About Us – Cely Construction

1948 - Wallace, Jim and Charles Cely

Marian Cely Tucker at the Easley Home and Garden Show 1949.

Jim, Charles, and Wallace Cely

Charles Cely and coworkers outside the office.

Leaving for company deep sea fishing trip - 1960's.

Groundbreaking in the 1960's.

A Rich History

Cely Construction’s story begins in 1948 when five brothers returned home from serving on three continents during World War II. They founded the company on the principles of hard work, faith, discipline and respect – qualities which still set them apart today.

They got their start as Cely Brothers Lumber Co., a lumberyard that performed residential and commercial construction as an extended customer service. As a result, the name changed to Cely Construction and Supply Co. in the 1950s. As the company grew, general contracting took prominence, and the name became Cely Construction Company.

Still a family-owned local company, now on its third generation, Cely is led by second-generation president Sam Cely. Together as a family, they take pride in their South Carolina heritage and look forward to building this community for years to come.

Wallace Cely: Army Corp of Engineers (blew up bridges behind enemy lines)
Raymond Cely: Air Force T/SGT Tail Gunner – Shot down over Paris and was a P.O.W. in Germany for the rest of the war.
Brooks Cely: Marines T/SGT with the famous Epson’s Raiders
Jim Cely: Stateside Air Force
Charles Cely: Air Force – Guarded German P.O.W.’s

Cely Construction is licensed in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.

A Legacy of Leadership

Samuel Charles Cely

President/CEO

Sam Cely worked at Cely while growing up and took over management of the company in 1986. His expertise, drive and ethic is what has given Cely such an pronounced reputation in the upstate. He is proficient at estimating, business management, and construction materials and methods, and he continues to personally manage a select list of projects each year. He is Past President and National Director of Professional Construction Estimators Association, Past President of Piedmont General Contractors Association, Founder and Managing Partner of Group Five Investments, Managing Partner of Group Four Investments, President of Cely Properties, and a member of American Institute of Constructors (A.I.C.).

Sam studied at Spartanburg Methodist College and Anderson Baptist College. His community involvement includes being a Past President of Greenville Downtown Sertoma Club, a Board Member of Clemson Extension 4-H, and a member of the Storm Water Board for the City of Greenville. He is also a past Councilman and current member of St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, Buncombe Street United Methodist Church (Trinity Campus) and supports Bethesda United Methodist in Powdersville. He and his wife, Mari Parillo Cely of Greenville, have two children who both actively work in the family business: Caroline Cely Talbott and William Charles Cely.

Stephen Bruce Henderson

Vice President

Stephen Henderson has spent his entire life in construction, as his father was a home builder and his brother is a plumber. He has shared his talent with Cely Construction for over 25 years. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction from Clemson University and is a Certified Butler Metal Building Specialist. His experience includes project management and estimating, with an emphasis in Butler Pre-engineered Buildings where he serves as head of our metal building department.

Steve is a former Vice President of Professional Construction Estimators Association, past member of Piedmont General Contractors Association and is currently very active in his local food pantry, past Guardian ad Litem of Anderson member and has traveled to every U.S. state. Additionally, Stephen is an active member of Marathon Community Church, where he is a Home Study Group Leader, past deacon and Sunday school teacher. He is married to Jannette Perry Henderson.

Caroline Cely Talbott – 3rd Generation

CFO, Treasurer and Secretary

Caroline Cely Talbott, first of the third generation of the Cely family to take part in the growth and success of Cely Construction. In 2015, she received her unlimited commercial builders license in both South Carolina and Georgia. She is the granddaughter of one of the founders, Mr. Charles H. Cely, and the daughter of our current owner and president, Mr. Samuel C. Cely. Caroline joined Cely Construction Company over 12 years ago. As of August 2014, Caroline is now serving as CFO, treasurer and secretary.

Caroline is a 2007 graduate of the University of South Carolina. She was awarded “Member of the Year 2013” from the National Association of Women in Construction where she was inducted as a member of the Board of Directors on September 27, 2012. Caroline is actively involved in the day to day financials, operations, manages administration, HR, safety and assists with project management at Cely. She shares in the Cely philosophy of listening to the needs, anticipating the wants, and fulfilling the desires of a client, which is what makes Cely special. Her belief that our growth decisions should be a direct reflection of the needs of our clients, make her an intricate part of their success as a leading construction firm. Caroline takes great pride in providing her clients with unparalleled service and is enthusiastic about the firm’s future growth and success in the construction industry.

William Charles Cely – 3rd Generation

Estimator, Project Manager

William Charles Cely, third generation of the Cely Construction family and son of President Sam Cely has worked with Cely for numerous years. In 2016 he became a superintendent after spending many years in the field mastering the trade. He now is a full time Estimator/Project Manager.

Clients can’t say enough about his customer service and desire to please. His drive for quality is evident in his workmanship. He is eager to represent the company founded by his grandfather with the same honesty, quality and morals that it was originally found upon and is eager to help build our community while honoring his heritage. He is married to Ashton Cely and resides in Powdersville, SC. They are active members of Buncombe Street United Methodist Church (Trinity Campus) and love spending their free time on their family farm, at the lake and with their 4 dogs (3 bloodhounds and a precious rescue).

Kevin Hace Talbott

COO, Manager of Projects

Kevin Talbott has joined Cely Construction as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Manager of Projects. As COO, Kevin is responsible for the strategic direction, growth, and operational success of the company. In this role, Kevin will utilize his experience in negotiation, construction management, project management, estimating, engineering, leadership and field management as well as internal controls. He will also have responsibility over project managers and estimators, and will focus on maintaining and developing key client relations.

With over a decade in the construction industry, Kevin has been mentored by many leading firms and owners in the construction industry. He graduated with honors from Clemson University with a degree in Chemical and Bio-molecular Engineering.

Cely Construction Company, Inc. is an award-winning commercial general contractor, family owned and operated in Greenville, SC, since 1948. Licensed in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia, Cely serves the upstate of South Carolina and surrounding areas.

Celebrating its 70^th Anniversary, Cely Construction is proud to still be a strong, local, family owned and operated business, now employing its third generation. Led by second-generation President Sam Cely, the firm proudly employs third-generation Cely family members, Caroline Cely Talbott as CFO, William Cely as project coordinator, and Sam Jenkins as project manager.

Cely’s team of highly experienced project managers and superintendents deliver specialized construction solutions with sharp attention to detail and quality. Whether you are looking for an industrial, manufacturing, medical, retail, or commercial contractor or you need a church builder or remodeling contractor, the wide range of projects they have completed in each of those roles speaks to their passion for excellence in every type of project they undertake.

Delivering quality, on-time, on budget, construction projects has kept clients coming back, with over 50% of business being from repeat clients.

Services include: