Although Hardwick is a building industry lifer, he wasn’t
raised in the business. His father was an Air Force fighter pilot.
Instead, he started in construction in 1992, after earning his
undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Florida State
University. He moved to Orlando in 1997 and Hardwick General
Contractors was incorporated in 2004.
Another key player in the family business is Hardwick’s wife,
Donna, whom he met at FSU. She’s a CPA who brings more
than 25 years of construction management experience to the
enterprise.
Since he started building, Hardwick has cultivated a reputation
for his “commitment to excellence,” according to Rick
Caccavello, president of Central Kitchen & Bath, who describes
Hardwick’s company as “one of the most professional builders
in all of Central Florida.”
Adds Caccavello: “They have a systematic, team-oriented
approach to custom home building, and excel in project leadership
and seamless job coordination. Their commitment to
16 HOMEBUYER // CENTRAL FLORIDA EDITION
excellence in customer service is evident on every project.”
Likewise, Mike Keesee of Keesee Associates — one of the
regional building industry’s top design firms — lauds the company’s
ability “to understand the building sciences and how
to integrate them into the design process.” Hardwick himself,
Keesee says, has the “skills necessary to make it easy to design
homes for his clients.”
Hardwick takes such praise in stride. He even deflects plaudits
of his forward-thinking approach on green construction.
His company has achieved several firsts in the sustainability
arena, including the first-ever FGBC Platinum Level certification
almost a decade ago.
Yet, Hardwick calls being green nothing more than “good
building science” that makes technical sense and saves buyers
money while minimizing environmental impact. It’s also good
business, he says.
Hardwick and his wife rely on a handful of other principal
contributors, including Justin Lednar, construction manager,
This more traditional custom
lakefront home in Maitland reflects
Hardwick’s versatility. Images of the
interior — the winding staircase and
the lakeview living area — are shown
on the facing page and page 18.