Jump to content

The Auchter Company: Difference between revisions

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m Deleted a duplicate "the".
m →Small Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks (AFD - AFDL): Clean up spacing around commas and other punctuation fixes, replaced: ,U → , U
 
(39 intermediate revisions by 14 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|General construction contractor in Florida}}
{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
| name = The Auchter Company
| name = The Auchter Company
| type = Construction
| logo = file:AuchterLogo.jpg
⚫
| type = Private
| traded_as =
| traded_as =
| industry = {{ubl|[[Engineering]]|[[Construction]]}}
| industry = {{ubl|[[Engineering]]|[[Construction]]}}
| founder = George D. Auchter
| founder = George D. Auchter
| area_served =
| area_served = [[Western Hemisphere]]
| key_people =
| key_people =
*George D. Auchter President
*George D. Auchter, president
*William H. Glass President
*Wilbur H. Glass Jr, president
*Dave Auchter
*Dave Auchter
*Julia B. Auchter
*Julia B. Auchter
*Brad Glass President
*Brad Glass, president
*Steven B. Glass CEO
*Jeffrey Glass, sr vice president
*Charles R. Diebe President
*Charles R. Diebel, president
| products = Building, Bridges, Towers and in 1940s ships
| products = Buildings, bridges, towers and, in 1940s, ships
| production =
| production =
| services =
| services =
|revenue = $750+ million (2007)<ref name=JBJ1>Penland, Dolly: [http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/07/14/focus37.html] ''Jacksonville Business Journal'', July 11, 2008 – No. 36: Auchter</ref>
⚫
| revenue =
| net_income =
| net_income =
| assets =
| assets =
| equity =
| equity =
| owner =
| owner =
| num_employees = 150 (2007)<ref name=JBJ>Conte, Christian: [http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/06/16/focus2.html] ''Jacksonville Business Journal'', June 13, 2008 – "Halverson has grown Auchter's revenue, reputation"</ref>
| num_employees =
| parent =
| parent =
| divisions =
| divisions =
| subsid =
| subsid =
| footnotes = The Auchter Company was acquired by Perry-Mccall Construction Inc. on March 26, 2007
| footnotes = The Auchter Company was acquired by Perry-Mccall Construction Inc. on March 26, 2007.
| intl =
| intl =
| foundation = 1929
| foundation = 1929
| location = [[Jacksonville, Florida]]
| location = [[Jacksonville, Florida]]
| defunct = December 31, 2007<ref name=YAHOO>[http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/123/123909.html "Auchter Company"] Yahoo Finance</ref>
| homepage =
| homepage =
}}
}}
⚫
'''The Auchter Company''' was established in 1929 in [[Jacksonville, Florida]] by '''George D. Auchter'''. The Auchter Company was one of Florida's oldest general construction contractor. The Auchter Company built many civil and corporate buildings in Jacksonville, including the City Hall. The Auchter Company helped to build ships needed for [[World War 2]], as part of the [[Emergency Shipbuilding Program]] the [[US Navy]]. After the war the [[shipyard]] closed down in February 1946. The Auchter Company built many buildings and bridges until sold on March 26, 2007 to Perry-Mccall Construction Inc.<ref name="NavyBases">[https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/Building_Bases/bases-9.html Building the Navy's Bases in World War II, History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946 Chapter IX, Floating Drydocks]</ref>
⚫
<ref>[https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/88/The-Auchter-Company.html#ixzz5deIZOQzN Reference for business, The Auchter Company]</ref> <ref>[https://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-apr-the-premature-destruction-of-downtown-jacksonville/page/2 Metro Jacksonville, The Premature Destruction of Downtown Jacksonville, April 12, 2012]</ref>


