ABOUT
Richard Riley formed Simpson Plastering, LLC in 2008. It was formed after George Simpson retired, closing Simpson Commercial Contracting and leaving the southeastern market with a void. The Simpson name carried a tremendous amount of respect and was well known for its quality workmanship and technical knowledge. Richard Riley started his career at Simpson Commercial Contracting and Mike Kennedy worked there for more than 30 years. Many of our current skilled craftsmen worked for or received training with Simpson Commercial and contributed to Simpson Commercial's reputation for producing quality work. Richard named his company Simpson Plastering to honor George Simpson and the legacy established by the Simpson family. Simpson Plastering's company goal is the same as Simpson Commercial’s goal: Highest quality work by the best trained people. Simpson Plastering hopes to continue the legacy that George and Ed Simpson established after more than 60 years in the industry.
Richard Riley came to work for GE Simpson in 1998 just a few years after graduating from Auburn University with a degree in Economics. After starting in the field he progressed through the company as an estimator, project manager, secretary of the company and then Vice President. He knew he was working with the best people in the business and saw a big future for Simpson Plastering. After purchasing the company in 2008, Richard set out reorganizing the company by promoting new project managers from within. This made it possible for Simpson Plastering to not only thrive regionally but also do the work they had been doing in Alabama anywhere in the country. Under Richard's leadership Simpson went from being a regional business to one that could compete and operate on a national level.
Richard is very involved in industrial organizations and his community. He currently serves on the Special Events Committee and Legislative Committee for the Alabama chapter of the American Subcontractors Association. He is on the General Sub Contractor Committee for the Association of Building Contractors as well as a board member for the association. He also teaches Sunday school at Mountain Brook Community Church and is a member of the Mountain Brook Athletics Board. Richard is a member of both the United Way Construction Committee and Birmingham Outreach. His other involvements include teaching for Junior Achievement, serving on the Executive Committee for the Papa John’s Bowl Game, and acting as a charter signing member of Friends of Hale County.
Seth has over 25 years of experience in the waterproofing industry. He became Simpson's Waterproofing Division Manager in 2011 and is responsible for all day to day operations, including bidding, scheduling, field operations, estimating and project management. Seth previously worked for over 12 years at Brawco, where he managed more than 60 field personnel while managing projects, estimating, and fulfilling his role as V.P.
Seth has estimated, procured and managed over 50 projects in one year and has successfully completed projects all over the southeast and beyond.
Rodney Chambers is a Project Manager for Simpson Plastering responsible for overseeing projects in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee since 2008. His father, a GE Simpson employee for 32 years, put him to work as a general laborer mixing mud, building scaffolds and loading and unloading trucks straight out of high school in 1985. In 1986, he became a latherer. He prepared walls for stucco and framed ceilings. From there, he started working with EIFS, plastering and stucco. In 1996, Rodney began working for Simpson Plastering as a superintendent. Rodney is also a member of Association of Builders and Contractors of North Alabama. His strong knowledge of all of the work that Simpson Plastering offers and his ability to manage people and materials on the job makes him a valuable part of the company.
Michael Kennedy is the Chief Operations Officer for Simpson Plastering with the responsibility of overseeing all project management and estimating. Mike began his career with GE Simpson only a few years after graduating from the University of Alabama in 1975 with a degree in Business Administration. Mike began working for GE Simpson in 1978 as an estimator. Since then he has held many positions within the company, including project manager, Vice President of Simpson Commercial Contracting and President of GE Simpson Company. His long career with GE Simpson, as well as his background and experience in different disciplines of the construction field, have made him a valuable asset to Simpson.
Mike also participates in many community and industry organizations. He serves on the Reading is Fundamental and Greeting committees of the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham Service Organization. He is currently serving the local chapter of the American Wall and Ceiling Industry as chairman of the Education Academy. Mike served on the ASTM sub committee for the development of the field testing guide for sprayed fireproofing. Mike is also on the National Board of Directors for the American Subcontractors Association and the President of ASA of Alabama.
After completing a BA in Business and Commerce from The University of Alabama in 2006, Woody began learning the business of Simpson's lathing and plaster division as an apprentice laborer, mortar mixer and scaffold builder. In 2008, he became an estimator and project manager for Simpson. Woody has successfully competed projects in Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, the Carolinas, and here at home. Woody proves that there is no substitute for learning the job in the field and his success is a product of that work. He is currently working to obtain his MS in Engineering at The University of Alabama at Birmingham.
As an estimator, John manages preconstruction services for Simpson Plastering including quantity takeoff and quantity surveys. He is essential to our team as we review and bid new projects. His attention to detail and financial background contribute to his strength at building accurate and complete estimates. Since graduating from Auburn with a degree in marketing, John served in Iraq with the United States Army, obtained a law degree, and worked in various positions in the finance and construction industries.