Alberici Corporation, Byrne & Jones Construction and Central Building & Preservation, L.P. have jointly acquired the assets of the venerable St. Louis construction firm Leonard Masonry, Inc. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Founded in 1959 by Donald Leonard, the two-generation, family-owned company grew to become one of the largest masonry contractors in St. Louis, focusing on new construction. Its capabilities will be expanded to restoration and preservation projects.
“With an infusion of capital from the new ownership group, we are excited to broaden Leonard Masonry’s exquisite craftsmanship in new construction and introduce its skills to masonry restoration and preservation in the built environment,” said John Heitert who serves as general manager of Leonard Masonry. Heitert was formerly a project manager and corporate equipment manager at Alberici.
Heitert is joining long standing Leonard Masonry leadership – Kenneth Westhoff and Ken Booth. Westhoff is the former Leonard Masonry, Inc. president and has been with the company for more than 22 years. He serves as chief estimator. Booth joined the firm in 1999 and will remain field operations manager, a position he’s held since 2004.
Under the new ownership, Leonard Masonry will retain its name and its headquarters at 5925 Fee Fee Road. The firm employs 40 people, but will add additional employees as it grows its new construction and restoration practice with a goal of employing up to 80 people. The new ownership group hopes to double annual revenues to about $10 million over the next 12 months.
“We are excited that the 60th anniversary of Leonard Masonry’s founding is a benchmark year, fortified by new ownership that is energizing our next generation of craftsmanship and service to facility managers, developers and general contractors,” noted Westhoff.
Leonard Masonry’s craftsmanship is found throughout the St. Louis area in ornate granite, stone and brick installations. It has won numerous awards from the Masonry Institute of St. Louis, the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) St. Louis Chapter, the Construction Products Council of St. Louis and other organizations. Among those award-winning projects are:
- Uncas A. Whitaker and Earth and Planetary Science buildings on the Washington University campus, among several award-winning Washington University projects for Leonard Masonry;
- Emerson Grand Basin in Forest Park;
- St. John Apostle and Evangelist Catholic Church in downtown St. Louis;
- Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Washington, Mo.; and
- Arnold Recreation Center in Arnold, Mo.
Among its many landmark projects are the St. Louis Missouri Temple of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the BMO Harris Bank Building in Des Peres, the Boeing Leadership Center Chateau in Florissant, Mo. and The Dome at America’s Center, which included $7.8 million in masonry alone. More on Leonard Masonry can be found at www.leonardmasonry.com.
With annual revenues exceeding $2 billion, St. Louis-based Alberici is a diversified global construction company regularly ranked among the top 40 contractors in the United States by Engineering News-Record. Alberici serves a broad spectrum of industrial and commercial markets providing general contracting, construction management and design-build solutions, as well as the ability to self-perform key components of its projects. Learn more at www.alberici.com.
Chicago-based Central Building & Preservation L.P. is Chicago’s leading masonry restoration contractor. Founded in 1924, the firm has a loyal clientele and performs many of the high profile projects in Chicago. Central specializes in masonry reconstruction, tuckpointing, concrete restoration, and sealant application. Central serves a broad array of commercial, multi-unit residential, and institutional clients. Learn more at www.centralbldg.com
Founded in 1976, Byrne & Jones Construction is a diversified St. Louis civil site contractor serving clients through five divisions– concrete, sports, asphalt, soil stabilization, and micro surfacing. The firm builds and maintains parking lots, roads and highways, athletic fields, running tracks, tennis courts, underground drainage systems and paved surfaces. More information can be found at www.byrneandjones.com.
