Hardee to retire as Lawson Cos. CEO in 2025

Lawson Cos., the Norfolk-based residential real estate development and construction company, announced Thursday its president and CEO, Carl Hardee, will retire at the end of 2025.

Aaron Phipps, Lawson’s senior vice president and chief financial officer, is expected to succeed Hardee, who was named president and CEO in 2016, according to the company’s announcement. Hardee joined Lawson in 1991 as a regional property manager at Lawson Realty Corp., one of the company’s subsidiaries, and became its president in 1996. He then was promoted to vice president and chief operating officer of the parent company in 1999.

“It has been an incredible journey growing alongside Lawson. I am immensely proud of what we’ve achieved together as a team, and I have the utmost confidence in Aaron to lead Lawson into the next phase of its growth,” Hardee said in a statement. “Aaron’s leadership and financial acumen have already strengthened our position, and I know he will continue to drive the company forward.”

Lawson, which has 190 employees, was started in Hampton Roads and is still based there, but it’s expanded into Richmond, Lynchburg, Roanoke and Woodbridge. During Hardee’s tenure, the company grew from 2,500 units under management to a development, construction and property management business with 5,100 units in its portfolio. It specializes in multifamily properties and has more than 30 new Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) communities with 3,200 affordable apartments, according to Lawson.

Phipps joined Lawson in 2013 in his current position, and he previously worked for private and publicly traded investment real estate companies, specializing in accounting and financial reporting. He is a graduate of Purdue University, while Hardee, a Gulf War veteran, is an alumnus of Virginia Military Institute.