THE HISTORY OF CWC

Coakley Williams Construction logo with black background, white and yellow text.

EST. 1961

The Legacy Begins

CWC Founders: Neil T. Coakley & Fred G. Williams

Founders - Neil T. Coakley & Fred G. Williams

The company's origin dates back to a rainy evening in 1961 when Neil T. Coakley & Fred G. Williams met in a parking lot on Brookeville Road in Silver Spring for the first time. Neil owned and ran a successful plastering business founded by his father, a native of Ireland. Fred was a Cornell mechanical engineering grad who owned a small business building custom homes. Each was looking for a warehouse to house his expanding business. Their secretaries were friends and suggested to their respective bosses that they meet since they had this common need for more space.

Fred & Neil remained in their cars due to the heavy rain but pulled up side by side. After a brief discussion, they sealed a partnership with a simple handshake through car windows. Their new joint undertaking as real estate developers was born, and its first project was their warehouse, which they would build and share. They ran their respective plastering and home-building businesses out of their completed warehouse and immediately began planning and executing further development projects. After a time, their materials and employees became hopelessly commingled, and they wound down their original businesses and became full-time developers, operating as Coakley & Williams.

Throughout the sixties, they acquired land using Fred's helicopter to scout available parcels along the new Capital Beltway. They developed and built these acquisitions into hotels, office buildings, and warehouse space. By the early seventies, they were full-service developers with in-house hotel management, property management, leasing, and construction divisions. They continued to manage their real estate portfolios until their retirements in the early nineties.

Two men in suits standing in front of a sign that reads "Associated Builders & Contractors" in a wood-paneled room.
Three men in suits standing near construction equipment in front of row of brick houses, with trees in the background, black and white photo.
Black and white photo of five people standing outdoors near a large piece of machinery. Four men and one woman, all dressed in winter clothing and wearing hats, are gathered around the machinery, smiling and talking. The men are wearing suits or coats, and the woman has dark hair and is wearing a dark coat. There are leafless trees and a clear sky in the background.
Pat & Terry - Coakley & Williams Construction
Three professionals in business attire standing inside an unfinished building with visible metal framing and large windows in the background.

Lynn Stith Bennett, Terrence Caulfield & Greg Harraka

A New Chapter in Leadership

In 2025, Lynn Stith Bennett was named Chief Executive Officer and Greg Harraka was appointed President, marking a significant milestone for both leaders and the company. Their rise reflects decades of dedication, deep industry expertise, and shared commitment to the values that have shaped Coakley & Williams Construction since its inception. As they lead CWC into its next era, they do so with a clear vision—building on a legacy of integrity, excellence, and partnership to shape an even brighter future across the DMV.

Black letters 'CWC' on a yellow background.

The Next Generation:
The Rise Of CWC

Meanwhile, Pat Caulfield and Terry Coakley, two executives at the company, changed the course of the future when they started up a third-party general contracting operation by incorporating and purchasing the Construction Division of Coakley & Williams. The resultant firm, incorporated in 1987, Coakley & Williams Construction, Inc., targeted complex design-build projects for public and private sector clients while balancing its business with negotiated traditional delivery projects in the institutional, and commercial sectors.

Under their leadership, the company grew from modest construction revenues of $3 million to a perennial ENR Top 400 within eight years. The company grew steadily, building projects in twenty states throughout the US while also cementing itself as a highly respected local brand with a diverse portfolio and blue-chip repeat clients.

Pat Caulfield & Terry Coakley

Group of men planting a tree or digging in the ground outdoors during winter, wearing coats and hats.
A young man sits at a cluttered desk with papers, open books, and a computer screen, in a small office or study room.

Building The DMV For 60+ Years

Lynn Stith Bennett, Terrence Caulfield, and Greg Harraka ushered Coakley & Williams Construction, LLC into a new chapter, building on a legacy that began more than 60 years ago. Under their leadership, the company advanced its tradition of excellence while adopting a dynamic business unit model that deepened specialization and strengthened client focus.

