Suffolk Construction has created a new unit dedicated to sports builds and tapped a former Nike executive to lead the charge.
The Boston-based contractor has kicked off a Sports Center of Excellence, a national business unit dedicated to stadiums, training facilities, arenas, collegiate recreation centers and other venues, according to an Oct. 1 announcement.
To lead the new unit, the contractor has picked Executive Vice President Matt Swaim, who brings more than 25 years of experience delivering sports and entertainment projects, according to the announcement. Swaim joined Suffolk in 2024, according to his LinkedIn.
Prior to arriving at the national contractor, he held a role at Nike as vice president of real estate, design and construction, per the announcement. While at the company, Swaim led the master planning and delivery of its 300-acre, 4-million-square-foot campus expansion.
In his new position, Swaim will help the builder improve its preconstruction and planning practices, support Suffolk’s project staffing and advance consistent approaches to risk management, scheduling and execution across the unit, according to the announcement.
Suffolk emphasized the role preconstruction will play in this venture. To that end, the company appointed Will Gamba as vice president of preconstruction for the firm’s Sports and Entertainment sector. In the role, Gamba will manage preconstruction for Suffolk’s major sports projects from design to the guaranteed maximum price phase.
Suffolk tagged the creation of its new unit to new trends in stadium construction. As venues become more complex, feature tighter timelines and year-round use, builders are gearing up to deliver more, faster.
“Sports projects require a level of planning, coordination, and execution that matches the significance of the opening day deadline,” Swaim said in the news release. “But delivering a successful sports facility is about more than meeting a date. It is about understanding how a venue will operate, connect with its community, and perform long after opening day.”
