4921 Birch Street Suite 1, Newport Beach, CA 92660 949-851-2211

Our Story

HBI Construction was founded in 1978 with the purpose of providing outstanding construction services to the Southern California marketplace.

Quality - Value - Trust

At HBI Construction we are committed to cultivating our relationships with clients.

We work to bring forth an unmatched sense of trust and confidence in our ability to deliver every project on time, of the highest quality, and at the very best value.

Whether in the field or in the office, this commitment guides every person in the company as they undertake tasks such as project administration, scheduling, quality assurance and cost control.

The success of HBI Construction is the result of professional people dedicated to, and experienced in, providing quality pre-construction, construction, and project administrative services.

Our Leadership

  • Peter Last
    Owner

    Peter Last is responsible for overall company operations and business results. He joined HBI Construction in 1989 and brought to the company more than nineteen years of construction and development experience. Over the past 30+ years, Peter has been directly involved with all aspects of day to day company operations, as well as formulating the company’s overall direction and strategic plans.

    Prior to joining HBI, Peter was involved in developing commercial and residential real estate with Potomac Investment. He also served as Financial Officer for The Irvine Company, where he was involved in the construction and development of retail properties in Orange County.

    Peter has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, and is a licensed CPA.

  • Andrew Last
    President

    Andrew Last began working at HBI Construction in 1994. Since then he has been involved in every aspect of the company, including supervision, managing, estimating, business development, and legal matters. As President, Andrew is responsible for the management of all business and legal affairs of the company.

    Andrew graduated with his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California, earning his Bachelor of Science in Business
    Administration from the Marshall School of Business with an emphasis in Real Estate Development. Thereafter, Andrew simultaneously earned a Master of Business Administration from Chapman University Argyros School of Business & Economics and his Juris Doctor from Chapman University School of Law. Andrew is an active and practicing member of the bar in both California and Arizona.

  • Steve Knoell
    Vice President - Estimating

    Steve Knoell joined HBI Construction is 1985. As Vice President of Estimating, he is responsible for the management of the estimating team,
    preparation of conceptual estimates, performing pre-construction budgeting services, and strategically compiling final, competitive, market driven hard-bid estimates.

    During his time with HBI, Steve has been involved in estimating every project the company has contracted for and built, which amounts to in excess of one billion dollars. During his career, Steve has established excellent working relationships with key subcontractors throughout the western states. He has developed an extensive subcontractor database and has authored a state of the art estimating program which he has used to analyze the cost components of more than 3,500 construction projects.

    Steve received his degree in Construction Management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He is involved in numerous community activities and is a member of ICSC, NAIOP, and SSA.

  • Glenn Whitacre
    Vice President – Construction

    Glenn is considered by many as a master builder. There is very little he has not seen in his tenure of supervising construction for the past 37 years with HBI Construction. As VP of Construction, Glenn is ultimately responsible for the safe and proper execution of every construction project we build. Glenn’s knowledge, skills, and supervision elevate the strength of our construction operations.

    Glenn has forty years’ experience in the construction industry. Prior to joining HBI Construction in 1983, Glenn worked several years as a pipefitter for Chevron Oil. Glenn is a highly accomplished member of our team; his certifications and skills include QSP and certified erosion, sediment, and storm water inspector (CESSWI Certifications), LEED training, and countless hours of OSHA training.

  • Benjamin Darracq
    Business Development Manager

    Ben is responsible for managing HBI’s business development interests together with the sales and marketing efforts throughout the western states. Ben is involved with the pre-construction phases of all new projects and serves as a link between the client and HIB’s construction team. Prior to joining HBI, Ben held Director of Sales and Business Development Manager positions at Robert Alan Construction, Measurement Control Systems, and Casco Equipment Corporation.  Ben has been involved in industrial and commercial construction for over 20 years and has extensive experience managing projects that range from new construction tilts to commercial tenant improvement. Ben continues to build on his long-standing relationships in the industry to facilitate growth for HBI.

    Ben received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego and is a member of NAIOP, ICSC, and SSA.