With expertise spanning the commercial, education, government, science & technology, interiors, and multifamily sectors, CWC remains a trusted partner for complex projects. This era of leadership reaffirmed the company’s commitment to delivering tailored solutions and cultivating long-term relationships across the DMV—a hallmark of Coakley & Williams Construction from the start.

Lynn Stith Bennett & Greg Harraka

Three men in suits at an award ceremony, two of them holding a framed certificate with an ABC logo, and the man in the center holding a small plaque. The men are dressed formally and are smiling, standing in front of a wall with framed artwork.

THE HISTORY OF CWC

history of cwc

Building A Legacy

EST. 1961

CWC Founders: Neil T. Coakley & Fred G. Williams

The Legacy Begins

The company's origin dates back to a rainy evening in 1961 when Neil T. Coakley & Fred G. Williams met in a parking lot on Brookeville Road in Silver Spring for the first time. Neil owned and ran a successful plastering business founded by his father, a native of Ireland. Fred was a Cornell mechanical engineering grad who owned a small business building custom homes. Each was looking for a warehouse to house his expanding business. Their secretaries were friends and suggested to their respective bosses that they meet since they had this common need for more space.

Fred and Neil remained in their cars due to the heavy rain but pulled up side by side. After a brief discussion, they sealed a partnership with a simple handshake through car windows. Their new joint undertaking as real estate developers was born, and its first project was their warehouse, which they would build and share. They ran their respective plastering and home-building businesses out of their completed warehouse and immediately began planning and executing further development projects. After a time, their materials and employees became hopelessly commingled, and they wound down their original businesses and became full-time developers, operating as Coakley & Williams.

Throughout the sixties, they acquired land using Fred's helicopter to scout available parcels along the new Capital Beltway. They developed and built these acquisitions into hotels, office buildings, and warehouse space. By the early seventies, they were full-service developers with in-house hotel management, property management, leasing, and construction divisions. They continued to manage their real estate portfolios until their retirements in the early nineties.

Two professionally dressed men smiling and standing in a building under construction with exposed metal framing and electrical wiring.

The Next Generation:
The Rise Of CWC

Meanwhile, Pat Caulfield and Terry Coakley, two executives at the company, changed the course of the future when they started up a third-party general contracting operation by incorporating and purchasing the Construction Division of Coakley & Williams. The resultant firm, incorporated in 1987, Coakley & Williams Construction, Inc., targeted complex design-build projects for public and private sector clients while balancing its business with negotiated traditional delivery projects in the commercial, institutional, and commercial sectors.

Under their leadership, the company grew from modest construction revenues of $3 million to a perennial ENR Top 400 within eight years. The company grew steadily, building projects in twenty states throughout the US while also cementing itself as a highly respected local brand with a diverse portfolio and blue-chip repeat clients.

Three business professionals, two men and one woman, standing inside an unfinished building with metal framing and large windows in the background. All are smiling and wearing formal business attire.

Building The DMV
For 60+ Years

Lynn Stith Bennett, Terrence Caulfield, and Greg Harraka ushered Coakley & Williams Construction, LLC into a new chapter, building on a legacy that began more than 60 years ago. Under their leadership, the company advanced its tradition of excellence while adopting a dynamic business unit model that deepened specialization and strengthened client focus.

With expertise spanning the commercial, education, government, science & technology, interiors, and multifamily sectors, CWC remains a trusted partner for complex projects. This era of leadership reaffirmed the company’s commitment to delivering tailored solutions and cultivating long-term relationships across the DMV—a hallmark of Coakley & Williams Construction from the start.

Greg Harraka was appointed President
Lynn Stith Bennett was named Chief Executive Officer

A New Chapter
in Leadership

In 2025, Lynn Stith Bennett was named Chief Executive Officer and Greg Harraka was appointed President, marking a significant milestone for both leaders and the company. Their rise reflects decades of dedication, deep industry expertise, and shared commitment to the values that have shaped Coakley & Williams Construction since its inception. As they lead CWC into its next era, they do so with a clear vision—building on a legacy of integrity, excellence, and partnership to shape an even brighter future across the DMV.