critical infrastructure upgrades like the recent plans to expand the airport.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
As investment members of the local community, many of our local staff volunteer time at local charities and nonprofits with a shared commitment to make San Antonio a better place to live and work. One tradition that our office enjoys participating in every year is Fiesta. In fact, our office is on the Battle of the Flowers parade route, so we love celebrating this rich part of our local culture. We encourage you to be on the lookout for our 2024 Fiesta Medal which is designed to help promote the benefits of a career in construction!