Hickory Construction Hires Executive Vice President

Benjamin Spina, a Knoxville native who has for the past 12 years held significant engineering positions with national defense contractors, will join Hickory Construction as executive vice president in January 2025.

Spina, a graduate of Catholic High School in Knoxville and Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, will return to Knoxville from Washington state, where he has been senior engineering manager of Oceaneering’s marine services division.

“Ben joining our firm is key to our smooth transition into the future,” said Burke Pinnell, chairman of Hickory Construction, a high-end residential and commercial construction company. “I will continue to be active in the company operations, but we are all excited about the path forward. This addition allows us to continue to grow confidently in the knowledge that we have the resources and personnel in place to take on exciting new projects and challenges.”

Ben Pinnell, president of Hickory Construction, said he has known Spina for 20 years and looks forward to working with him.

“Ben and I really complement one another,” he said. “As my new partner, he will focus more on internal operations and financial sides of the business, where I will be more project and customer focused. It’s a great matchup.

Spina, his wife and son will live in West Knoxville when they return in January. 

For more information, visit hickoryconstruction.com.