Warehouse Construction: How Dallas Whitfield Keeps Industrial Facilities Move-in Ready

By Sam Laird

Meet Dallas Whitfield, an associate construction manager on Link Logistics' Regional Construction team. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dallas oversees industrial construction projects across the Mid-South—including Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh and Memphis—after spending years managing warehouse and distribution center projects in Southern California's Inland Empire. Read on to learn how he helps keep industrial properties move-in ready and what drew him across the country.

How long have you been with Link Logistics, and what does your role in regional construction involve?

Dallas: I started in January 2021, so I've been at Link Logistics for more than five years. I'm an associate construction manager, which means I work closely with our internal construction managers to keep projects on schedule and on budget. A big part of my job is the bid process, which entails walking through spaces with general contractors to develop a scope of work for everything from flooring to paint to slab repairs, and then reviewing the quotes that come back from subcontractors. I also travel on-site to meet with vendors and occasionally customers. It's a great mix of fieldwork and project coordination.

You recently relocated from Southern California to Charlotte. What's that transition been like for you working in warehouse construction?

Dallas: It's been exciting. I was originally based out of our Irvine office, overseeing large-format warehouse and distribution center projects in the Inland Empire. We have more shallow-bay and mid-size industrial properties in Charlotte, but our construction processes are the same. When I first arrived, I was struck by how much construction is happening throughout North Carolina. There's a huge influx of people relocating to the region, and industrial real estate follows that growth; more residents means more demand for logistics and warehousing infrastructure.

What makes the Mid-South a compelling market for warehouse and distribution center operations?

Dallas: The Mid-South’s population growth is the headline story, but the location is just as important. Charlotte sits in a strong corridor between New York and Florida, which makes it a natural distribution hub for companies shipping goods up and down the East Coast. Between the labor market, infrastructure investment and steady stream of new residents, the demand for warehouse space here is real and sustained.

What's the most rewarding part of working in industrial real estate construction?

Dallas: Honestly, the people. Every construction project for our warehouses and distribution centers involves working with different general contractors and subcontractors, as well as our internal Asset Management and Property Management teams, and sometimes the tenants too. I genuinely enjoy meeting people from different backgrounds and collaborating toward a shared goal. Construction is a communication-heavy profession, and that's something I've come to love about it.

How does regional construction collaborate with other teams at Link Logistics?

Dallas: We have a very interconnected workflow across regional construction, property management and asset management. Our Property Management team and my team work closely together, but there is a difference between the responsibilities of a property manager and those of a construction manager. When we do job walks on a vacating space, our property managers are focused on damages related to how the building was used. Construction managers, on the other hand, look at the bigger-picture project scope, which includes paint, flooring, office configuration and any work requiring a general contractor’s support. Our Asset Management team approves the work, and our job is to execute it efficiently. That way, the spaces are ready to lease quickly. The better our communication can be across all three functions, the better our projects turn out.

Can you share a recent project you're proud of?

Dallas: One that stands out is a vacant space prep we recently completed here in Charlotte. When my team first walked the property, it was clear there was a significant scope of work ahead. We decided to bring in a new vendor that had been recommended to us, which always carries some risk on a large project. We were intentional about setting clear expectations and really walking them through what we needed. When we came back to the site, the end product was impressive. The building had fresh paint, a new carpet, new flooring, and a clean interior ready for the next customer. The most satisfying part of my work in regional construction is seeing an industrial space transformed and knowing it's ready to support a customer's operations.

How has industrial real estate changed since you joined five years ago?

Dallas: When I started at Link Logistics, industrial real estate was in hypergrowth mode, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic when demand for logistics and fulfillment space was at a peak. Since then, the market has stabilized to a more normalized level of demand for warehouse space. It's still active, but it's a different rhythm now. I've been fortunate to experience both ends of that cycle.

What advice would you give someone starting a career in warehouse construction?

Dallas: Ask every question you have and never be embarrassed about it. Construction is an experience-based profession. There's only so much you can learn in a classroom. Get out on job sites as often as possible, absorb everything from the people who have been doing this for decades, and before long, you'll be the one answering those questions for the next person coming up.

When you're not managing industrial real estate construction projects, what are you up to?

Dallas: My wife and I love the outdoors. We enjoy hiking, beach days and time in the mountains. We were closer to the coast back when we lived in Southern California, but we’re about a three-hour drive from the beach here in the Carolinas, so we still get our fix. We're also expecting our first daughter, so life is about to get a lot more exciting.