⚫
'''The Auchter Company''' was established in 1929<ref name=GLASS>Kerr, Jessie-Lynn: [http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-10-21/story/wilbur-h-%E2%80%9Cbill%E2%80%9D-glass-jr-headed-firm-crafted-jacksonvilles-skyline "Wilbur H. 'Bill' Glass Jr.: Headed firm that crafted Jacksonville's skyline"] Florida Times-Union, October 21, 2010</ref> in [[Jacksonville, Florida]], by George D. Auchter. The company was among Florida's oldest general construction contractors and built many of Jacksonville's civil and corporate buildings, including the City Hall.<ref name=ANSWERS>Dinger, Ed: [http://www.answers.com/topic/the-auchter-company "Company History: The Auchter Company"] Answers.com, 2005</ref> and ranked among the top design/build firms in the US.<ref>[http://www.hoovers.com/the-Auchter-company/--ID__106265--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml Hoovers: company profile]</ref> The Auchter Company also helped build ships needed for [[World War II]], as part of the [[US Navy]]'s [[Emergency Shipbuilding Program]]. After the war the [[shipyard]] closed in February 1946. The company went on to build many buildings and bridges until it was sold on March 26, 2007, to Perry-McCall Construction, Inc.<ref name="NavyBases">[https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/Building_Bases/bases-9.html Building the Navy's Bases in World War II, History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946 Chapter IX, Floating Drydocks]</ref>
⚫
[[File:Dsg UF Century Tower 20050507.jpg|right|thumb|Century Tower, at the [[University of Florida]] built by The Auchter Company]]
⚫
<ref>[https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/88/The-Auchter-Company.html#ixzz5deIZOQzN Reference for business, The Auchter Company]</ref><ref>[https://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-apr-the-premature-destruction-of-downtown-jacksonville/page/2 Metro Jacksonville, The Premature Destruction of Downtown Jacksonville, April 12, 2012]</ref>

⚫
[[File:Dsg UF Century Tower 20050507.jpg|right|thumb|Century Tower, at the [[University of Florida]], built by The Auchter Company]]
[[File:Riverplace Tower in Jacksonville.jpg|right|thumb|[[Riverplace Tower]] in Jacksonville]]
[[File:Riverplace Tower in Jacksonville.jpg|right|thumb|[[Riverplace Tower]] in Jacksonville]]

==Origins==
George David Auchter was born on January 6, 1889, in Jersey City, New Jersey. The oldest of three children, his father was an engineer. Auchter also trained as an engineer at [[Rutgers University|Rutgers College]] and was living in [[Red Bank, New Jersey]], when his employer sent him to Florida to work on a bridge project in the early 1920s. At the time, construction in Florida was booming and Auchter saw an opportunity because Jacksonville was "The River City" and Auchter knew bridge construction. He received Florida engineering license #375 in 1922, and initially concentrated on bridges and overpasses, founding the George D. Auchter Company in 1929.<ref name="AUC">{{cite web |title=The Auchter Company |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/auchter-company |website=Encyclopedia.com |publisher=Encyclopedia.com |access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> George Sr. died in 1974 when George Jr. was running the business.


==Background==
==Background==
The Auchter Company did design, engineering for both on site construction and preconstruction pieces that were ship around the world. The Auchter Company did construction of office buildings, factories, bridges, warehouses, resort, churches, museums, residential projects, hospitals and power generating stations. The Auchter Company built Jacksonville International Airport, military bases, courthouses and jails. To support World War 2 The Auchter Company built for the UN Navy floating repair drydocks. The Auchter Company was a private company first owned by it founder George David Auchter. George D. Auchter found the company in 1929. George D. Auchter later sold the company to the Glass family. Dave Auchter, a grandson of the firm's founder later became an executive of the company.
The Auchter Company did design and engineering work for both on-site construction and pre-construction pieces shipped worldwide. It built office buildings, factories, bridges, warehouses, resorts, churches, museums, residential projects, hospitals, and power generating stations. The company built Jacksonville International Airport, military bases, courthouses, and jails. To support World War II, it built floating repair [[Dry dock|drydocks]] for the US Navy. He later sold the company to the Glass family. Dave Auchter, one of the founder's grandsons, later became a company executive.


