Ratcliff Construction Co.

I’m very excited to be part of the Ratcliff organization!  My thanks to all of you for your openness and assistance with my duties as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

I began work as a CPA with a local Certified Public Accounting firm.  Over a nine year period I progressed from staff accountant to audit partner.  While in public practice, I prepared tax returns, compiled financial statements, as well as performed reviews and audits of financial statements.  The various businesses I worked with included construction companies, nursing homes, banks, municipalities, and apartment complexes – to name a few.

I left public practice to be the Controller for the Bossier Companies.  My twelve-years experience with the Bossier group included working with businesses revolving around highway construction and other investments.  These businesses included sand and gravel pits, pre-stressed concrete, asphalt plants, tire and parts store, joint ventures and striping company.  My duties involved all accounting and financial matters related to these companies.

I have been a member of the Ratcliff Construction Team since 1989. I began on the ground level of this company as a laborer, became a carpenter and then moved to Project Superintendent as my knowledge of construction increased. Since I was able to work in the field, supervising people and handling problems I have an excellent understanding of the construction process and how to work out the daily issues we all face on these complex projects.
 

I was born in Alexandria, Louisiana and have been around the design and construction industry my entire life.  My father was a partner in a successful architectural firm with projects throughout the state of Louisiana.  I graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 1985 and subsequently spent two years working in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and ten years working for two large General Contractors in the Washington D.C. area.
 

I started working as a summer laborer for my father’s company and also gained experience in the construction industry by taking a variety of summer and coop program positions to learn about estimating, scheduling and being a field supervisor. I attended Tulane University and received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Business Administration in 1964.  I spent two subsequent years in Atlanta, Georgia working for the Henry C. Beck Construction Company and earning an Architectural Engineering degree from The Southern Polytechnical Institute. I returned home in 1966 and served in just about every position in this company including Field Superintendent, Estimator, Project Manager and Vice-President before taking the helm of J.E. Ratcliff, General Contractors as President at the age of 32. I was fortunate enough to work with my father for several years before he became incapacitated by a stroke which left me with having to run the company from an early age.

I joined the “family business,” working as a laborer during my high school summers starting in 1985 as a way to earn spending money. I joined the company full-time in 1994 after receiving an undergraduate degree from Rhodes College and after spending a post graduate year at LSU in the Department of Building Construction. I am proud to be the third generation to carry on the tradition of building and developing commercial facilities across the Gulf  South. I have held many positions in the company including laborer, carpenter, project manager and estimator before I followed in my father’s footsteps and became President of Ratcliff Construction Company in 2011. In my 18 years of service, I have supervised and managed federal, state, military, educational, healthcare and hospitality/gaming projects.  I actively serve as a member of the CLEDA board, and have recently become a graduate of the Leadership Louisiana Class of 2012.

I became a part of the Ratcliff Construction Team in 1978. I began working as a laborer/equipment operator and eventually moved on to becoming a carpenter. Through hard work and dedication, my knowledge in the construction field continued to grow. In 1984, I was given the opportunity to move into the Project Superintendent position on a small project. From there, I moved on to oversee many projects throughout the community and State. After many years in the superintendent roll, I moved up the ladder to become the Senior Project Manager and Corporate Safety Officer for the company. In 2011, I was promoted to VP of Operations, which is the position that I hold today.