The Company
After World War II ended, Bill Sr., Erv and Barney Blattner resumed work in central Minnesota and began to bid on Minnesota Highway Department jobs. In 1952, the company was awarded its biggest civilian job to date: a Minnesota State Highway project in St. Peter that kept crews busy for two seasons.
As D.H. Blattner & Sons became relied upon for increasingly complex highway projects, the company evolved to adopt post-war construction technology. The quality and efficiency of work improved tenfold with new and homemade equipment, including hydraulics, tractors fitted with dozer blades and articulated dumping and scraping equipment.
During the 1950s, D.H. Blattner & Sons experienced tremendous change, including the relocation of company headquarters to Albany, Minn. from the family farm in Minden Township.
David Henry Blattner passed away in 1952, knowing his legacy would be successfully carried on by his sons, and very soon, by his grandsons. Bill Sr.'s four boys, along with Erv's son, had spent summers learning to run heavy equipment, fetching tools and understanding the importance of quality and honest work.
To account for the third generation succession, the company reincorporated itself in 1957 as D.H. Blattner & Sons, Inc.
