After 127 years, Tulsa-based Manhattan Construction still building the iconic and essential

“I was probably too young to even be there working (legally),” he said. “I just got a feel for it, and then I sort of already knew construction was a great business.”

Today, Rooney is president of Tulsa-based Manhattan Construction Group, one of the largest family-owned construction companies in the U.S.

Manhattan’s impact can be seen in hundreds of iconic buildings, road projects and other works, including NFL stadiums, the Oklahoma Capitol dome, Fiesta Texas theme park, the BOK Center, the Cox Business Convention Center and the current home of Tulsa City Hall.

“One of the things we value is the longevity of the company,” he said. “There’s not a lot of fifth-generation (family-owned) companies in the U.S. left.”

As many people head to area lakes or to family gatherings this Labor Day weekend, they may be traveling on bridges or roads built by Manhattan.

“Construction is a great business to be in, whether you’re swinging a hammer or working in the office,” he said. “Being able to provide jobs to people, … whether it’s salaried or hourly, … that really makes it rewarding.”

Manhattan, which marked 125 years in business in 2021, was founded in Chandler — about 45 miles northeast of downtown Oklahoma City — in 1896, 11 years before Oklahoma became a state.

The company moved its headquarters to Muskogee in 1910, then to Tulsa in 1982.

It currently has about 1,900 employees, including about 800 in Oklahoma, along with several specialty divisions, including road construction and pipelines.

Manhattan’s 2022 annual revenue was $1.48 billion.

The company estimates that in the next year, it will increase its workforce by more than 20%, hiring about 400 new employees, including adding about 190 jobs in Oklahoma.

Of the largest 100 construction companies in the U.S. — some of which are foreign-owned — Rooney said, between 20 and 25 are still family owned.

“We like to tell people when they start with us that we hope they stay with us for their entire career,” he said. “We really value our employees as members of the family.”

“Our guys solve problems every day. In what we do, you can’t just put problems on hold. You have to find a way so things can get done. In fact, one of our mottos is ‘Find a way.’”

That’s not always easy, Rooney said, when it comes to engineering — especially for something like the renovation of an historic building without damaging its integrity, such as the complex expansion of Oklahoma State University’s Gallagher-Iba Arena at the turn of the century.

And also because many on-site construction jobs can be tough.

“The hours aren’t always great, especially when you are working on something and you’re having to do it at night … because it’s too hot during the day,” he said.

“But we do everything that we can to make sure our people are in the best possible position to get it done right.”

Rooney said Manhattan prioritizes safety as one of its core values.

“Our No. 1 goal every day is safety,” he said, adding that the company uses thousands of different types of equipment, ranging from cranes to hand-held tools to drones.

“There are injuries here and there,” he said, “but we’re always doing everything to make sure we have the safest work environment possible at job sites.”

The company has received dozens of industry awards for quality and safety.

Manhattan has earned the Associated Builders and Contractors’ Accredited Quality Contractor designation for 20 consecutive years.

Rooney also said that unlike some other construction companies, Manhattan’s focus is regional.

“If you get hired here in Tulsa, we’re going to make sure you stay in Tulsa,” he said. “We’re not going to move you to some place like … California, like some other companies do.”

Julian Hernandez, 56, is a Manhattan Road & Bridge Co. bridge superintendent who has been with the company 37 years.

He started out as a laborer in 1985 and then became a carpenter, a carpenter lead and now a superintendent.

“This business is hard work,” he said. “As a superintendent, every morning we have a safety meeting first. Then I tell the crews where they are going to go on the site and what they are going to do.

“I deal with people and take phone calls. I make sure we have the tools, people and equipment we need every day. Every day you have to think about what you will do tomorrow,” Hernandez said.

“I like working at Manhattan because the people above me really help me, like the general superintendent, project managers and mechanics. We work together, and it’s really great.

“The construction business is hard work, but I enjoy it, and I’ve learned a lot. It’s like the college of construction, and we get lots of safety training. I tell my team to do the job right and try to do your best. If you are hard-working, people respect you.”

The most challenging part, Hernandez said, is dealing with rules and regulations.

“The most rewarding part of the work is the pay. It feels good.”

Rooney said the company fared relatively well during the COVID-19 pandemic, except for about a six-month period in 2020, “when everything was put on hold.”

Then in 2021, he said, “the faucet got switched on” for a demand in construction projects. “And it went on full blast.”

Rooney said supply chain issues that affected nearly every business when the pandemic began to subside still linger but have improved for Manhattan.

“There are still some issues here and there for specific things, but overall I think it’s getting better,” he said.

Manhattan’s award-winning building portfolio includes sports venues and health care, government, education, laboratory, aviation, transportation, convention, casino and hospitality facilities.

“It’s really rewarding when you see how you can help the community,” he said, not just with iconic entertainment and sports facilities but also with medical facilities, schools and other needs.

Rooney, who earned an engineering degree from the University of Notre Dame, has worked in several different areas of the industry, including field labor, field supervision, project management, preconstruction management and market sector leadership.

He serves on the boards of the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce, the Tulsa Regional Chamber and the Philbrook Museum of Art.

“We’re based here. We love Tulsa. We love Oklahoma, and we love being a part of it.”