Our History: Roger B. Kennedy Construction

Our history, built on a legacy of a family tradition spanning five generations, has been in continuous operation since 1870. Founded by Irish immigrant Roger Kennedy, who first performed bridge and dock building contracts in coastal Connecticut, experience has passed down from generation to generation. Over the years, an unwavering commitment to delivering fine quality construction while adhering to conservative business practices has served the business well.

Perennially ranked among ENR Southeast’s Top 400 Contractors, the Kennedy organization has continued the successful track-record that Plattsburgh, NY-based Roger P. Kennedy General Contractor Construction initiated in the Florida market in 1972 – a quarter-century after its New York incorporation in 1946.

Today, Roger B. Kennedy Construction is proudly ranked among the area’s largest construction companies as well as Central Florida’s largest family-owned business. Our history is a testament to our enduring legacy, combining tradition, expertise, and unwavering commitment to quality in every project we undertake.

Roger Kennedy, who stands probably alone in his class of self-made men of Middletown, is well deserving of the place in the business world accorded to him.

Commemorative Biographical Records of Middlesex County, Connecticut, 1903

The Kennedy Heritage
152 Years and Counting

1870

Roger Kennedy, 1870-1911

Our History: Founder Roger Kennedy, 1870-1911

The Kennedy organization’s deeply-rooted traditions and values can be traced back to Middletown, Connecticut, where namesake and founder Roger Kennedy first performed bridge and dock building contracts from New Haven to New London beginning in 1870.

1870

Roger Kennedy, 1870-1911

1911

Roger B. Kennedy, 1911-1931

Our History: Son of Founder Roger Kennedy, Roger B. Kennedy, 1911-1931

His son, Roger B. Kennedy, worked in the family business before settling in Utica, NY, where he built highways and roads throughout upstate New York.

1911

Roger B. Kennedy, 1911-1931

1931

Roger P. Kennedy, President 1931-1971

Our History: Roger B. Kennedy’s son, Roger P. Kennedy, President 1931-1971

Roger B. Kennedy’s son, Roger P. Kennedy, joined his father’s road business before relocating to Plattsburgh, NY, in 1931, where he later founded Roger P. Kennedy General Contractor, Inc. in 1946. In the following decades, the company became a major force in the public and private sectors, building Plattsburgh Air Force Base as well as major facilities for General Motors Corp. and Dow Jones & Company, among others.

1931

Roger P. Kennedy, President 1931-1971

1971

Roger B. Kennedy, Sr., P.E., President 1971-1999

Our History: Roger P. Kennedy’s son, Roger B. Kennedy, Sr., P.E., 1971-1999

Roger P. Kennedy’s son, Roger B. Kennedy, Sr., P.E., earned an engineering degree from Norwich University before joining the company in 1961 and is credited with modernizing the business into one of the nation’s leading general contractors and construction managers. The company constructed such outstanding projects as the Athlete’s Housing for the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, NY, among others.

1971

Roger B. Kennedy, Sr., P.E., President 1971-1999

1999

Roger B. Kennedy, Jr., President 1999-Present

Our History: Roger B. Kennedy, Jr., President of Roger B. Kennedy Construction since 1999

Roger B. Kennedy, Jr., President of Roger B. Kennedy Construction since 1999, graduated from Colgate University with a degree in Economics. He worked for five years for Boston Development Associates before relocating to work at Kennedy’s Orlando area office. Under his leadership as president, the company is consistently ranked as one of Central Florida’s Largest General Contractors and one of Florida’s Golden 100 – the Top Privately Held Firms according to the Orlando Business Journal, and recognized as one of the ENR Southeast Top Contractors.

1999

Roger B. Kennedy, Jr., President 1999-Present


Awards & Recognition

  • Florida General Construction Management
  • Florida General Construction Management
  • Florida General Construction Management
  • Florida General Construction Management
  • Florida General Construction Management
  • Florida General Construction Management
  • Florida General Construction Management
  • Florida General Construction Management
  • Florida General Construction Management
  • Florida General Construction Management

Testimonials

Our construction spending regularly surpasses $200 million annually, and we have worked with hundreds of contractors over the past several decades. Roger B. Kennedy is by far the best contractor we have ever worked with. During the process, they also helped resolve several design, engineering, & permitting issues as the project's scope of work grew and changed. Most importantly, they were able to work on the property of a very active resort without interfering with our guests' vacation experience. If you are looking for the best General Contractor, look no further than Roger B. Kennedy Construction. If you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Mark Waltrip
Chief Operating Officer
Westgate Resorts, Ltd.

Our company has several new multi-family communities in the permit/design phase. While we receive bids and inquiries from other general contracts (some of whom we have worked with both here in Florida and in other southeast states), we remain committed to Roger Kennedy and his staff and look forward to many more years of a successful development partnership.

Jonathan L. Wolf
Wendover Housing Partners

It has been my pleasure to work with Roger and his team at Roger B. Kennedy, Inc. for the last 13 years. A longstanding relationship has been based on mutual trust and respect along with their commitment to provide Silver Lake Resorts with a high-quality product, completed on time and under budget. We look forward to many more years of a successful partnership with the Kennedy Organization.

William H. Lane
Vice President of Engineering and Construction
Silver Lake Resorts

This letter is written to offer my wholehearted endorsement of Roger B. Kennedy Construction. I am pleased to be able to recommend them to anyone needing a reliable and talented contracting group to successfully complete their project. I look forward to many more successful projects with Roger B. Kennedy Construction and do not hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a top-flight General Contractor.

Chuck (Charles) Whittall
Unicorp Companies

I have known Roger Kennedy and his family for over 40 years. RBK has approached the job from the beginning with a "can do" attitude. They have been very helpful in resolving complex issues and in dealing with unexpected design and engineering issues that have arisen along the way. They have been part of the solution as opposed to part of the problem. Their approach to the project from the beginning has been very transparent and cooperative. They have helped us bring the project in at a very competitive cost with our tight budget. In addition, they have the respect of the subcontractor community. I would highly recommend RBK for any multifamily project in their market area.

Salvador F. LeCesse
President
LeCesse Development Corporation

This letter is written to offer my wholehearted endorsement of Roger B. Kennedy Construction as a prime General Contractor, Construction Manager and Pre-Construction Service Specialist, or a general advisor for any construction project you may be anticipating. The vast knowledge, dedication, and honesty offered by the Kennedy Team place them among the top contractors in Central Florida with whom I wish to work, and I am pleased to be able to recommend them to anyone needing a reliable and talented contracting group to successfully complete their project.

Jason Graham
Courtelis Company

It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Mr. Roger B. Kennedy, Jr. I can say unequivocally in my over 38 years of professional experience I have never encountered as professional, honest, and capable a General Contractor. Roger has the unique ability to not only understand the overall project scope, but knows that it is the small component parts and a tenacious attention to detail that brings a project to successful conclusion. This ability, and excellent management skills to bring projects to fruition on time and within budget, is a testament to the honesty and professionalism of his General Contracting skills.

Leonard Feinberg
Architect
Leonard Feinberg Architect

For the past four years, we have been privileged to team with the Roger Kennedy organization in a design-build relationship for over $50 million in military family housing at Patrick Air Force Base. Their performance throughout that period represented the highest that could be expected in partnering. From the very beginning, the forces at Roger Kennedy Construction accepted the challenge in all its aspects and moved forward with the true spirit that partnering requires. The projects were very well managed.

Lyle P. Fugleberg
President
Fugleberg Koch Architects, Inc.