Longtime Columbia company moving headquarters to coming Gervais St. development
A company that has been part of the Midlands scene for a half-century plans to relocate its headquarters to a coming mixed use development in the heart of one of Columbia’s key districts.
Mashburn Construction, which is marking its 50th anniversary in 2026, will move its headquarters later this year to the burgeoning Seaboard Vista development in the Vista district, according to news release from the company. The construction firm currently is headquartered at 1820 Sumter St.
“As we reflect on 50 years in business, this anniversary is really about our people, past and present, who have built this company project by project and relationship by relationship,” Mashburn Construction President Lee Mashburn said in a statement. “Relocating our headquarters during this milestone year represents a natural evolution of who we are today and where we’re headed next.”
Avant Holdings in 2025 purchased the three historic properties at 911 and 919 Gervais St. and 914 Lady St. — which collectively were formerly home to Whit-Ash Furnishings — with the intention of revamping the buildings into a mixed-use development that could be home to retail, restaurants, residences and offices. That development has been christened Seaboard Vista.
The buildings in the Seaboard Vista project total nearly 48,000 square feet across 1.3 acres in the Vista just west of the South Carolina State House. Father and son duo Dan and Todd Avant, of Avant Holdings, and brothers Paul and Lee Mashburn, of Mashburn Construction, are partnering on transforming the historic buildings into Seaboard Vista.
Mashburn Construction began as a local builder in 1976 and has grown into an operation with a statewide footprint. The company has grown its employee base by 25% in the last couple of years, it said in a news release.
The relocation of headquarters to Seaboard Vista will “support this growth while providing a modern, flexible environment designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and long-term sustainability,” Mashburn Construction noted in the release.
“The Vista is the heartbeat of Columbia, and we are thrilled to help develop one of the most historic and prominent buildings in that area,” Paul Mashburn, the company’s CEO, said in a statement. “It is fitting to kick off the next half century located at Seaboard Vista,”
The relocation is set to be complete in late 2026, the company said.
