An article from FlatironDragados names 2 US C-suite members
Building on the momentum from the Flatiron-Dragados merger two years ago, the firm’s U.S. arm has named a new president and chief operating officer.
Published July 24, 2026
Matthew Thibault Reporter
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Rendering of the North London Bridge Creek tide gate, pump station and flood barriers in Virginia Beach, Va. Courtesy of FlatironDragados Listen to the article 2 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback.
FlatironDragados, a heavy civil infrastructure firm, has named new members of its C-suite for its U.S. and Canadian arms.
The contractor appointed Richard Grabinski as president of FD-USA, the builder’s U.S. group, according to a July 20 announcement. It also named Dale Nelson as the arm’s chief operating officer.
Grabinski joined Flatiron Construction as an operations manager in 2005, where he climbed his way up the ladder, according to his LinkedIn. Prior to his appointment as president, Grabinski worked as COO in the U.S. arm.
In the president role, Grabinski will be responsible for diversifying the firm’s project portfolio and continuing to lead FlatironDragados’ transformation, per the announcement. He will also focus on growing the firm in its existing markets while helping the company grow sustainably and predictably.
With Grabinski’s appointment, Dale Nelson fills that vacant COO position. Nelson, a nearly 30-year construction veteran, joined Flatiron Construction in 1997 as a project manager and engineer, according to his LinkedIn. He has spent nearly three decades with the firm, and most recently held the role of executive vice president.
As part of his duties, Nelson will lead operational performance across FD-USA, per the announcement, and improve the predictability of project outcomes.
The appointments are another structural business move for the builder, which is two years removed from the 2024 merger that combined Flatiron and Dragados into the present-day infrastructure giant.
Then, one year later, the contractor spun out SPC Construction, a specialty firm and FlatironDragados subsidiary that focuses on transportation and water infrastructure work in the New York City region. SPC is made of Schiavone Construction, John P. Picone and E.E. Cruz.
“These strategic appointments demonstrate our commitment to positioning FlatironDragados for the future,” said Javier Sevilla, CEO of FlatironDragados, in the announcement. “These leaders — supported by a commitment to excellence by the full FD team — will help strengthen our execution, expand our capabilities and continue building a company that sets the standard for our industry.”
Also included are appointments for FlatironDragados’ Canadian arm. The contractor named Mirsad Hairlahovic as president of FD-Canada, and appointed Rafael de la Barreda as executive vice president, preconstruction & west operations, for the arm.
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- Flatiron, Dragados merge to form US-based infrastructure giant By Joe Bousquin • July 30, 2024
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Filed Under: Corporate News, Infrastructure