Phillip Smith started his construction business in Charleston, South Carolina in 1990 with his wife, Cathy. A licensed General Contractor, Phillip has built homes throughout the Lowcountry of South Carolina and multiple locations in the Southeast. Focusing on quality custom homes and remodeling projects, Phillip has earned a highly respected reputation during his years of building in the Charleston area.

Bill Payzant joined the team after decades in the construction industry. Bill began building homes in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. After moving to Mount Pleasant, he continued building homes on Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms, and throughout Charleston.  In 2010 he started Nautilus Home Management after seeing the need to watch after and maintain vacation homes in the Charleston area. The experience maintaining coastal homes led to a focus on how to properly build low maintenance, high-performance homes. In 2018, Bill and Phil partnered, joining their two companies with the goal of creating a team dedicated to building and maintaining homes that are “built to last” for generations.

Cathy has been with the company since it was founded in 1990.  During this time, she has worked in all areas of the business - job site clean up, estimating, client coordinating to accounting.  When Phillip and Cathy started the business it was just the two of them handling everything.  Over the years the company has grown into a fantastic team of individuals who help the jobs and the company run smoothly and efficiently.  While Cathy is no longer cleaning up job sites, she is still actively involved in the management of the company.  

Jennifer has been a key part of the success of our company. She started in 1998 as our company was growing. She helped manage the increasing number of accounts and office needs. Today, one of Jennifer’s main roles is project estimating. Jennifer works hard to make sure the clients have accurate pricing starting at the bid phase. She also works closely with the whole Phillip Smith team throughout the building process. Jennifer loves working with such a great team. She spends her free time making memories with family and friends and visiting new places whenever she can.       

A Charleston native, Alyssa has been around the construction industry her whole life. After graduating from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi with a degree in Business Administration, Alyssa went on to gain Project Management experience in construction while working for commercial contractors. At Phillip Smith General Contractor, Alyssa assists with the estimating, billing, and contractual aspects of the business. She is thrilled to be able to contribute to the family business and loves experiencing firsthand the enthusiasm and diligence of the team to complete a project.

BJ started with Phillip Smith General Contractor in 2005. BJ works as a Senior Project Manager, working closely with the entire design-build team and the clients. BJ has always been interested in the construction field and has a background in drafting and carpentry. He developed an interest in fine home building while expanding his skill set in carpentry. BJ loves the challenge that comes with his job. When asked which is his favorite project he simply replies, “My current project is always my favorite!”

Russell has been working in the construction field since he was 15 years old. During this time, he has worked in both the commercial and residential sectors, and has worked on both new home construction and renovation projects. After graduating from the College of Charleston with a degree in Urban Studies, Russell decided to pursue his love of custom home building. As a superintendent for Phillip Smith General Contractor, Russell loves that he is able to work directly on the homes to help clients get exactly what they want in their home.

Jodi graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in accounting. She worked for 17 years for Publix as a department manager and then switched to the government sector working in accounting for the College of Charleston. When the opportunity to return to the private sector presented itself, Jodi embraced the chance to continue to grow in her career. At Phillip Smith General Contractor, Jodi is responsible for handling administrative tasks and assisting with accounting. She loves learning and is excited to embrace new opportunities for growth.

Lori joined Phillip Smith General Contractor part-time in 2018. She has a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill. Lori worked in commercial construction before entering graduate school. After graduate school, Lori went to work for Procter and Gamble as an assistant brand manager. After taking some time off for family, Lori re-entered the workforce. In her current position, Lori is able to use her construction background and marketing degree, the best of both worlds.