For the war effort built pulpwood [[Type B ship|barges]], [[Dry dock#Floating|floating repair drydocks]], and [[concrete ship]]s. After the war, he continued in civil construction and high-rise projects. Wishing to retire, George Auchter Jr. sold the company to an investor group in 1981.<ref name="DOWN">{{cite news |last1=Light |first1=Joe |title=Auchter steps down from new company |url=http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/050907/bus_168758942.shtml |access-date=27 April 2023 |agency=Jacksonville.com |publisher=Florida Times-Union |date=May 9, 2007}}</ref> He died in 1986.
George D. Auchter before moving to Jacksonville, Florida was from [[Red Bank, New Jersey]]. George D. Auchter a trained engineer came to Jacksonville to do a job on bridge project mid 1920s for a New Jersey employer. George D. Auchter received George D. Auchter in 1922 a Florida engineering license. George D. Auchter started by building bridges and overpasses. For the war effort built pulpwood [[Type B ship|barges]], [[Dry_dock#Floating|floating repair drydocks]] and [[concrete ship]]s After the war he continued in civil construction and high-rise projects.
<ref>[https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/64500773_text United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service War 1938 to 1947, Florida's Historic World War II Military Resources]</ref>
George Auchter wanting to retire he sold the company to a group investors in 1981. One of the investors was William H. Glass Jr.. William H. Glass Jr. father was The Auchter Company president for 14 years. William H. Glass Jr. also had adegree in civil engineering. William H. Glass Jr. in 1957 joined the U.S. Army as a field engineer. William H. Glass Jr. worked first in The Auchter Company as a project manager. Wiliam H. Glass Jr. became a vice president in 1979. Wiliam H. Glass Jr. purchased the other investors interest in 1993, and keep the name The Auchter Company.
Wiliam H. Glass Jr. continued the company tradition of building the major works in Jacksonville and expanded to other Florida location. Also moved the company to retail like [[Gate Petroleum]] Convenience Stores and three [[Target Corporation|big box Target stores]] in the North Florida area.


One of the investors was Wilbur H. Glass Jr., whose father Wilbur H Glass Sr had been President of the Auchter Company for 14 years. Glass Jr also had a civil engineering degree, having joined the US Army as a field engineer in 1957. He worked at the Auchter Company, initially as a project manager and became a vice president in 1979. Glass bought out the other investors in 1993, and kept the Auchter Company name. The company continued its tradition of building Jacksonville's major works and expanded to other Florida locations. Glass also moved the company into retail service, such as [[Gate Petroleum]] convenience stores and three [[Target Corporation|big-box Target stores]] in the North Florida area.
⚫
The Auchter Company move its headquarters in 1999 to a First Coast Technology Park located on the campus of the [[University of North Florida|University of North Florida]]. The new 3.36 acres headquarters helped build its relationship the University. William Glass's son, Brad Glass earned a degree in business administration from the University of North Florida and became part of joined The Auchter Company in 1995. Jeff Glass brother of Brad Glass also joined The Auchter Company. Wiliam H. Glass Jr. made both Jeff and Brad partners in The Auchter Company. Later Brad Glass purchased Jeff share in the company and became president in 2002. In 2000 George Auchter grandson, Dave Auchter became the director of corporate development. Dave Auchter departed his job as media director for World Golf Village and the National Football League's [[Jacksonville Jaguars]]. The Auchter Company continued as engineering, construction constructors till 2007. [[Elkins Constructors|Perry-Mccall Construction Inc.]] purchased the Auchter Company on March 26, 2007.<ref>[https://flcorporates.com/florida/jacksonville/auchter-industries-inc/119146 flcorporates.com, The Auchter Company]</ref><ref>Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage. Jacksonville: University of North Florida Press, by Wood, Wayne, 1989</ref><ref>Jacksonville Florida Times-Union, 17, January 1940, 13 March 1940, 24 September 1940, 15 October 1940, 6 May 1942, 3 January 1943, 18 March 1943, 26 April 1943</ref><ref>Jacksonville Journal, 15 October 1940; 21 January, 9 June 1942</ref><ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=4277997 bloomberg.com Company Overview of The Auchter Company]</ref> <ref>Amid Changes, Auchter Co. on Ground Floor of City's Rise," Jacksonville Business Journal, October 17, 2005</ref><ref>"Auchter Co. is Building its Jacksonville Legacy," The Florida Times Union, March 15, 2002, p. C1., by Daniels, Earl</ref><ref>"Auchter Wants to Build Company Headquarters at Tech Park," The Florida Times Union, July 29, 1999, p. E1, by Mathis, Karen Brune </ref><ref>"Sky's Not The Limit," Jacksonville Business Journal, July 24, 2000.</ref><ref>"Third Generation Takes Helm of The Auchter Co.," Jacksonville Business Journal, March 13, 2002.</ref>


