About

Cooper Tacia General Contracting grew out of a friendship between two high school students, John Cooper and Chris Tacia, who had a shared interest in construction and real estate – and an ambition to build a company that focused on both.

In 1996, the two began a business splitting and selling firewood in Sanford, NC. The money they raised was used to start a small development in nearby Harnett County and eventually led to the creation of Southeastern Properties & Development Company, fulfilling their dream of getting into residential development and home construction.

Chris ran the real estate sales side of the business while John focused on construction.  Southeastern’s first projects, in 2003, were mostly bathroom and kitchen renovations along with the construction of a single home that was built speculatively. John did a lot of the work himself, with his own hands. Eventually, the company started building small single-family homes and larger custom homes, creating neighborhoods and a sense of community.

And then in 2008, the Great Recession hit. That’s when John pivoted to commercial space, specifically hospitality projects, building some of Raleigh, North Carolina’s most beloved restaurants including the area’s first Happy and Hale, Bida Manda, Gallo Pelon and eventually Brewery Bhavana, Whiskey Kitchen, Crawford & Sons and Jolie. Chris, on the other hand, continued working in his chosen field of real estate, leaving the construction industry. And while the two no longer were connected as one company, their friendship continued.

From there, John started working in the industrial space on large-scale manufacturing facilities, such as biofuel plants for Enviva Biomass, a lumber mill for Southeastern Timber Products and a zinc refinery for American Zinc Recycling. As the company’s staffing and expertise grew, it expanded into other areas – government buildings, offices, apartments, schools, community centers, and water and wastewater treatment plants.

In 2020, the firm was renamed Cooper Tacia General Contracting, with John continuing to honor the friend who helped him get his start. The rebranding reflects the firm’s growth in the above industry sectors and acknowledges the work they perform throughout the country including North and South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Utah. In 2024, Cooper Tacia opened its downtown Atlanta office, expanding its reach even further in the Southeast.