The Company
D.H. Blattner & Sons' move into dam building set the stage for continued project diversification through the 1970s-1980s. Company management adopted a strategic, entrepreneurial attitude toward endeavors outside of road construction.
In addition to developing expertise with containment facilities, wastewater lagoons and landfill projects, the company’s bridge diversion emerged as one of many successful new ventures. During the 1980s, Blattner built highway bridges across Minnesota and the Dakotas, and it expanded to a dozen states west of the Mississippi River during the 1990s.
In 1985, D.H. Blattner & Sons won a bid for the Lake Avenue Bridge, a complex project on I-35 through downtown Duluth, Minnesota. To complete the job, crews had to completely suspend the live load of the deck—a complex maneuver that competitors thought would end the company's bridge building aspirations. Company managers took the challenge, and their success built upon the D.H. Blattner & Sons' reputation for tackling projects others couldn't.
D.H. Blattner & Sons' corporate culture emphasized entrepreneurialism, innovation, risk-taking and accountability. As a result, D.H. Blattner & Sons' evolved well beyond a Minnesota highway contractor to become a diversified leader in multiple areas of construction.
