from staff
Danis Building Construction Company has expanded its reach into the Carolinas with the acquisition of R.N. Rouse & Company, Inc., a privately-owned, 80-year-old commercial construction company.
Headquartered in Goldsboro, N.C., Rouse has 90 employees and an annual revenue of $75 million with additional offices in Wilmington and Cary. The company serves healthcare, industrial, institutional and corporate clients in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
“We welcome Rouse into the Danis family,” said Steve Betz, president of the Danis Jacksonville office. “This acquisition bolsters our presence from Northeastern Florida up into Virginia.”
Danis, which has an office in Jacksonville, most recently finished the renovations of the former Haverty’s Building at the corner of Laura and Duval streets. The building is owned by the Police and Fire Pension Fund and leased to the City.
The acquisition of Rouse appealed to Danis for many reasons — the companies are both family-owned and each has been in the construction business for nearly 100 years.
“We immediately hit it off because of our personalities and similarities, especially the fact that we are both third generation family owned and managed construction companies,” said John Danis, chairman and CEO of Danis Building Construction Co.
Danis also cites Rouse’s dedication to clients as another similarity. “We also both know the key to long-term success in the construction industry is to exceed client expectations, and Rouse has a strong reputation for doing that in the region,” said Danis. “We approach projects and client service in the same way. We are both dedicated to delivering projects on-time and on-budget.”
The acquisition of Rouse and the recent opening of an office in Louisville, Ky. have increased Danis’ reach from Florida to Ohio. Danis now boasts over 400 employees and eight offices. Other offices include Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Louisville, Ky. Danis estimates their annual revenue between $250-300 million.
“Since opening Jacksonville, we’ve been looking to expand again. North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee have been the areas we have focused on regionally,” said Danis. “Finding Rouse has been a perfect fit for us.”
Danis said the details of the acquisition are currently being finalized. The entire Rouse management team and all employees will stay intact. In addition, two current Danis employees, Steve Sefton and Bryan Ardner, have joined the Danis management team to help ease both companies through the transition. Employees have been notified and clients are in the process of being told in one-on-one meetings.