CONTRACTOR PREQUALIFICATIONS - PENDANA SENIOR RESIDENCES AT WEST LAKES

WPC HISTORY

Forty three years ago, Tracy Forrest founded Winter Park Construction (WPC) out of his small apartment located in Winter Park, FL.

With humble beginnings that included mostly residential renovation projects, Tracy pursued a passion for quality and excellence that defined his reputation. As this reputation grew, so did the size of the projects and, along with it, the size of the company. Within a few years, Tracy relocated to a second floor office above Brandywine’s Deli on Park Avenue. Project types expanded to include new commercial buildings and multifamily projects, as well as hotel renovations. More importantly, people in the community and industry began to take note of the passion and promise that fueled his growth. This emerging builder was providing quality work at a competitive price, while completing his projects on time. He was consistently following his credo – do the right thing, every time – a common-sense, yet uncommon, practice in the business. relocation to a larger facility for the expanding team of talented professionals that Tracy had assembled. They moved just a few blocks north of Winter Park city limits to the location that is still home to the company today. A resident of Winter Park for the past 41 years, Tracy has never forgotten his roots in the Winter Park community, living within walking distance of what will become the Alfond Inn. Tracy’s father, D. E. “Jim” Forrest, a former superintendent at California’s Disneyland migrated to Disney World in Florida in 1967, then joined his son’s company in 1976 before retiring from the industry 8 years later. Jim passed away in 1997, leaving a legacy of quality work throughout Winter Park, including the Steinmetz, Coffae, Rosenfelt, Moss, and Hall residences, as well as Thompson’s Restaurant and the 170 West Fairbanks Building, to name a few. In 1978, Tracy’s younger, overly confident little brother, Jeff Forrest, began working for him. Although Jeff had been pounding nails with his father and brother since he was 12 years old, he decided that at some point he should be paid for his work. Tracy determined that Jeff needed a keen awareness of all aspects of the business, and put him to work cleaning up job sites, hauling materials for carpenters and generally being a grunt. It was an invaluable education that forever shaped Jeff’s own affinity for construction. It did not take long for WPC to grow into a midsize construction company, which necessitated its

In 1980, Winter Park Construction was approached by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson to be the general contractor for its newest timeshare resort: Orange Lake Country Club (now known as Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort). Although WPC already had been working in the hospitality industry doing renovations and small build-outs, Orange Lake would be the start of its defining, long-term involvement in the industry that has put WPC on the national map. WPC’s relationship with the Wilson family continues nearly 34 years later with Kemmon’s grandson, Spence Wilson, Jr. Over the course of more than three decades, WPC has constructed five hotels for the Wilsons and more than 1,600 timeshare units. Under its current flag, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, WPC is the contractor of choice for projects in South Carolina, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Las Vegas. The WPC team is still working at Orange Lake Resort constructing new timeshare buildings and amenities and renovating units and common space. Through the years, Tracy’s younger brother moved up the ladder, learning every facet of the business from the vantage point of progressive positions, which included laborer, superintendent, project manager, senior project manager, director of business development, vice president and COO. In 2007, Tracy selected Jeff along with two other long-time WPC employees (Kevin Corrado, Chief Operating Officer, and Chuck Reynolds, Vice President) to be his partners, and sold a portion of the company to them. His brother Jeff is now Majority Owner and Managing Member of the firm, as well as the President. Tracy remains Chairman and CEO of the company and, in this capacity, watches over the firm serving as guardian of the company’s culture. And, as Jeff likes to say, Tracy has gone from working 80 hours per week to a mere 60. Since 1974, the firm has grown from its humble beginnings in Tracy’s Winter Park apartment to, at its peak, a $250 million company with a reputation as solid as the one Tracy established 40 years ago. Today, WPC is led by a team of multifaceted construction experts whose combined experience totals more than 150 years. These leaders unite construction fundamentals with some of the industry’s best pre-construction and estimating services. And while WPC has expanded its reach and capabilities, their do the right thing, every time commitment is stronger than ever.