The Auchter Company

Last updated
The Auchter Company
Company typePrivate
Industry
Founded1929
FounderGeorge D. Auchter
DefunctDecember 31, 2007 [1]
Headquarters Jacksonville, 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]

Contents

Century Tower, at the University of Florida, built by The Auchter Company Dsg UF Century Tower 20050507.jpg
Century Tower, at the University of Florida, built by The Auchter Company
Riverplace Tower in Jacksonville Riverplace Tower in Jacksonville.jpg
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 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

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

Ships built

Small Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks (AFD - AFDL)

USS Adept (AFD-23) built by The Auchter Company in 1944 USS Adept (AFD-23).jpg
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 US Navy 061102-N-4238B-036 The crew of the auxiliary floating dry dock Dynamic (AFDL 6) prepares for an incoming craft.jpg
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]

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Ability</i> (AFDL-7)

The third USS Ability (AFD-7/AFDL-7) was a small auxiliary floating drydock in the service of the United States Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard</span> United States Navy shipyard in Hawaii

The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is a United States Navy shipyard located in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 148 acres. It is one of just four public shipyards operated by the United States Navy. The shipyard is physically a part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam.

USS <i>ARD-10</i>

USS ARD-10 was an auxiliary repair dock in the service of the United States Navy in World War II as an auxiliary floating drydock, built by Pacific Bridge Company. As was common with other auxiliary repair docks, the ship was only known by her designation and was not otherwise named.

USS <i>Artisan</i> US Navy floating drydock, 1943 to 1987

USS Artisan (ABSD-1), later redesignated as (AFDB-1), was a ten-section, non-self-propelled, large auxiliary floating drydock of the United States Navy. The only U.S. warship with this name, Artisan was constructed in sections during 1942 and 1943 by the Everett-Pacific Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, in Everett, Washington; the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, in Eureka, California; the Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding Company, in Stockton, California; and the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, in Morgan City, Louisiana. This ship was commissioned at Everett, Washington, on 10 May 1943, Captain Andrew R. Mack in command. With all ten sections joined, she was 927 feet (283 m) long, 28 feet (8.5 m) tall, and with an inside clear width of 133 feet 7 inches (40.72 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Bridge & Iron Company</span> Defunct large engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company

CB&I, previously Chicago Bridge & Iron Co, was a large engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company with its administrative headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas. CB&I specialized in projects for oil and gas companies, and once employed over 32,000 people worldwide. In May 2018 the company merged into McDermott International. McDermott struggled to integrate its acquisition of CB&I. On January 21, 2020, McDermott announced that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to asbestos litigation. A $22.5 million trust fund was made to handle asbestos claims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auxiliary repair dock</span> Floating drydock

An auxiliary repair dock (ARD) is a type of floating drydock employed by the U.S. Navy, especially during World War II. The Navy commissioned 33 ARD vessels: ARD-1 through ARD-33. ARDs were self-sustaining in World War II. ARDs have a rudder to help in tow moving, making ARDs very mobile, and have a bow to cut through waves. ARDs have a stern that can be opened or closed. The stern can be closed with bottom-hinged flap gate, operated by hydraulic rams. This stern gate can be lowered for ship entrance into the submerged dock, and then closed to keep out waves. ARDs were built by the Pacific Bridge Company, in Alameda, California.

USS <i>Adept</i> AFDL-1-class dry dock of the United States Navy

USS Adept (AFD-23) was a AFDL-1-class small auxiliary dry dock of the United States Navy Auxiliary floating drydock built for World War II.

USS <i>Endeavor</i> (AFDL-1)

USS Endeavor was a 200-foot AFDL-1 Class Small Auxiliary floating drydock in service with the United States Navy during World War II. Built and delivered by Chicago Bridge and Iron in Morgan City, Louisiana in September 1943, she entered service as USS AFD-1. She was redesignated AFDL-1 on 1 August 1946. In 1986, she was decommissioned, struck from the Naval Register and transferred to the Dominican Republic and redesignated DF-1. She is currently in Active Service as of 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auxiliary floating drydock</span> Type of United States Navy drydocks

An auxiliary floating drydock is a type of US Navy auxiliary floating dry dock. Floating dry docks are able to submerge underwater and to be placed under a ship in need of repair below the water line. Water is then pumped out of the floating dry dock, raising the ship out of the water. The ship becomes blocked on the deck of the floating dry dock for repair. Most floating dry docks have no engine and are towed by tugboats to their destinations. Floating dry docks come in different sizes to accommodate varying ship sizes, while large floating dry docks come in sections and can be combined to increase their size and lift power. Ballast pontoon tanks are flooded with water to submerge or pumped dry to raise the ship.

