Putting Down Roots in Virginia
When Warfel opened its Virginia office in downtown Winchester in 2022, establishing a physical presence was only the beginning.
The local team started with four employees. Today, 31 team members call the Winchester office home.
But becoming established in a new market takes more than growing a team or completing projects. Experience may open a door, but familiarity and trust are built locally, one relationship at a time.
Over the past several years, that progress has shown up in small but meaningful ways. Conversations that started with introductions now begin with familiar faces. People recognize Warfel’s projects, trucks, and team members. Business conversations sometimes start by asking about families and kids.
Those moments are difficult to measure, but they matter.
Opening an office may give you a place in a market. Becoming part of that market takes time.
Looking for Clients, Not Projects
The Shenandoah Valley is a relationship-driven region, which aligns closely with the way Warfel approaches its work.
As Steve Davis, Vice President of Virginia, puts it:
“We’re pursuing clients, not projects.”
It is a simple way of describing the thinking behind Warfel’s Clients for Life® mission: focus on the relationship first and earn the opportunity to continue working together over time.
Sometimes that means helping a client develop a budget for a project that Warfel may never build. Other times, it means returning after a warranty period has ended or helping work through an issue outside the original scope.
The goal is not to turn every interaction into another project. It is to be the kind of resource a client feels comfortable calling when they need help.
That trust matters even more when construction does not go exactly as planned. Projects bring changing conditions, difficult decisions, and problems that need to be worked through together. Strong relationships make room for honest conversations about what is happening, what comes next, and how the team will respond.
Over time, those relationships can create opportunities that were never part of a pursuit plan.
One recent church project, for example, was not originally on Warfel’s radar. The organization reached out after speaking with another client about their experience working with the team.
For a company still growing in Virginia, referrals like that mean more than another opportunity. They show that one relationship created enough trust for another conversation to begin.
Using the Right Tools to Help Clients Move Forward
The tools used to deliver construction continue to change, but what clients need from their construction partners has not changed nearly as much.
They want clear communication. They want transparency. They want to understand the decisions before them and feel confident that the people around the table are working toward the same goal.
Technology is most valuable when it supports those fundamentals.
On a recent prospective project, a client wanted to move quickly but lacked an accurate record of the existing building. Warfel’s in-house Matterport capabilities provided a practical solution: scan the space and give the architect better information to begin design sooner.
The value was not simply the technology itself. It was recognizing an obstacle the client was facing and finding a way to help remove it.
For Steve, that’s an important part of how Warfel continues to approach growth in Virginia: use the tools available but keep the focus on what helps the client make better decisions and move forward with confidence.
What a Long-Term Relationship Can Become
Warfel’s relationship with Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury offers one example of what that approach can look like over time.
The relationship began with The Villas, a significant project on the Winchester campus. Since then, Warfel has had the opportunity to return for nearly a dozen additional projects of varying sizes.
But the number of projects is not what makes the relationship meaningful.
Each return to campus deepens understanding of how the community operates, what matters to its residents and staff, and how construction can be coordinated in a place people call home.
The relationship has also grown beyond construction through events, sponsorships, and volunteer involvement. Steve describes SVWC as a high bar for the kind of client partnership Warfel hopes to continue building throughout Virginia.
That same long-term thinking applies to the team Warfel is building locally. As employees grow their careers in the region, they also develop deeper relationships with clients, trade partners, organizations, and communities.
For Steve, that continuity is an important part of what success in Virginia looks like.
Still Building
Growth in a new market can be measured in employees, projects, and opportunities. Some of the most meaningful signs take longer to see.
A client calls again. A referral arrives without being pursued. A team member grows into a new role. A professional connection becomes a trusted relationship.
Warfel is still building its presence in Virginia, and there is more to learn.
The goal is not simply to do more work here. It is to listen, invest in the people and communities already here, and earn the opportunity to keep building alongside them.
