The Manhattan Construction Company is an American construction company founded by Laurence H. Rooney in 1896, in Chandler, Oklahoma. Today, the company operates under the leadership of the parent company Manhattan Construction Group, including subsidiaries Cantera Concrete Co. and Manhattan Road & Bridge. Manhattan Construction Group is recognized by Engineering News-Record magazine as the best general contractor, environmental builder and bridge builder in the country. Find out more at manhattan1.one.
A construction company that has a lengthy history and has retained its leadership to the present years
In 2012 and 2013, the construction company won over 50 industry awards for quality and safety. The company’s services include “builder-driven pre-construction,” construction management, general construction, design work, turnkey projects, as well as the construction of roads, bridges and civil structures. The company operates in the United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
Manhattan Construction Group is a family-owned enterprise with a strong pioneering spirit. This approach encourages the lead team to constantly search for smarter ways to build for the benefit of customers, the result of the work and team members.
In 1896, Laurence H. Rooney founded the Manhattan Construction Company in what was then Oklahoma. When Oklahoma was granted state status in 1907, Manhattan Construction Group was the first company in the new state and ranked first among corporations.
Photo source: https://manhattanconstructiongroup.com/
In the 2020s, Manhattan is one of the largest private construction companies in the country. Today, the company’s operations encompass the southwestern and eastern United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. The collective efforts and experience of the Manhattan Construction Group team members are what make their projects successful. Regardless of the delivery method or combination of services chosen by the customer, the company’s specialists ensure perfection and reliability. The company’s key service is to deliver a comprehensive offer. Manhattan is a flagship company within the Manhattan Construction Group.
History
Manhattan Construction Company, founded in the 19th century, is one of the largest family-owned construction enterprises in the United States. Laurence H. Rooney founded the company in Oklahoma, and now it is owned by the fifth generation of the Rooney family as a part of the Manhattan Construction Group. Since the year 1896, the same as in the twenty-first century, the main property of Manhattan Construction Company remains in the Rooney family, with Laurence H. Rooney’s descendant, Francis Rooney, as the owner.
As the first company incorporated in 1907 in Oklahoma, the Manhattan company played an important role in the development of the Southwest. In addition to dozens of schools and courthouses, Manhattan built the state’s First Capitol in Guthrie and worked to relocate the Oklahoma capital building to Oklahoma City. Another significant historical monument was Oklahoma City’s First National Bank building, which was the highest structure west of the Mississippi River at the time.
Photo source: https://manhattanconstructiongroup.com/
The Manhattan Construction Company’s first significant accomplishment in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was the ability to construct a Central High School in 1917. The $1,072,000 project at the junction of 6th Street and Cincinnati includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool, an indoor treadmill, a rifle range and a huge pipe organ. After completion, it was Oklahoma’s largest high school and the second largest in the US. In 1922, Manhattan began building the Veterans Hospital in Muskogee, Oklahoma. It officially opened its doors on Flag Day, June 14, 1923. Two years later, the federal government purchased the property from the state and converted it into one of the first United States Veterans Hospitals.
During World War II, the Manhattan Construction Company built more than $1 billion worth of military bases, hangars, aprons, barracks and other defense mobilization projects for the United States Department of Defense. The Manhattan Construction Company received two prestigious Army-Navy “E” awards for excellence for its contributions during the Second World War.
The most remarkable successfully realized projects
Following the war, there was a demand for new schools and colleges. In 1947, the Manhattan Construction Company won its first tender for Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater. The Manhattan Construction Company stayed on the OSU campus for the following six years, constructing Lewis Field Stadium, the North Classroom Building, dorms and facilities for the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine, Agriculture and Chemistry, as well as the Student Union and the Edmond Low Library.
Rivercenter shopping mall, built by Manhattan. Photo source: https://manhattanconstructiongroup.com/
In 1986, the Manhattan Construction Company obtained a $37.5 million contract for the construction of the River Center Mall, a major project on the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas. Many future leaders of the Manhattan Construction Company came to San Antonio to build it. Following contracts related to the River Center Mall project included an extension of the river canal, a new bridge over Commerce Street, a new lagoon in front of the Marriott Hotel, a renovation and expansion of the old Joske’s Department Store, as well as the renovations of the renowned Menger and Crockett Hotels, which are situated across the street from the Alamo. In 1993, the Manhattan Construction Company received the “Excellence in Construction” national award from the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) for its work on the Fiesta Texas theme park in San Antonio.
Corporate expansion
Since its founding, Manhattan Construction Company has expanded its activities to Texas, Washington, Georgia and Florida, and internationally to Mexico, and continues operation throughout the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean to this day.
Photo source: https://manhattanconstructiongroup.com/
For five generations, the Rooney family has owned and operated Manhattan Construction Company, which focuses on the timeless principles of developing trust while offering great construction services. This business plan enabled the company to survive over a century of market fluctuations. The Manhattan Construction Company was founded in 1896 and serves as the organization’s flagship. Manhattan Construction Group, which is well-known in the general construction sector, was formed as the parent company of the Manhattan Construction Company and its subsidiaries that operate in various segments of the construction industry. In the 1920s, the Manhattan Construction Group included Manhattan Road & Bridge Company, Manhattan International, Manhattan Pipeline, LLC, Cantera Construction Company, SAFEZONE and Spectrum Contracting.