The Tocqueville Society of the River Region United Way proudly recognizes Joyce and John Caddell as the 2014 recipients for their dedication, compassion and lifetime of philanthropy to our community.
The recipients of this year’s Tocqueville Society Award have made a lifelong commitment to paying forward the blessings they’ve received in their lives. After decades of hard work, the Caddells continue the tradition of supporting a variety of philanthropic efforts in the community, including a long history of support for the River Region United Way.
Always Moving Forward
John and Joyce Caddell have always been a couple on the move. They first met as children zooming about on their motor scooters. Standing still and taking a passive role was never an option for this dynamic duo. A natural energy and drive has characterized all of their personal and professional pursuits and produced some impressive results. But there were always major challenges.
From Sanding Floors to Georgia Tech
John Caddell was the only child of an alcoholic father and a resourceful mother who was resolved that her son would realize his full potential.
John Caddell: “As a boy, I worked for my Dad in his floor sanding business. Dad was an alcoholic who went through a very bad period when I was a senior in high school. I had my class schedule changed so I could leave school at noon and keep Dad’s business going. Meanwhile, I was accepted at Georgia Tech, but knew that there was no way I could leave Montgomery to go there in the fall of ’48. However, my Mother was a very determined lady. She convinced my Dad to stop drinking, which he did for one year. But that was just enough. I will always be grateful to my mother for enabling me to take that first important step in my career. If I had not graduated from Georgia Tech in May of 1952, I would not have been in Atlanta in April of that year to see an ad in the Atlanta newspaper for an estimator – no name, just a P.O. Box. It turned out to be Blount Brothers Construction, and I got the job.”
Lifetime Partners
As John was finishing his building construction degree at Georgia Tech and preparing for the move back to Montgomery to work for Blount, he concluded an even more important personal contract with Joyce Kirby. The two were married and began a lifelong partnership that produced five successful children and, to date, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
“Joyce has been central to any business or personal success I have ever enjoyed. She has been my partner and biggest supporter in every part of my life. And along with all of the other demands of being my wife, she practically raised our five children alone due to my travel schedule.”
The Blount Years
Mentored by Red Blount, John Caddell quickly rose through the ranks and was made Blount’s President and CEO in 1969. He led Blount through the period of its greatest growth and profitability from $67M to more than $600M in annual revenues. When he left in 1983, Blount was at its apex as a major international contractor, performing some of the largest and most challenging projects in the world. Project highlights during the Blount years included multiple launch complexes for NASA at Cape Canaveral, the New Orleans Superdome, and the $2 billion King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the largest lump sum contract of its time.
“Red Blount was a generous mentor who had a passion for expanding his company and providing opportunities for people like me to grow both professionally and personally. I have since tried to lead with this same focus on constant growth and extending maximum opportunities to our employees. He also became my role model for giving back to the community.”
In 1983, Red Blount asked John Caddell to retire from the Company to clear a wider path for his own son. Later, Red would freely admit that he had made a very big mistake. But this “big mistake” proved to be the catalyst for part two of John Caddell’s extraordinary career. Within weeks, John and Joyce had decided to form Caddell Construction Co. Ironically, little more than ten years later, Caddell would absorb all of Blount’s construction operations.
Caddell Construction
At age 53 when many successful men begin to anticipate retirement, John and Joyce Caddell launched a new company from their home on Bell Road. Phone lines crisscrossed the hallways and 24 full-time employees eventually worked out of bedrooms and playrooms.
Joyce Caddell: “I know that it might seem strange to some people, but starting Caddell Construction just seemed like the most natural thing for us to do. I don’t remember being afraid or particularly nervous. I believed in John and knew that we could make this work. I thoroughly enjoyed those first few years working out of the house. We were a family. It was also the first time in our marriage that John and I worked closely together. I got out my typewriter and got busy.”
Caddell quickly grew into a major international construction operation. Today, the Caddell project record includes U.S. diplomatic facilities, federal courthouses, prisons, high-tech research and development centers, hospitals, airports, hotels, power plants, manufacturing facilities, military barracks and housing complexes, and a long list of unique specialty projects. Recent projects of note include the U.S. Embassies in Beijing and Afghanistan, 18 other U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, and four facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory at the cutting-edge of science and technology. Caddell Construction has also been recognized by its industry peers with a wide array of national construction excellence awards and has consistently ranked among the 200 largest U.S. contractors.
In addition to his recent induction into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame, John Caddell has been recognized with Georgia Tech’s Alumni Career Achievement Award; nominated by Engineering News Record for their Man of the Year; and received top honors from both of the construction industry’s largest professional associations.
Giving Back
“Joyce and I have always felt a strong obligation to give back to our community and to reach out to those who might need a helping hand. We have been so blessed and want to be a blessing to others. It’s really that simple.”
The roster of John and Joyce Caddell’s community support and involvements is long and varied and includes:
- $2 million to the Georgia Tech School of Building Construction Fund
- $1.5 million in scholarships to Auburn University at Montgomery, Huntingdon College, Samford University, and Georgia Tech
- Play Sponsors at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival
- Concert Sponsors for the Montgomery Symphony
- Lifetime Board Member and Past President of the YMCA
- Board Member for the United Way
- Board Member for Baptist Health
- Board Member for the Alabama Baptist Foundation
- Board Member, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.
- Donations and support through the John & Joyce Caddell Foundation to dozens of national, state and local charities, community programs and individuals
Recent honors for their support of the arts and the community include the Winton M. Blount Leadership Award and the Frank Plummer Memorial Arts Award.
“Joyce and I are particularly touched by this recognition from the River Region United Way. Both at Blount, and for the last 31 years at Caddell, we have strongly emphasized our individual and corporate responsibility to reach out to our neighbors. I am very proud of the faithful giving and high level of participation of our employees in United Way programs. What a privilege and honor it has been to work with United Way.”
With special appreciation to Cathy Caddell and Terry Willis for their assistance in preparing this piece.