In 1999, the Auchter Company moved its headquarters to a First Coast Technology Park on the [[University of North Florida]]'s campus. The new 3.36 acre headquarters helped build the company's relationship with the university. Glass's son, Brad Glass earned a degree in business administration from the University of North Florida and joined The Auchter Company in 1995. Jeff Glass, Wilbur's other son, started with the company in 1978. In 1993 Wilbur made both of his sons partners in ownership. Jeff retired in 2004 and Brad later went on to become president. In 2000, another of George Auchter's grandsons, Dave Auchter, became Director of Corporate Development after working as media director for World Golf Village and the National Football League's [[Jacksonville Jaguars]].
⚫
[[Image:Old Palm Valley Bridge.jpg|right|thumb|The old 1937 Palm Valley drawbridge, built by [[The Auchter Company]] that was demolished and replaced in 2002]]

⚫
[[File:JacksonvilleFLairport.jpg|right|thumb| Jacksonville International Airport circa 1968 ]]
⚫
In 2006, the team of [[Elkins Constructors|Perry-Mccall Construction Inc.]] and the Auchter Company bid on the new [[Duval County Courthouse#New courthouse|Duval County Courthouse]]. They were initially awarded the contract, but when it was discovered that the Auchter Company had financial troubles, the contract was withdrawn. In an attempt to retain the contract, Perry-Mccall Construction purchased the Auchter Company on March 26, 2007.<ref>[https://flcorporates.com/florida/jacksonville/auchter-industries-inc/119146 flcorporates.com, The Auchter Company]</ref><ref>Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage. Jacksonville: University of North Florida Press, by Wood, Wayne, 1989</ref><ref>Jacksonville Florida Times-Union, 17, January 1940, 13 March 1940, 24 September 1940, 15 October 1940, 6 May 1942, 3 January 1943, 18 March 1943, 26 April 1943</ref><ref>Jacksonville Journal, 15 October 1940; 21 January, 9 June 1942</ref><ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=4277997 bloomberg.com Company Overview of The Auchter Company]</ref><ref>"Amid Changes, Auchter Co. on Ground Floor of City's Rise", ''Jacksonville Business Journal'', October 17, 2005</ref><ref>"Auchter Co. is Building its Jacksonville Legacy", ''The Florida Times Union'', March 15, 2002, p. C1., by Daniels, Earl</ref><ref>"Auchter Wants to Build Company Headquarters at Tech Park", ''The Florida Times Union'', July 29, 1999, p. E1, by Mathis, Karen Brune</ref><ref>"Sky's Not The Limit", ''Jacksonville Business Journal'', July 24, 2000.</ref><ref>"Third Generation Takes Helm of The Auchter Co.", ''Jacksonville Business Journal'', March 13, 2002.</ref>
Jacksonville's General Counsel rejected their plan because the new company did not bid on the project.<ref name="SHOT">{{cite news |title=Design firm gets new shot at courthouse |url=http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/072007/met_185696120.shtml |access-date=27 April 2008 |agency=Jacksonville.com |publisher=Florida Times-Union |date=July 20, 2007}}</ref> The merger was terminated, and on December 31, 2007, Auchter closed its doors.

⚫
[[Image:Old Palm Valley Bridge.jpg|right|thumb|The old 1937 Palm Valley drawbridge, built by The Auchter Company that was demolished and replaced in 2002]]
⚫
[[File:JacksonvilleFLairport.jpg|right|thumb| Jacksonville International Airport circa 1968]]
[[File:Times Union Center taken from Jacksonville Landing.jpg|right|thumb|Jacksonville Civic Auditorium (1962) now the [[Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts]]]]
[[File:Times Union Center taken from Jacksonville Landing.jpg|right|thumb|Jacksonville Civic Auditorium (1962) now the [[Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts]]]]


