Gillis Gilkerson completed interior and exterior renovations for the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center headquartered at 301 Tilghman Road in Salisbury, Maryland. The center spans over 25,000 feet and is home of the JA offices in addition to their state of the art, highly immersive, experiential learning facility. The center will serve middle school and high school students from six counties on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Accomack County, Virginia, with over 10,000 students expected to visit the center each year.

“The final product of the new Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center reflects the collective efforts of an outstanding team of professionals,” said Tyler Barnes, President of Construction. “From concept to completion, together we created a vibrant canvas for inspiring financial literacy, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurial spirit.”

The renovations transformed a dated, vacant department store into an American Main Street in miniature with customized storefronts that recreate a local economy. Students interact with the local businesses as employees and customers, learning valuable life skills for the future. The Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center is the only of its kind on the Eastern Shore, but facilities like it do exist across the country.

Gillis Gilkerson and JA representatives were able to visit the Junior Achievement Center in Baltimore, Maryland early in the design process to gain inspiration.
Gillis Gilkerson’s early involvement allowed the GGI Team to analyze constructability, life-cycle costs of materials and lead times to help create the best results for the project. Gillis Gilkerson President Tyler Barnes, Project Manager Greg Ennis, and Superintendent Bruce West worked diligently to make sure JA’s expectations were met, and exceeded with a stunning final product that will make a lasting impact to our community for years to come.