Chandler Creel brings decades of experience overseeing facility shutdowns and construction projects for pharmaceutical and life sciences companies
Birmingham-based program management firm, HPM announces hiring Chandler Creel as Senior Project Manager, expanding the firm’s capabilities in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. Chandler joined HPM’s Atlanta office and is overseeing numerous projects across the firm’s portfolio.
Chandler brings over two decades of experience in design and construction project management, scheduling and planning, procurement, shutdown work, and business operations. He has worked across four continents for clients within the residential, commercial, industrial, oil and gas, and life sciences verticals. His previous titles include Project Engineer at CB&I, Senior Project Engineer at JE Dunn Construction, and Project Manager at CRB Group, where he oversaw high-profile pharmaceutical and medical clients.
“I began my construction career at 16 and quickly developed a passion for teamwork, problem-solving, and continuous improvement. Of all the industries I worked in, I found a calling in life sciences,” said Creel. “Because life sciences projects combine complexity and a positive impact on the world, I found significant gratification and excitement in my work. I look forward to leveraging my experience alongside HPM’s incredible reputation and world-class services to better serve former, current, and new clients as a trusted advisor.”
Chandler credits his success with shutdown projects to developing trust within the team and robust processes for planning, communicating, and executing work. “Life sciences projects are of the highest quality and often have immovable deadlines. A positive team dynamic and a systematic approach to every aspect of the project are invaluable, especially when issues arise,” Creel added.
“Chandler is the component we need to successfully round out our roster of industry experts and continue forging our way into the life sciences industry, which is one of the most thriving sectors of commercial real estate and construction,” said HPM President Ryan Austin. “It’s an uncompromising industry, and it takes someone who can meet aggressive deadlines and who possesses an unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfect. Chandler’s qualities and experiences make him an ideal leader during this next phase of growth at our firm.”
HPM recently handled program management for the construction of two new production facilities, a solvent warehouse, and various site infrastructure projects for Avanti Polar Lipids, Inc., owned by Croda International and located in Alabaster, Alabama. The firm is also overseeing the renovation of its existing quality and analytics building and the ground-up construction of a new 20,000-40,000-square-foot cGMP manufacturing facility, which will give Avanti the opportunity to modernize and automate multiple formerly hands-on processes.
Chandler is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction. While at Georgia Tech, he led multiple trips to New Orleans for Katrina relief and represented Georgia Tech nationally at the Associated Builders and Contractors student construction competition. Chandler was selected to serve as the primary leader for the Lean Construction Institute’s Georgia Chapter and is also involved with the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and Georgia Bio, a non-profit aimed at advancing the growth of Georgia’s life sciences industry.
The life sciences sector has seen record growth in recent years, with laboratory inventory growing by nearly 50% to 181.7 million square feet at the end of 2022, according to a report from CBRE. Life sciences also boasts a relatively low vacancy rate compared to other sectors and is expected to continue this growth as spending on research and development increases at a sustained pace.
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About HPM
HPM provides comprehensive planning, design and construction-related experience to offer clients a one-stop approach to complete program management and owner’s representation. From real estate acquisition analysis and facilities assessments to construction auditing and move management, HPM services clients in aerospace, automotive, sports and entertainment venues, commercial and industrial, higher education, K-12 and state and local government. With a footprint of accounts, projects and offices spanning throughout the US, the HPM team manages its work for national and international clients while providing a flexible, scalable team of experts at just the right time in the life of your facilities. For more information, please visit www.hpmleadership.com.