⚫
*[[Humana Building]] (1985)
==Construction work==
*Jacksonville City Hall, (1960) now the Courthouse Annex building
*[[Jacksonville Public Library]] (2005)
⚫
*[[Riverplace Tower]] (1967) (formerly Gulf Life Tower)
*[[Crane Company Building (North Carolina)|Crane Company Building]] (1928)
*Old [[Palm Valley Bridge]] in St. Johns County (1937)
*[[Modis Building]] (1974) (was Independent Life Building)
*[[Jacksonville Landing]] (1987)
⚫
*[[Humana Building]] (1985 )
⚫
*[[Riverplace Tower]] (1967) (was Gulf Life Tower)
*BellSouth Tower Jacksonville, now [[TIAA Bank Center]] (1982)
*BellSouth Tower Jacksonville, now [[TIAA Bank Center]] (1982)
*[[SunTrust International Center]] (1974)
*[[SunTrust International Center]] (1974)
Line 65: Line 69:
*[[EverBank|EverBank Center]] (1998)
*[[EverBank|EverBank Center]] (1998)
*Parts of the [[Naval Air Station Jacksonville]]
*Parts of the [[Naval Air Station Jacksonville]]
⚫
*Navy's Mayport officers' quarters by the [[St. Johns River]]
*Parts of the [[Naval Station Mayport]] (1941-1943)
⚫
*Navy's Mayport officers' quarters by the [[St. Johns River]]
*[[Merrill-Stevens Drydock & Repair Co.]]
*[[Merrill-Stevens Drydock & Repair Co.]]
*St. Regis Paper Company factory
*St. Regis Paper Company Factory
*[[Maxwell House]] Coffee Plant
*[[Maxwell House]] Coffee Plant
*[[Anheuser Busch]] Yeast Plant
*[[Anheuser Busch]] Yeast Plant
Line 76: Line 79:
*[[Jacksonville Port Authority]] Wharf
*[[Jacksonville Port Authority]] Wharf
*Parts of the Jacksonville's [[St. Vincent's Medical Center Riverside|St. Vincent's Medical Center]]
*Parts of the Jacksonville's [[St. Vincent's Medical Center Riverside|St. Vincent's Medical Center]]
*[[Century Tower (University of Florida)]](1953) and gym and other building
*[[Century Tower (University of Florida)]](1953) and Gym and another building
*[[Duval County Courthouse]] (1958)
*Old Duval County Courthouse (1958)
*[[Jacksonville International Airport]](1965)
*[[Jacksonville International Airport]] (1965)
*[[Jacksonville Civic Auditorium]] (1962)
*[[Jacksonville Civic Auditorium]] (1962)
*[[Baptist Health (Jacksonville)|Baptist Health Center Downtown]]<ref name=GLASS />
*First Baptist Church of Jacksonville (1993)
*First Baptist Church of Jacksonville (1993)
*Old [[Jessie Ball duPont Center|Jacksonville Public Library]] downtown
*Haydon Burns Library, (1965) now [[Jessie Ball duPont Center]] downtown
*Jacksonville's Hendricks Avenue Overpass
*Jacksonville's Hendricks Avenue Overpass
*Haines Street Expressway
*Haines Street Expressway
*Beach Boulevard Intercostal Waterway Bridge in Jacksonville Beach
*Beach Boulevard Intercostal Waterway Bridge in Jacksonville Beach
*Amelia Island River Bridge in Fernandina
*Amelia Island River Bridge in Fernandina
*Vilano Bridge in St. Augustine.
*Vilano Bridge in St. Augustine
*[[Nassau County Courthouse (Florida)|Nassau County Courthouse]]



==Ships built==
==Ships built==
===Small Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks (AFD - AFDL)===
===Small Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks (AFD - AFDL)===
[[File:USS Adept (AFD-23).jpg|right|thumb|[[USS Adept (AFD-23)]] built by The Auchter Company in 1944]]
[[File:USS Adept (AFD-23).jpg|right|thumb|[[USS Adept (AFD-23)|USS ''Adept'' (AFD-23)]] built by The Auchter Company in 1944]]

[[File:US Navy 061102-N-4238B-036 The crew of the auxiliary floating dry dock Dynamic (AFDL 6) prepares for an incoming craft.jpg|right|thumb|AFD-23 sister ship USS Dynamic (AFD-6)-AFDL-6 on Nov. 2, 2006]]
[[File:US Navy 061102-N-4238B-036 The crew of the auxiliary floating dry dock Dynamic (AFDL 6) prepares for an incoming craft.jpg|right|thumb|AFD-23 sister ship USS ''Dynamic'' (AFD-6)-AFDL-6 on Nov. 2, 2006]]
⚫
The Auchter Company built [[Auxiliary floating drydock|Auxiliary Floating Docks, Light (AFDL)]] for the US Navy. They were also called [[Auxiliary_floating_drydock#Small_Auxiliary_Floating_Dry_Docks_(AFD_-_AFDL)|Auxiliary Floating Docks (AFD)]]. AFD were 288 ft long, had a beam of 64 ft (20 m), and draft of 3 ft 3 in empty and 31 ft 4 in (9.55 m) flooded to load a ship. A normal crew was 60 men. AFDL displacement 1,200 tons and could lift 1,900 tons to take a ship out the water for repair. AFDL were built as one piece, open a both ends. AFDLs has a crew of 30 to 130 men, living in a barge alongside the AFDL. Used to repair small crafts, [[PT boats]] and small submarines. All AFD were reclassified AFDL after the war in 1946. <ref name="shiphistory">{{cite web|url=http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/auxafd.htm|title=Floating Dry-Docks (AFDB, AFDM, AFDL, ARD, ARDM, YFD)|date=30 April 2015|publisher=shipbuildinghistory.com|access-date=8 January 2019}}</ref><ref name="NavyBases" /><ref>[http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/28/2850.htm navsource.org, USS Ability (AFDL-7)]</ref><ref>[https://www.nvr.navy.mil/NVRSHIPS/HULL_SHIPS_BY_CATEGORY_AFDL_11.HTML US Navy, AFDL: SMALL AUXILIARY FLOATING DRY DOCK (N-S-P)]</ref>