YFD-2 United States Navy drydock

YFD-2 was an auxiliary floating drydock built for the United States Navy in 1901. The first parts were laid down in early 1901 at Maryland Steel Co. of Sparrows Point, Maryland. YFD-2 was the first of its kind, steel movable auxiliary floating drydock, used to raise large ships out the water for repair below the ship's waterline. YFD-2 had a 18,000 tons lifting capacity.

USS <i>AFDM-2</i> Large auxiliary floating drydock of the US Navy

USS AFDM-2,, is an AFDM-3-class medium auxiliary floating drydock built in Mobile, Alabama by the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company for the U.S. Navy. Originally named USS YFD-4, Yard Floating Dock-4, she operated by Todd Shipyards at New Orleans, Louisiana for the repair of US ships during World War II. YFD-4 was renamed an Auxiliary Floating Dock Medium AFDM-2 in 1945 after the war.

USS <i>AFDB-2</i> Large auxiliary floating drydock of the US Navy

USS ABSD-2, later redesignated as AFDB-2, was a ten-section, non-self-propelled, large auxiliary floating drydock of the US Navy. Advance Base Sectional Dock-2 was constructed in sections during 1942 and 1943 by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California for World War II. Her official commissioning ceremony took place on 14 August 1943 with CDR Joseph J. Rochefort in command. With all ten sections joined, she was 927 feet (283 m) long, 28 feet (8.5 m) tall, and with an inside clear width of 133 feet 7 inches (40.72 m). ABSD-2 had a traveling 15-ton capacity crane with an 85-foot (26 m) radius and two or more support barges. The two side walls were folded down under tow to reduce wind resistance and lower the center of gravity. ABSD-2 had 6 capstans for pulling, each rated at 24,000 lbf (110,000 N) at 30 ft/min (0.15 m/s), 4 of the capstans were reversible. There were also 12 ballast compartments in each section.

USS <i>ABSD-3</i> WWII American floating drydock

ABSD-3 is an advanced base sectional dock, constructed of nine advance base dock (ABD) sections for the US Navy as an auxiliary floating drydock for World War II. ABSD-3 was delivered to the US Navy in April 1944, and was commissioned on 27 October 1944. Advance Base Sectional Dock-3 was constructed in sections during 1942 and 1943.

USS <i>ABSD-6</i> WWII American floating drydock

ABSD-6 is an advanced base sectional dock which was constructed of nine advance base docks (ABD) sections for the US Navy as an auxiliary floating drydock for World War II. ABSD-6 was built by Mare Island Naval Shipyard at Vallejo, California. ABSD-6 was commissioned on 28 September 1944. Advance Base Sectional Dock-6 was constructed in sections during 1942 and 1943. Each section are 3,850 tons and are 93 feet long each. Each Section had a 165 feet beam, a 75 feet molded depth and had 10,000 tons lifting capacity each. There were 4 ballast compartments in each section. With all nine sections joined, she was 825 feet long, 28 feet tall, and with an inside clear width of 133 feet 7 inches. ABSD-2 had a traveling 15-ton capacity crane with an 85-foot radius and two or more support barges. The two side walls were folded down under tow to reduce wind resistance and lower the center of gravity. ABSD-6 had 6 capstans for pulling, each rated at 24,000 lbf (110,000 N) at 30 ft/min (0.15 m/s), 4 of the capstans were reversible.

USS <i>ABSD-4</i> Large auxiliary floating drydock of the US Navy

USS ABSD-4, later redesignated as AFDB-4, was a nine-section, non-self-propelled, large auxiliary floating drydock of the US Navy. Advance Base Sectional Dock-4 was constructed in sections during 1942 and 1943 by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California for World War II. With all ten sections joined, she was 927 feet long, 28 feet tall, and with an inside clear width of 133 feet 7 inches. ABSD-4 had a traveling 15-ton capacity crane with an 85-foot radius and two or more support barges. The two side walls were folded down under tow to reduce wind resistance and lower the center of gravity. ABSD-4 had 6 capstans for pulling, each rated at 24,000 lbf (110,000 N) at 30 ft/min (0.15 m/s), 4 of the capstans were reversible. There were also 4 ballast compartments in each section.

