Jon Keith Photo by John Temple Ligon

Construction business development executive Jon Keith grew up in Spencer, W. Va., where he began his own radio show at age 13. Immediately following high school, Keith enrolled in West Virginia University. And he came here to continue his education at USC, graduating with a master's in social work. At the University of Alabama in Birmingham is one the largest medical centers in the South, and Keith earned his master's there in health administration in 1980.

Working at Spartanburg General, Keith met his wife Crissa, a Converse student from Mobile, Alabama. He matriculated through a combination of health care and business development and management, holding executive positions of increasing responsibility in Birmingham, Mobile, and Columbia. For example, he was CEO of Columbia Gastroenterology Associates, where they had annual revenues of $4.5 million.

Moving into big-time construction, Keith was vice president for business development at M. B. Kahn Corporation for five years. About a year ago he took a position with C. F. Evans & Company, a family-owned Orangeburg- based general construction company with contracts exceeding $75 million annually. The company specializes in retirement communities, student housing, banks, and health care. Projects are located in the southeast with recent projects in Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina.

Keith is running down work in Louisiana and Mississippi as the region recovers from hurricane Katrina. C. F. Evans is attracting attention down there with its housing record among other accomplishments.

The company's reputation began with its first job in 1948 by founder Clarence Evans of Orangeburg. Evans worked the industry for half a century, gaining in scale and finance. In construction, just being able to estimate the costs of a project and to corral the crews to do the work is nowhere near enough. A firm financial footing must be established and nurtured and expanded, always, or the company never grows. A construction company must have the financial resources and industry standing to qualify for the bond, the completion insurance, adequate to cover any shortcomings to finish the job. For the most part, the bond qualification requirements can be the crucible that keeps small firms small and medium-sized firms medium- sized. C. F. Evans can qualify for a $100 million bond, and C. F. Evans can thereby chase work worth $100 million.

Besides making it rain for C. F. Evans, Keith is a teacher in higher education. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Birmingham, a preceptor in health administration at USC, and a lecturer in the MBA program at Winthrop.

Keith and his wife Crissa have two daughters, Sarah and Anna. Sarah is special assistant to Alfonso Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Before HUD, the White House was her employer, where she worked in the West Wing in the president's scheduling office. Anna is a nursing student at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Most recently and most regularly Keith is seen at the South Carolina Episcopal Home at Still Hopes in West Columbia, where he visits his parents and his wife's mother. And he admires his company's work all around him. C. F. Evans built most of it, to include the two new buildings for independent living designed by THW of Atlanta. One building is five floors, and the other, six, for a total of 125 residential units and $24 million in construction.