Ted and Charlie Zinn bring a dynamic father-son partnership to Dawood, blending expertise in construction and marketing to support projects from the ground up. While Ted ensures quality construction and compliance on-site, Charlie amplifies Dawood’s work through strategic marketing and storytelling. Based in our Enola, Pennsylvania, headquarters, they showcase how technical expertise and communication go hand-in-hand in the AEC industry.
What are your roles at Dawood?
Ted: I support the civil team on the development of residential and commercial construction projects, managing subcontractors, estimating, budgeting, inspections, and contractor negotiations. I also ensure job sites remain OSHA-compliant and maintain safety records.
Charlie: As part of Dawood’s marketing team, I handle graphic design, website content, writing, video production, social media, and photography. I particularly enjoy showcasing Dawood’s construction inspection, real estate development, and residential and commercial projects, helping communicate our impact across industries.
Can you share some examples of how your functions help bring Dawood’s projects to life?
Ted: Our civil team provides construction inspection for Pennsylvania’s Derry Township Municipal Authority (DTMA) wastewater treatment plant upgrades. I review plans, inspect rebar and concrete installations, and ensure crews follow specifications to increase the plant’s processing capacity for surrounding townships.
Charlie: One of my most rewarding projects has been documenting the construction of 1926 Good Hope Road, a 65,000-square-foot Class A medical and office space now serving as Dawood’s headquarters in Hampden Township, Pennsylvania. Our marketing and real estate development team captured every construction phase through social media, video, photography, and a project profile, culminating in a client open house highlighting Dawood’s partner collaborations.
Tell us about your work on residential projects.
Ted: I help manage construction inspection and coordination for the Green Lane Meadows Residential Community, a 205-lot residential community in York County, Pennsylvania. My role includes working with the excavation team, coordinating with the township on a 16-space recreation parking lot and walking path, and ensuring proper installation of highway-designed lighting.
Charlie: I’ve been involved in marketing Green Lane Meadows for over a year, helping to capture drone footage and site photography, as well as creating project profiles, social media content, and newsletter updates. Our marketing team also revamped the Good Hope Ventures website, showcasing projects like Ridge Hill Landing, Parkview at Boiling Springs, and 1826 Good Hope Road to highlight our residential and commercial portfolio.
How has your background prepared you for your current role?
Ted: With over 30 years of experience running my own construction company, I’ve managed commercial and high-end residential buildings from start to finish, including a million-dollar home renovation in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, that Charlie and I worked on together. Owning a business gave me firsthand experience in personnel and project management, budgeting, permitting, estimating, and sales—all skills I now bring to Dawood to ensure quality construction oversight.
Charlie: Growing up, I spent time on my dad’s job sites, assisting with cleanup, hazard disposal, and supporting construction crews. That exposure and my communication degree from Geneva College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have helped me develop marketing strategies that tell authentic and compelling stories about our industry.
Tell us more about the million-dollar home you worked on together!
Ted: The million-dollar home renovation in Harrisburg was one of the most complex and rewarding projects I managed while running my own construction company. The project included a complete interior and exterior renovation, three significant additions—a great room, an expanded bedroom, and a larger garage—and a smart home system that allowed the homeowner to control lighting, heating, and appliances through voice commands or a mobile app. I oversaw crews, materials, budgeting, and project execution, reinforcing my ability to manage large-scale, high-end projects.
Charlie: My role in that project involved maintaining a clean job site and handling material disposal, which gave me firsthand experience in job site safety and project logistics. Seeing a project of that scale come to life helped shape my understanding of construction processes, which I now apply when developing marketing content that highlights the complexities and achievements of our work at Dawood. Working on this project also taught me the importance of job site safety—from properly disposing of hazards and wearing the right protective gear to staying hydrated in the summer heat. These experiences have shaped my understanding of workplace safety, which I now incorporate into drafting safety-focused blogs for our website.
What are your goals?
Ted: I strive to follow in my father’s footsteps, who was a contractor and civil engineer working on highways, dams, and a desalination plant in Saudi Arabia. As I advance in my project manager role, I aim to enhance my AutoCAD skills, build strong relationships with colleagues and clients, and contribute to Dawood’s success.
Charlie: I’ve always looked up to my older brother, a mechanical engineer leading sales and marketing at a manufacturing plant. His career path motivates me to grow my skills in social media, video production, and editing while building connections through the Central Pennsylvania Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS).