BSCI Alumni Build Across Generations

Building a Family Business

Ben Radcliff Sr. founded Ben M. Radcliff Contractor, Inc. in Mobile, Ala., in 1956, eight years after graduating from Auburn—then Alabama Polytechnic Institute—with a dual degree in Civil and Mechanical Engineering and gaining experience from various contractors. Notable early projects include industrial work with Aluminum Ore Company and the reconstruction of Dauphin Island Marina and the Grand Hotel, following Hurricane Frederic in 1979.

In 1995, his son Ben Radcliff Jr., a 1982 graduate of the McWhorter School of Building Science (BSCI), took over as President and CEO, guiding the company for the last three decades. His son, Ben Radcliff III, started working for Radcliff Contractor at the age of 16 as a laborer, graduated from the BSCI program in 2020 and then joined the preconstruction and estimating side of the business.

“The company has grown exponentially over the past 70 years,” said Radcliff Jr. “It will continue to move forward and flourish into a third generation of leadership, under Ben lll.”

Throughout its history, Radcliff Contractor has completed thousands of projects across the manufacturing, maritime, healthcare, institutional, municipal and educational sectors, offering general construction and design-build services to new and returning clients.

The team has worked with Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., since 1967 and reconstructed 120 buildings after the shipyard was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Since then, the company’s work has ranged from the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center to the restoration of Barton Academy, Mobile’s first public school that opened in 1839.

Now boasting 30 team members, Radcliff Contractor has ongoing projects with the University of South Alabama, Linksman Golf Course and Daphne High School.

Building an Educational Future

Following in Radcliff Sr.’s footsteps—and his love for college football—Auburn University was an easy choice for Radcliff Jr. and Radcliff III when they considered the strength of the BSCI program and its ability to set them up for success in the construction industry.

Radcliff Jr. credited his Auburn education for instilling in him the importance of hard work, staying organized and keeping to a schedule.

“My father taught me how to run a construction business but Auburn’s Building Science program provided me a strong foundation of how to communicate the building strategy and product with the client and the architect,” he said.

Radcliff III echoed that sentiment, mentioning that the practice of giving both prepared and impromptu presentations during the BSCI program helped him later with business development.

“The professors at Auburn are dynamic and put you on your toes, which has helped me with talking to customers,” Radcliff III said, also mentioning the teamwork and accountability he learned in the BSCI program.

Taking what they learned at Auburn and paying it forward, the Radcliff family continues  to be involved with the School in various ways, including recruitment through semi-annual career fairs, philanthropy and mentorship.

“Radcliff Contractor has been a consistent provider of internship and job opportunities in South Alabama,” said Richard Burt, BSCI School Head and  McWhorter Endowed Chair.

“Ben Jr. is a valued member of the Construction Industry Fund Administrative Committee that oversees the payments we receive from the state contractors’ licensing fee, and Ben III has been involved in our Industry Advisory Board and serves has a mentor to our students and recent graduates,” Burt said.

Christopher Griffin, CADC Director of Philanthropy, noted that the Radcliffs’ service and contributions have made a consistent, positive impact on the College.

“It is wonderful to see the multigenerational impact the Radcliff family have had at Auburn, and our office deeply values their dedication and direct involvement in the McWhorter School of Building Science,” Griffin said.

Building a Legacy

After Radcliff Sr. died in 2007, the younger Radcliffs continued to uphold the values of the company and the name of its founder, who was inducted in the Alabama AGC Hall of Fame in 2017.

“He would always say that we’re an action-oriented company and that our reputation stands on its own,” Radcliff III said.

But for Radcliff Jr. reputation is a byproduct of creating quality buildings and treating others with respect.

“Your honor and your character are really all that matter,” Radcliff Jr. said. “You shake someone’s hand, and you do what you’re supposed to do.”

“My father would be proud of where I have taken this company, and I look forward to my son continuing the legacy as a third generation of building with integrity and care for our customers.”