After earning a Construction Science and Management degree from Clemson University, James spent several years in commercial construction with Beers-Skanska. He became a licensed general contractor in 1999. James has served as president of the Home Builders Association of Greenville. He was also named Builder of the Year in Greenville in 2018.
In 2002, James founded Speer Homes, a highly sought-after custom home building and remodeling company in Orlando, Florida. In 2012, James and his wife Barbra decided they wanted to make Greenville home for their family and joined the Carsons in creating CarsonSpeer.
During his tenure at Speer Homes, James developed a philosophy of limiting the number of homes he would build each year. In this way, he could devote personal attention to every project. It’s a philosophy James and Steve share today.