Dick Platt’s lifelong dream was to play professional football. While playing for the Marine Corps, he was given an opportunity to try out for the San Diego Chargers and won an offer to play for them, but while playing for the Marine Corps, Dick was tackled and taken down from the side at the knees. The injury wasn’t pretty and turned out to be the end of Dick’s pro football dreams. Unable to play and badly injured, he was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps.
Arriving back home in Wisconsin, Dick was unsure of his next move, but he knew that he wanted to work for himself. While recovering, he recalled an early childhood memory of helping his father by pushing a wheelbarrow at a construction job site. Inspired by his father’s passion for the concrete trade, he took the Kenosha phone book and called everyone in the city of Kenosha, asking if they wanted their concrete replaced. Like so many American stories, his industrialism was rewarded.
In 1972, Dick was a one-man concrete operation, taking the full responsibility of estimating, demolition, setting forms, and pouring. He stamped his work with the name PLATT. His office was in his home and his equipment was stored in his garage. Before long he had a family helping in the office. When he learned of the SBA’s 8A program, he applied for it and received the certification. This allowed Platt Construction to bid government and state projects and ultimately prompted Dick to move his business to Milwaukee, opening opportunities for other larger projects. Platt became a solid provider for projects in which DBE or MBE involvement was stipulated.
A long-time NAMC member company, Platt Construction is a certified service-disabled veteran-owned minority business general contractor, subcontractor, and design-builder. Thirty percent of their projects are general contracting. They’ve completed over $400 million in projects since 1980. With a track record spanning over four decades, more than 2,000 projects, and over 20 prestigious awards, their customers rely on Platt Construction’s honesty and integrity. Says Platt, “This vision runs in the family, and I’m pleased that the second generation of Platt Construction will carry on the tradition of the first,” as it moves forward with his children.
Platt Construction continues to enjoy the rewards of homespun grit and American industrialism. Operating in eight states and performing work ranging from general contracting to specialized underground structures, the company has an untarnished record of project completion and extremely high marks for quality and safety. What’s the reason for their long-term excellence? Dick’s gift for construction has always been a vision for solutions. Value creation and problem solving require the creative push of understanding minds who see the big picture.
Today, Platt Construction is undergoing big changes. His children, Nikki Platt and Tony Platt, are transitioning to run the day-to-day operations and helping to strengthen the company’s technology and services. They have also been reaching out to colleges and universities to fill student internships. They hope to give more young people the opportunity to become involved in the construction industry through working with Platt. It is a very exciting time!
Dick Platt became a NAMC member some twenty years ago because of his desire to strengthen other minority business enterprises like his own. Platt Construction has a national footprint and from that was born his desire to serve as a NAMC national board member. NAMC has always been a source of encouragement to him and support to his business. He has called on the association numerous times for assistance.
For more information about Platt Construction, please visit: http://www.plattcon.net/
