The Whayland Company was originally established as Mayhew Whayland Construction Company in 1950 by the late Mayhew Whayland, Jr. The firm functioned during the early years as a builder of small to mid-sized residences in the Salisbury, Maryland area. Mr. Whayland, through his talents as a carpenter and cabinetmaker, established a reputation for quality workmanship. By the end of the decade, the firm was constructing some of the finest custom-built homes in the area. Most of his work was accomplished on a negotiated basis, and the firm virtually withdrew from the “bid” market.
In the early 1960's The Whayland Company added commercial and industrial construction to its portfolio. This work was approached with the same standards of quality as its residential construction. The firm gradually withdrew from the residential market, concentrated its effort on commercial, community, and industrial projects, and became a permanent fixture in that market.
Through the 1970’s and 1980’s the firm focused primarily on public bid work and became active in the pre-engineered building business. The design/build approach to construction came to our area and began to grow as an alternative means to traditional project delivery. Construction Management also came into vogue during this period.
In 1988, The Whayland Company became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Knott Company, an old-line general contracting firm in Baltimore, Maryland. This action was the result of a long and mutually profitable relationship between the two firms. For years The Whayland Company had acted as the Knott Company’s construction resource on the Eastern Shore, used mainly to perform work for the Knott Company in the Ocean City market. Whayland management felt that its interests would be best served if it could avail itself of the Knott Company’s developer marketing resources on a continuous basis. Similarly, the Knott Company desired a fixed presence on the Eastern Shore, hence the transaction. The arrangement worked well for several years; however, as the management of the Knott Company approached retirement age a decision was made to offer The Whayland Company for sale.
Bob Wheatley purchased certain assets and liabilities of The Whayland Company in 1993. The bulk of Bob’s experience is in the design/build “team” approach to construction with an orientation toward providing value and service as well as competitive pricing. Since 1993, we have focused on serving the project delivery needs of private commerce and industry with a total project management approach. In 2013, a five-year business succession plan was implemented with Steve Hentschel as the incoming principal. Steve and Bob worked shoulder to shoulder over the next several years to ensure that the Whayland legacy of customer service and value are enhanced and preserved.
Whayland takes a hands-on approach to the construction process and concentrates on providing excellent construction value, i.e., finding the best balance between quality and price based on the client’s needs. We encourage our clients to take a participative role in the design phase with emphasis on the efficient internal flow of work and site utilization. To that we add our expertise in materials, methods, and code requirements to yield a facility truly suited to the client’s needs, delivered on time and on budget.
During the construction phase, we use a variety of contracting methods depending on job size and the Owner’s needs. A popular form is the Construction Management approach. This is an “open book” format that allows the client to be involved in the value engineering and buyout process in an effort to provide greater value and realize cost savings while providing the assurance of a guaranteed maximum price.
There is an old saying that, “To a man with only a hammer in his toolbox, everything looks like a nail.” Whayland builds with a variety of construction types and combinations including masonry, structural steel, wood or metal framing, and Butler pre-engineered steel building systems, whichever construction type or combination best meets the Owner’s needs. Whayland also uses a variety of project delivery techniques including traditional spec and bid from the Owner’s design, design/build, and total project / construction management.
Whayland is committed personal service and owner advocacy. Steve Hentschel and Vice President John Russ will personally oversee project management and act as your primary point of contact. From Preconstruction to Completion, we are your advocate for design, permits, and construction. It is our sincere belief that construction is a service business, and we are committed to being a leader in providing construction project services on Delmarva.