USS <i>ABSD-5</i> WWII American floating drydock

USS ABSD-5, later redesignated as AFDB-5, was a nine-section, non-self-propelled, large auxiliary floating drydock of the US Navy. Advance Base Sectional Dock-5 was constructed in sections during 1943 and 1944 by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company in Morgan City, Louisiana for World War II. With all nine sections joined, she was 825 feet long, 28 feet tall, and with an inside clear width of 133 feet 7 inches. ABSD-5 had two traveling 15-ton capacity crane with an 85-foot radius and two or more support barges. The two side walls were folded down under tow to reduce wind resistance and lower the center of gravity. ABSD-5 had 6 capstans for pulling, each rated at 24,000 lbf (110,000 N) at 30 ft/min (0.15 m/s), 4 of the capstans were reversible. There were also 4 ballast compartments in each section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Bridge Company</span> Former American engineering and construction company

Pacific Bridge Company was a large engineering and construction company. During World War II, Pacific Bridge Company of Alameda, California was selected to build US Navy Auxiliary Repair Docks (ARD) a type of Auxiliary floating drydock and Type B ship barges.

Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding Company was established in 1942 to build ships needed for World War II. As part of the Emergency Shipbuilding Program the US Navy provided some of the capital to start Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding at Stockton, California. The shipyard was located at San Joaquin River and Stockton Channel, near Louis Park. After the war the shipyard closed down in February 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurley Marine Shipyard</span> Shipyard in Oakland, California, United States

Hurley Marine Shipyard of Hurley Marine Works also site of Naval Reserve Armory, Oakland and the Naval Industrial Reserve Repair Facility, Oakland was a shipyard in Oakland, California. The Hurley Marine Shipyard opened in 1940 on property that previously had belonged to the General Engineering & Drydock Company, in 1951 the yard was operated by Crowley Maritime Corporation. In 1964 the site was operated by Pacific Dry Dock and Repair Company. The shipyard closed in 1992, today most of the shipyard is vacant land with part of the land now Leal Seal Boat Works owned by Leal Charonnat, of Leal Charonnat - Architect & Engineering. A small boatyard operated at the site from 1935 to 1940. The shipyard was located at 321 Embarcadero Oakland on the San Francisco Bay, Inner Oakland Harbor. Crowley Maritime Corporation was the parent corporation of Pacific Dry Dock, which used the shipyard to repair its fleet of tugboats and other ships. Pacific Dry Dock also operated a shipyard across from Coast Guard Island till 1991 at 1414 Embarcadero Oakland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Advance Base Espiritu Santo</span> Major World War 2 base

Naval Advance Base Espiritu Santo or Naval Base Espiritu Santo, most often just called Espiritu Santo, was a major advance Naval base that the U.S. Navy Seabees built during World War II to support the Allied effort in the Pacific. The base was located on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides, now Vanuatu, in the South Pacific. The base also supported the U.S. Army and Army Air Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, and US Marine Corps. It was the first large advance base built in the Pacific. By the end of the war it had become the second-largest base in the theater. To keep ships tactically available there was a demand for bases that could repair and resupply the fleet at advance locations, rather than return them to the United States. Prior to December 7th, Pearl Harbor was the U.S. fleet's largest advance base in the Pacific. Espiritu became capable of all aspects necessary to support the Fleet's operations from fleet logistics in fuel, food, and ammunition, to transport embarkation for combat operations or returning to the continental United States. The ship repair facilities and drydocks were capable of attending to most damage and routine maintenance. Had it not existed, ships would have had to return to Pearl Harbor, Brisbane, or Sydney for major repairs and resupply. The base became a major R and R destination for the fleet.

References

  1. ↑ "Auchter Company" Yahoo Finance
  2. ↑ Penland, Dolly: Jacksonville Business Journal, July 11, 2008 – No. 36: Auchter
  3. ↑ Conte, Christian: Jacksonville Business Journal, June 13, 2008 – "Halverson has grown Auchter's revenue, reputation"
  4. 1 2 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. 1 2 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)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.