* USS AFD-19 - AFDL-19 served in [[Dunbeg|Dunstaffnage]] a Scottish village, sold moved to [[Jacksonville, Florida]]<ref>[https://www.francisfrith.com/us/oban/dunstaffnage-the-war-years-1942-45_memory-202841 Dunstaffnage, war years]</ref>
⚫
The Auchter Company built [[Auxiliary floating drydock|Auxiliary Floating Docks, Light (AFDL)]] for the US Navy. They were also called [[Auxiliary floating drydock#Small Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks (AFD - AFDL)|Auxiliary Floating Docks (AFD)]]. AFDs were 288&nbsp;ft long, had a beam of 64&nbsp;ft (20 m), and draft of 3&nbsp;ft 3 in empty and 31&nbsp;ft 4 in (9.55 m) flooded to load a ship. A normal crew was 60 men. AFDLs displaced 1,200 tons and could lift 1,900 tons to take a ship out the water for repair. AFDLs were built as one piece, open at both ends. AFDLs had a crew of 30 to 130 men, living in a barge alongside the AFDL. Used to repair small crafts, [[PT boats]] and small submarines, all AFDs were reclassified AFDL after the war in 1946.<ref name="shiphistory">{{cite web|url=http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/smallships/auxafd.htm|title=Floating Dry-Docks (AFDB, AFDM, AFDL, ARD, ARDM, YFD)|date=30 April 2015|publisher=shipbuildinghistory.com|access-date=8 January 2019}}</ref><ref name="NavyBases" /><ref>[http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/28/2850.htm navsource.org, USS Ability (AFDL-7)]</ref><ref>[https://www.nvr.navy.mil/NVRSHIPS/HULL_SHIPS_BY_CATEGORY_AFDL_11.HTML US Navy, AFDL: SMALL AUXILIARY FLOATING DRY DOCK (N-S-P)]</ref>
⚫
* USS AFD-20 - AFDL-20 served American Samoa <ref> Fold3.com, War Diary, 1/1-31/45 › Page 1 </ref>

⚫
* USS AFD-21 - AFDL-21 <ref>[http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/28/2821.htm navsource, USS AFD-21]</ref>
* USS AFD-22 - AFDL-22 <ref>[http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/28/2822.htm navsource, USS AFD-22]</ref>
* USS AFD-19 - AFDL-19 served in [[Dunbeg|Dunstaffnage]] a Scottish village, sold and moved to [[Jacksonville, Florida]]<ref>[https://www.francisfrith.com/us/oban/dunstaffnage-the-war-years-1942-45_memory-202841 Dunstaffnage, war years]</ref>
⚫
* USS AFD-20 - AFDL-20 served American Samoa<ref>Fold3.com, War Diary, 1/1-31/45 Page 1</ref>
⚫
* [[USS Adept (AFD-23)|USS ''Adept'' (AFD-23)]] - AFDL-23<ref>[http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/28/2823.htm navsource,USS ''Adept'' (AFD-23)]</ref>
⚫
* USS AFD-21 - AFDL-21<ref>[http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/28/2821.htm navsource, USS AFD-21]</ref>
* USS AFD-22 - AFDL-22<ref>[http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/28/2822.htm navsource, USS AFD-22]</ref>
⚫
* [[USS Adept (AFD-23)|USS ''Adept'' (AFD-23)]] - AFDL-23<ref>[http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/28/2823.htm navsource, USS ''Adept'' (AFD-23)]</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 110: Line 117:
[[Category:Architecture firms based in Jacksonville]]
[[Category:Architecture firms based in Jacksonville]]
[[Category:1929 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:1929 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Construction and civil engineering companies disestablished in 2007]]

