Building on Success: Chad Lindsay and Alston Construction

Some people know their passion when they’re young, and others find their professional calling a bit later. For Chad Lindsay, VP and General Manager of Alston Construction in Memphis, he didn’t find the secret until he was out of college.

Like a lot of young men, Chad was drawn to sports when he was younger. While he always realized that good grades were important, he found time to participate in all major sports, with baseball taking the top position in high school. For a guy who ended up being responsible for major construction projects, Lindsay never took
a specific interest in the building trades as a youngster. “Oh, I liked to tinker with things.” he recalled, “taking apart TVs and toasters and such, but not really building things.”

It wasn’t until he graduated from the University of Memphis with a B.S. in Architectural Technology and a friend helped him get a job with a construction company, that he began to understand what he really wanted to do. It was just the beginning.

In 2004, Lindsay opened the Alston Construction office in Memphis. “Since I
am a Colliervillian, I saw the potential growth in this area. I decided to move the office to Collierville.” He serves as the V.P. and General Manager of Alston’s local office. Alston has close to 20 offices nationwide.

It’s not just the construction of a building that motivates Lindsay. “The most significant projects to me are the job creators. Just south of Collierville, we built for Amazon, Volvo, McCormick Seasonings, Kellogg’s and others. These four combined to create over 2,000 jobs.”

Obviously, with the millions of square feet that Alston has built locally, some projects stand out for Lindsay. “My favorite project was probably Volvo in Byhalia, MS. We had a great team, and Volvo was great to work with. Almost every component of the building was fire resistant or retardant. Since Volvo is a Swedish company, we had to build it to European standards. It was a unique project.”

And, as for challenging assignments, Lindsay remembers the General Electric Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS) project. “It was challenging in that I was the project manager, superintendent, safety manager and accountant. I was tasked with wearing multiple hats. The project was a success, and GECAS was very pleased with their new facility.”

Lindsay reflects his pride in Alston as he describes points of their corporate philosophy: “To be successful as Alston, you have to enjoy seeing success in others. We have a great culture which reflects why we won the Memphis Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” award for 2019.

He serves in a host of professional and civic organizations: The Collierville Chamber of Commerce, Associated Builders and Contractors to Youth Villages, Byhalia Chamber of Commerce, Collierville Food Bank, the Memphis Chamber’s “We Build 901.” He even finds time to remember his childhood love of baseball, with his involvement in Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI).

While he has worn many hats professionally, he is most proud of the hat he wears as a father. Asked if he has any hobbies, he smiles. “My children are my hobby. I enjoy watching and helping them with their sports and extracurricular activities. My wife and I do our best to guide them to be good people.”