Story by Chris Beaudin / April 13, 2026
How Precision Thinking Shapes Modern Construction
At BEHKO, complex projects demand more than execution. They require disciplined thinking, clear systems, and decisions that hold up under pressure.
For Managing Owner Razvan “Raz” Cojocaru, that mindset was shaped early through a path that blends international perspective, elite engineering education, and real-world construction leadership.
A Foundation Built on Discipline and Engineering
Raz grew up in Romania before moving to the United States for college, bringing with him a perspective rooted in adaptability, resilience, and high personal standards.
His engineering education at United States Military Academy at West Point reinforced the structured problem-solving, discipline, and systems-based thinking that now define BEHKO’s approach to design-build construction.
That foundation was further strengthened through graduate structural engineering work at Virginia Tech, where technical rigor and practical constructability became central to his approach.
Today, that combination shows up in how BEHKO approaches industrial and commercial work: identifying risks early, solving constructability challenges before they become field issues, and building systems that keep projects moving with confidence.
Global Perspective, Local Execution
Raz’s background gives him a broader lens on how projects should be planned and executed, but the real value comes from how that thinking is applied locally.
Charleston, Savannah, and the broader Lowcountry are highly specialized markets. Port logistics, active facilities, coastal conditions, and local permitting realities all demand an approach that is both technically sound and deeply practical.
BEHKO’s advantage is not about importing outside ideas for the sake of it. It’s about applying proven engineering discipline and thoughtful planning to the realities of the Southeast’s industrial and commercial landscape.
The result is a design-build partner that brings precision, speed, and confidence to projects where mistakes are expensive and downtime is unacceptable.
Building the Systems That Prevent Problems
Since joining BEHKO in 2017, Raz has focused on what most construction firms don’t prioritize until they’re already in trouble: the processes that prevent problems from occurring in the first place.
Our design-build redevelopment of 4500 Leeds Avenue in North Charleston is a clear example. As Design-Build partner for Green Dock Partners’ strategic repositioning of the site, we transformed a former Cummins engine testing facility into a 40,000-square-foot modern industrial warehouse — complete with 2.50 acres of laydown yard, a 28-foot clear height, two loading docks with levelers, and four drive-in doors, all within M-2 Heavy Industrial zoning. Delivering on an accelerated timeline to meet a Q1 2026 completion required our team to reimagine the existing site from the ground up, optimizing building layout while keeping the focus on practical, tenant-ready outcomes. That’s not reactive problem-solving. That’s the kind of systematic approach Raz has embedded into how we operate.
Where other firms manage crises as they surface, Raz has established systems that anticipate challenges, optimize resource allocation, and ensure seamless communication across every industrial and commercial project. It’s the difference between a team that responds well under pressure and a team that rarely finds itself under the kind of pressure that breaks other construction projects.
The 2028 Vision
As Managing Owner, Raz leads our strategic direction with a clear goal: to become the undeniable leader in complex commercial and industrial design-build construction across the Lowcountry. Not by expanding volume, but by deepening expertise… building the systems, relationships, and institutional knowledge that make every construction project better than the last.
His leadership philosophy is direct: combine international standards of engineering excellence with the relationship-focused approach that defines how business actually works in Charleston and Savannah. Precision and partnership, in equal measure. It’s what drives us — and it’s what sets our work apart.
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