Latest revision as of 17:27, 7 August 2024

The Auchter Company
Company typePrivate
Industry
Founded1929
FounderGeorge D. Auchter
DefunctDecember 31, 2007[1]
HeadquartersJacksonville, Florida
Area served
Western Hemisphere
Key people
  • George D. Auchter, president
  • Wilbur H. Glass Jr, president
  • Dave Auchter
  • Julia B. Auchter
  • Brad Glass, president
  • Jeffrey Glass, sr vice president
  • Charles R. Diebel, president
ProductsBuildings, bridges, towers and, in 1940s, ships
Revenue$750+ million (2007)[2]
Number of employees
150 (2007)[3]
Footnotes / references
The Auchter Company was acquired by Perry-Mccall Construction Inc. on March 26, 2007.

The Auchter Company was established in 1929[4] in Jacksonville, Florida, by George D. Auchter. The company was among Florida's oldest general construction contractors and built many of Jacksonville's civil and corporate buildings, including the City Hall.[5] and ranked among the top design/build firms in the US.[6] The Auchter Company also helped build ships needed for World War II, as part of the US Navy's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. After the war the shipyard closed in February 1946. The company went on to build many buildings and bridges until it was sold on March 26, 2007, to Perry-McCall Construction, Inc.[7] [8][9]

Century Tower, at the University of Florida, built by The Auchter Company
Riverplace Tower in Jacksonville

Origins

[edit]

George David Auchter was born on January 6, 1889, in Jersey City, New Jersey. The oldest of three children, his father was an engineer. Auchter also trained as an engineer at Rutgers College and was living in Red Bank, New Jersey, when his employer sent him to Florida to work on a bridge project in the early 1920s. At the time, construction in Florida was booming and Auchter saw an opportunity because Jacksonville was "The River City" and Auchter knew bridge construction. He received Florida engineering license #375 in 1922, and initially concentrated on bridges and overpasses, founding the George D. Auchter Company in 1929.[10] George Sr. died in 1974 when George Jr. was running the business.

Background

[edit]

The Auchter Company did design and engineering work for both on-site construction and pre-construction pieces shipped worldwide. It built office buildings, factories, bridges, warehouses, resorts, churches, museums, residential projects, hospitals, and power generating stations. The company built Jacksonville International Airport, military bases, courthouses, and jails. To support World War II, it built floating repair drydocks for the US Navy. He later sold the company to the Glass family. Dave Auchter, one of the founder's grandsons, later became a company executive.

For the war effort built pulpwood barges, floating repair drydocks, and concrete ships. After the war, he continued in civil construction and high-rise projects. Wishing to retire, George Auchter Jr. sold the company to an investor group in 1981.[11] He died in 1986.

One of the investors was Wilbur H. Glass Jr., whose father Wilbur H Glass Sr had been President of the Auchter Company for 14 years. Glass Jr also had a civil engineering degree, having joined the US Army as a field engineer in 1957. He worked at the Auchter Company, initially as a project manager and became a vice president in 1979. Glass bought out the other investors in 1993, and kept the Auchter Company name. The company continued its tradition of building Jacksonville's major works and expanded to other Florida locations. Glass also moved the company into retail service, such as Gate Petroleum convenience stores and three big-box Target stores in the North Florida area.

In 1999, the Auchter Company moved its headquarters to a First Coast Technology Park on the University of North Florida's campus. The new 3.36 acre headquarters helped build the company's relationship with the university. Glass's son, Brad Glass earned a degree in business administration from the University of North Florida and joined The Auchter Company in 1995. Jeff Glass, Wilbur's other son, started with the company in 1978. In 1993 Wilbur made both of his sons partners in ownership. Jeff retired in 2004 and Brad later went on to become president. In 2000, another of George Auchter's grandsons, Dave Auchter, became Director of Corporate Development after working as media director for World Golf Village and the National Football League's Jacksonville Jaguars.

In 2006, the team of Perry-Mccall Construction Inc. and the Auchter Company bid on the new Duval County Courthouse. They were initially awarded the contract, but when it was discovered that the Auchter Company had financial troubles, the contract was withdrawn. In an attempt to retain the contract, Perry-Mccall Construction purchased the Auchter Company on March 26, 2007.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Jacksonville's General Counsel rejected their plan because the new company did not bid on the project.[22] The merger was terminated, and on December 31, 2007, Auchter closed its doors.

