John A. Caddell, who founded a Montgomery construction firm with his wife and built it into one of Alabama’s largest, died Monday at the age of 93.
“There just aren’t enough words to describe the influence John Caddell had on the construction industry as a whole,” said Caddell Construction CEO Eddie Stewart. “He was an absolute icon, and someone we should all aspire to be like. His influence over Caddell Construction is evident every single day, and his guidance in my own life is impossible to overstate. I will truly miss him more than words can say.”
A Montgomery native, Caddell earned a building construction degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He went to work for Blount Brothers, becoming president and CEO in 1969. In 1983, though, founder Red Blount asked Caddell to retire from the company, which led to Caddell and his wife, Joyce, forming Caddell Construction.
The duo initially worked from their home, but Caddell Construction became a major company both domestically and internationally, responsible for $16 billion in projects in 36 countries, according to the company.
“Building a construction company into a major international competitor is a singular achievement accomplished by very few people in the world,” the obituary released by Caddell Construction says. “John Caddell did it twice.”
Caddell was a member of Alabama Associated General Contractors Hall of Fame and the Alabama Business Hall of Fame.
