Ozanne Construction is Building Cleveland to New Heights

Douglas J. Guth, Crain's

Dominic Ozanne, the current president and CEO of Ozanne Construction Co., had two distinct choices when deciding whether to enter the family business and work for his father, Leroy Ozanne.

"The two options were to work for the company, or to work for the company," Ozanne said with a laugh.

Though the younger Ozanne worked in law before joining the Cleveland construction firm in 1980, the lion's share of his career has been spent maintaining — and expanding upon — his father's rich legacy.

Ozanne Construction is a multidisciplinary firm doing business throughout the Midwest and southern United States. With at least $50 million to $60 million in projects under contract annually, the 25-person shop at East 25th Street and Payne Avenue offers design-build expertise and management on housing, mixed-use development and an assortment of federal contracts.

High-profile projects include renovation of FirstEnergy Stadium, where the company spearheaded end-zone reconstruction and improvements to indoor hospitality spaces. Ozanne Construction's eclectic portfolio also encompasses parking redevelopment at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and the complete reconstruction of Cleveland Heights High School.

Ozanne's law background — honed at Harvard Law School and three years as an associate at the Thompson Hine law firm — comes in handy when managing jobs for the heavily regulated federal sector. The company counts NASA, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Department of Justice among its clientele, a portfolio that incorporates stringent rules alongside reams of paperwork.

"Federal is the biggest dog in the yard as far as spend," said Ozanne. "We don't like the taxes involved, but we do like the work. Regulations are like a set of specifications — you study them to figure out what needs to happen, then comply with a level of excellence. Because the industry is so regulatory, you learn early that if you do slip up, the consequences are severe."

A time for change

Any business must spend time handling taxes, legal documents and administrative duties. Nor was Ozanne unfamiliar with construction before coming on full time — he worked summers for the firm when attending St. Ignatius High School and college. While Ozanne always wanted to connect with his dad on a more permanent basis, law school served to test his limits before that day came.

"There's an exuberance of youth to prove yourself to your father," Ozanne said. "We get to a point in life where we rebel and show we can do something else."

Construction in the late '70s and early '80s ran on handshakes and trust, or working directly off a purchase order or short-form agreement. Although the company still relies on the occasional handshake deal, Ozanne came on to organize contracts and tighten up any business practices that needed tightening.

"Most of my father's friends had no respect for me. They'd say, 'You're a lawyer, what do you know?'" said Ozanne. "I had to get them to trust me one step at a time, especially in a field where I may know my way around a contract. I had to prove I knew something about construction."

Spurring change didn't mean the firm had struggled before the second generation arrived. One of Cleveland's first African American building inspectors, Leroy Ozanne incorporated Ozanne Construction in 1956, overcoming an era inhospitable to minority entrepreneurs.

After two years in business, the company won contracts to build Gulf Oil and Sinclair filling stations, later moving on to a branch bank for Cleveland Trust and a transfer station for Ohio Bell. Ongoing success resulted in a partnership with Turner Construction Co. on the Martin Luther King Jr. shopping plaza, marking a pioneer moment for the Black-owned construction concern.

Dominic Ozanne said procuring federal contracts — as well as traveling for out-of-state projects — indicated less of an internal evolution than ensuring the company didn't stagnate.

Ozanne said, "It's all about growth, even though the company was already successful in 1980. My dad gets 100% credit. We tried to grow the business and adapt to changes in technology and terms of agreement, or traveling when before we weren't doing that. It was about bringing in different opportunities that fit our profile."

Earning respect

Mort Levin, a Cleveland developer and founder of private real estate development firm Levin Group Inc., was introduced to Ozanne Construction in the mid-'70s upon orchestrating renovation of Rockefeller Park Towers. Levin describes Leroy Ozanne as a "strong personality" who imparted his well-earned wisdom to his son.

"Leroy was forthright and honest, and taught Dominic well," Levin said. "Dominic has taken the firm to another level by doing projects on his own and not just collaborating with big companies."

Levin points to Dominic's legal upbringing as a separator within the industry.

"Having that legal and construction background, he understands the issues and can identify potential problems," said Levin. "Dominic is a Renaissance man with big projects and small ones."

Ozanne is still motivated by his father's teachings, whether that means fearlessly protecting his principles or never thinking himself as lesser.

"Dad said to put the time in and if you can't figure it out, keep working," said Ozanne. "If you're successful or not, it's your fault."

Ozanne won't stand for excuses today, considering that his pioneering father's success came during a time of state-sponsored segregation. Leroy, now 95, is busy texting his grandchildren while Dominic's son, Dominic II, is being prepared for a leadership role at the firm.

Now past retirement age, Dominic Ozanne continues to manage construction projects involving hundreds of people from diverse backgrounds. He expects the next generation of company leaders to carry the same values that built Ozanne Construction to its current heights.

"We've got a lot of talented young guys here," Ozanne said. "I need to get out of the way and let them thrive. They're the future of the company. I'm just trying to make sure I don't screw things up."