History
Organizational History
In the mid-1970s, William T. Solomon led Austin Industries on a path of diversification and growth by establishing Houston-based Austin Industrial and Dallas-based Austin Commercial. Today, Austin Industries is consistently ranked among the largest construction managers in the United States.
Searching for a competitive advantage that would differentiate his commercial operation from the more experienced contractors at the time, Solomon incorporated a merit shop labor policy that broke the industry mold. Lacking the benefit of union hiring halls and apprenticeship programs, Solomon knew he needed to establish and maintain excellent employee benefits and rock-solid programs for training, safety and employee relations. This successful strategy accelerated Austin Commercial’s penetration of private-sector markets and the development of merit shop construction throughout the Southwest. Eventually, Austin Commercial became one of the largest merit shop contractors in America.
Austin Commercial Today
Today, Austin Commercial is a recognized leader in commercial construction building well known infrastructures such as the American Airlines Center, DFW Airport’s International Terminal D and UT Southwestern’s T. Boone Pickens Biomedical Building and Conference Center. It has been named Contractor of the Year by the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter of the American Subcontractors Association, heralded for its employee-ownership and has received special recognition for its leadership in providing opportunities to women and minorities through purchasing and through the company’s hiring and promotion practices.