History
How We Got Here
Present-day Donley's was founded as Ernest F. Donley's Sons Inc. when Ernest's sons borrowed $25,000 from their Dad to purchase the construction business from Donley Bros. Co. in 1941.
In 1969, the company shortened its name to Donley's under the leadership of Terry K. Donley who had officially begun working at the business as an estimator in 1952. Terry was able to broaden Donley's services in the concrete market and during the 1980's expanded their offerings into general contracting and construction management.
In 1996, Mac Donley took the reins to become the fourth generation to lead the family business. But it's not just the Donley family that spans generations; there are employee families in their third and fourth generations as well who are proud of their contributions.
In 2020, Mike Dilley became President and is the first person to hold this position outside the Donley family. Mac Donley continues as Chief Executive Officer.
Over the last 20 years, we have expanded first into Virginia, then Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and now Florida.
EXPLORE THE TIMELINE
1941 - 1961
1941
Don and Phillip Donley borrowed $25,000 from their dad to purchase the Construction Department from Donley Brothers. Ernest F. Donley's Sons, Inc. is established on February 14, 1941 as concrete form work contractors. At the time, they were the only local supplier of metal pan forms.
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World War II
Starting just after Donley's was incorporated, the emphasis shifts from construction to industrial mill supplies, including saw sales & sharpening.
1943
Equipment Division is formed.
194O's
When Terry Donley was a child, his father Philip F. Donley would take the future president of the company to work on Saturdays and give him odd jobs—sweeping floors, washing windows, etc. He went from sweeping floors to sharpening tools when he was 13 or 14 years old.
1945-1960's
Formwork subcontracting business grew from pans and open centering to all formwork for concrete, including footings. Donley’s was the first in N.E. Ohio to use ganged forms, tower cranes, and concrete pumps.
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1950's
Donley’s business offerings included:
- Formwork Contractors
- Lathing Contractors
- Light General Construction Equipment Distributors
- Industrial Mill Supplies (varied lines)
- Circular Saw Sales, Sharpening & Repair
- Automotive Tool Distribution
1952
Terry graduates from Miami University and becomes an estimator.
1954
Interiors Division is formed. This section of the business started an expansion program in 1955 and Donley's became acoustical ceiling applicators, terminated lathing for plaster by 1959 and started as drywall contractors. This business expanded from acoustical ceiling contractors to drywall and later to movable partitions.
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1962 - 1981
Mid 1960's
The 30-story Winton Place was a project with many firsts.
The tallest apartment building—at 264 feet—between New York and Chicago at the time, Winton Place was the first high-rise apartment building on Lakewood’s Gold Coast.
It was the first project to be completed with a ceremonial “sky-closing”—a pail of Donley’s concrete was flown by helicopter to the building’s heliport where Co-owners Fred Parr Cox and George N. Seltzer fashioned the concrete into a 1-foot square using gold trowels.
It also was the first major project where Donley’s did the concrete along with the formwork—a major turning point in the company’s history.
Donley's purchased J. H. Libby Company, broadening Donley’s capabilities in concrete placing and finishing.
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Mid-1960's
Donley’s moves to present location at 5430 Warner Road.
(Image 1) Phillip, Donald, Ernest & William Donley
(Image 2) Marketing Brochure
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1966
Terry Donley takes over leadership of company from Don Donley.
1968
The company name changes from Ernest F. Donley’s Sons to Donley’s
Late 1960's
First slip form concrete core project, tower crane, and concrete pump in Cleveland.
(Image 1) Pier W Restaurant (1965)
(Image 2) Cuyahoga County Community College (1969)
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1970's
Equipment and other divisions are sold in order to allow entry into GC market, including Interiors Division. Growth was consistent up to the mid-1970's, when competition became very keen and branch locations became predominant. This period found too many companies competing for business in the Northeast Ohio market place.
1973
1st Design/Build concrete project, Richfield Coliseum.
Expansion to Central Ohio with establishment of Columbus office. This office was closed in the early 1980’s.
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1974
1st concrete restoration project, Cleveland Clinic Employee Parking Garage.
(Image 1) Terry With Staff
(Image 2) Terry and Donley Brothers
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1982 - 2001
Mid 1960's
1st General Contracting cultural project, Western Reserve Library.
(Image) Western Reserve Library Groundbreaking (1983)
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1980's
1st Design/Build construction project – LTV Steel Welfare Building.
1989
Mac Donley and Don Dreier named Vice Presidents.
1990
New Marketing Slogan...
“General Contractors with a Concrete Reputation”
1995
1st Construction Management project, Timken Mercy Ambulatory Care Center
1996
Willard Park Garage Construction
(Image 1) Willard Park Garage Construction
(Image 2) Willard Park Garage
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1996
Mac Donley named President.
(Image) Mac Donley, Terry Donley, Don Dreier
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1997
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Garage.
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2000
1st Construction Management higher education project, Lake Erie College.
2001
Construction begins on Louisville Design/Build Parking Deck. This marks Donley's initial expansion outside the state of Ohio.
(Image) Louisville Parking Deck
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2002 - 2015
2002
Donley’s expands into Mid-Atlantic region and opens office in Richmond, Virginia.
1st higher education project is completed in Virginia, University of Virginia Emmet Street Parking Deck
(Image) University of Virginia Emmet Street Parking Deck
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2009
Donley’s acquires Blair Concrete in Raleigh, North Carolina, extending its geographic range of concrete services.
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2010
Mike Dilley becomes an owner of Donley’s.
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2012
Completes Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Cleveland, selected as one of the World’s Coolest Buildings.
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2013
Donley’s opens a second Southeast regional office in South Carolina.
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2014
Donley’s launches Safe-D safety program.
- Safety is our culture.
- Our daily goal is to operate incident free.
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2015
Awarded $300 million Cleveland Clinic/CWRU Health Education Campus, its biggest project ever.
(Images) Cleveland Clinic/Case Western Reserve University Health Education Campus
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2016 - TODAY
2016
DCG continues to expand its client base and footprint into 4 states (Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia).
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2020
Donley’s positioned itself for even stronger growth by selling the company’s Construction Management (CM) business to Independence Construction of Independence, Ohio, part of the DiGeronimo Family of Companies. The move will position Donley’s to continue investing in and growing its concrete business across multiple geographies.
Mike Dilley becomes President. Mike becomes the first person to hold the position outside the Donley family. Mac Donley continues as Chief Executive Officer.
2022
Donley’s enters the Florida market with its first project, Naples Beach Club.
Donley’s makes the transition from hard hats to helmets.
2023
Donley’s transitions to an Employee-Owned company.
2024
Mac Donley, with over 45 years of dedication to Donley's, transitions to Chairman, showcasing his lifelong commitment.
Mike Dilley succeeds Mac as CEO, marking the first non-family member to hold the position, a role he previously served as President in 2020.
Steve Hamilton, our COO, steps into the role of President, and Tracy Hawthorne, Director of Finance and Accounting, is appointed Chief Financial Officer.
