Crain Construction named as finalist for NBJ’s Best in Business 2022

Crain Sign in front of a pile of dirt at a construction site

(NASHVILLE, TN) — The Nashville Business Journal has selected Michael Rankin, President & CEO of Crain Construction, as a finalist for the NBJ’s 2022 Best in Business Awards. Each year, the Business Journal collects nominations and questionnaires for the area’s top leaders. Submissions are reviewed by an independent panel of judges grading the organization’s culture, management, business strategy, and other criteria. Finalists are then chosen for each business category. 

The finalists for this year’s list were chosen specifically because of the tenacity and innovation shown over the past year — overcoming the challenges the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic presented to businesses everywhere. 

“It’s an honor to be nominated as a finalist for this year’s award,” said Rankin. “But really it’s a testament to the incredible hard work and dedication of our entire team – our leadership team, contractors, superintendents, project managers, and internal support staff. The pandemic has created significant challenges for our industry, but our entire team leaned in to serve one another, meet the needs of our employees and clients, and respond to the unique circumstances revolving around Covid-19.” 

As a Nashville-born commercial general contractor partnering on innovative projects across the Southeast, Crain Construction’s unique approach and commitment to its foundational values helped the company navigate the challenges of the past two years.

Crain Construction is built upon the commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of its employees and their families. In addition to providing employees with competitive benefits and opportunities for growth, Crain has instilled the tradition of giving back to the community. Crain has developed charitable partnerships with organizations such as Rebuilding Together, One Generation Away, Second Harvest, American Heart Association, Civic Design Center, and Toys for Tots, where employees serve and volunteer throughout the year. 

This commitment to integrity and generosity has also helped the company evolve into one of the fastest-growing commercial contracting companies in the Southeast. ​​Crain’s philosophy to “always do the right thing” has resulted in over 80% of its projects coming from repeat clients in the commercial, mixed-use, hospitality, multifamily, industrial/manufacturing, institutional, telecommunications, and retail industries. 

“Prioritizing our relationships over profit has been the key to steady, long-term success of our company,” explained Rankin. “It’s who we are and how we do business. That’s something I’ll always be incredibly proud to say.”  

Rankin was selected as one of the finalists for the Top Executives for companies with 26-100 employees. You can join finalists at The Westin Nashville on May 26 to learn which companies are named category winners. In the meantime, you can congratulate all of this year’s honorees on social media using the hashtag #NBJBIBA.

Related Projects

new building contructed in nashville
Breaking Down the Budget: A Developer’s Guide to Commercial Construction Costs in Nashville

Understanding the costs of construction is one of the most foundational elements of effective project planning. This is especially true in a dynamic and fast-growing city like Nashville, where property values, labor costs, and material prices have seen steady increases in recent years. Navigating these costs requires a blend of expertise, foresight, and collaboration. At...

commercial building under construction in nashville
What Developers Should Know About Building in Nashville In 2025

Nashville’s real estate market is set for an exciting year in 2025. Despite high prices and lingering challenges, the city’s commercial construction outlook remains strong. According to a recent article from The Tennessean and the 2025 U.S. Emerging Trends in Real Estate report, Nashville ranks in the top five markets to watch. The resilience of...

Double Queen (2)
Project Spotlight: Marriott Tri-Brand

As the saying goes, there’s a first time for everything. This project was not only a first for Crain Construction in our 90+ years of history but also for Nashville itself. Transforming a third-floor parking garage into 36 high-end guest suites as hotel operations continued was a groundbreaking endeavor. The final project added a new...

City Park wide angle
Innovation in Action: How Crain Construction Uses Drones for Smarter Project Management

As a 90-year-old commercial construction company, we’ve seen the importance of enhancing timeless construction principles with new tools and technology. We are intentional about always looking for ways to improve our processes and project outcomes. One recent example is the use of drones, which are transforming how we approach project management, quality assurance, and collaboration....

Community

We partner with organizations to invest, give back and make a positive impact on the communities where we live and work.

Blog

Get the latest Crain Construction Blogs and interesting insights about our projects and community endeavors here.

When you’re ready to build, we’re here for you

Reach out to start a conversation with our team.