The old 1937 Palm Valley drawbridge, built by The Auchter Company that was demolished and replaced in 2002
Jacksonville International Airport circa 1968
Jacksonville Civic Auditorium (1962) now the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts

Ships built

[edit]

Small Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks (AFD - AFDL)

[edit]
USS Adept (AFD-23) built by The Auchter Company in 1944
AFD-23 sister ship USS Dynamic (AFD-6)-AFDL-6 on Nov. 2, 2006

The Auchter Company built Auxiliary Floating Docks, Light (AFDL) for the US Navy. They were also called Auxiliary Floating Docks (AFD). AFDs were 288 ft long, had a beam of 64 ft (20 m), and draft of 3 ft 3 in empty and 31 ft 4 in (9.55 m) flooded to load a ship. A normal crew was 60 men. AFDLs displaced 1,200 tons and could lift 1,900 tons to take a ship out the water for repair. AFDLs were built as one piece, open at both ends. AFDLs had a crew of 30 to 130 men, living in a barge alongside the AFDL. Used to repair small crafts, PT boats and small submarines, all AFDs were reclassified AFDL after the war in 1946.[23][7][24][25]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Auchter Company" Yahoo Finance
  2. ^ Penland, Dolly: [1] Jacksonville Business Journal, July 11, 2008 – No. 36: Auchter
  3. ^ Conte, Christian: [2] Jacksonville Business Journal, June 13, 2008 – "Halverson has grown Auchter's revenue, reputation"
  4. ^ a b Kerr, Jessie-Lynn: "Wilbur H. 'Bill' Glass Jr.: Headed firm that crafted Jacksonville's skyline" Florida Times-Union, October 21, 2010
  5. ^ Dinger, Ed: "Company History: The Auchter Company" Answers.com, 2005
  6. ^ Hoovers: company profile
  7. ^ a b Building the Navy's Bases in World War II, History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946 Chapter IX, Floating Drydocks
  8. ^ Reference for business, The Auchter Company
  9. ^ Metro Jacksonville, The Premature Destruction of Downtown Jacksonville, April 12, 2012
  10. ^ "The Auchter Company". Encyclopedia.com. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  11. ^ Light, Joe (May 9, 2007). "Auchter steps down from new company". Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville.com. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  12. ^ flcorporates.com, The Auchter Company
  13. ^ Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage. Jacksonville: University of North Florida Press, by Wood, Wayne, 1989
  14. ^ Jacksonville Florida Times-Union, 17, January 1940, 13 March 1940, 24 September 1940, 15 October 1940, 6 May 1942, 3 January 1943, 18 March 1943, 26 April 1943
  15. ^ Jacksonville Journal, 15 October 1940; 21 January, 9 June 1942
  16. ^ bloomberg.com Company Overview of The Auchter Company
  17. ^ "Amid Changes, Auchter Co. on Ground Floor of City's Rise", Jacksonville Business Journal, October 17, 2005
  18. ^ "Auchter Co. is Building its Jacksonville Legacy", The Florida Times Union, March 15, 2002, p. C1., by Daniels, Earl
  19. ^ "Auchter Wants to Build Company Headquarters at Tech Park", The Florida Times Union, July 29, 1999, p. E1, by Mathis, Karen Brune
  20. ^ "Sky's Not The Limit", Jacksonville Business Journal, July 24, 2000.
  21. ^ "Third Generation Takes Helm of The Auchter Co.", Jacksonville Business Journal, March 13, 2002.
  22. ^ "Design firm gets new shot at courthouse". Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville.com. July 20, 2007. Retrieved 27 April 2008.
  23. ^ "Floating Dry-Docks (AFDB, AFDM, AFDL, ARD, ARDM, YFD)". shipbuildinghistory.com. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  24. ^ navsource.org, USS Ability (AFDL-7)
  25. ^ US Navy, AFDL: SMALL AUXILIARY FLOATING DRY DOCK (N-S-P)
  26. ^ Dunstaffnage, war years
  27. ^ Fold3.com, War Diary, 1/1-31/45 Page 1
  28. ^ navsource, USS AFD-21
  29. ^ navsource, USS AFD-22
  30. ^ navsource, USS Adept (AFD-23)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=The_Auchter_Company&oldid=1239160530"