About Us
The History of Woodruff & Sons, Inc.
Roy Woodruff established Woodruff & Sons in 1946 with his father William and his brother Louis in Michigan City, IN, having saved enough money while serving our country during WWII to buy his first bulldozer. His father owned a dump truck and they united forces to haul material and clear land. Growing up in a home with 12 children, Roy left school in the 10th grade to make money for the family. His intelligence and innovation transcended his conventional education, and his determination and drive continuously carried him into many different areas and new fields of construction. He had an outstanding career, becoming very well known as an industry leader and mentor, evolving the company from clearing land and digging basements, into demolition, underground utility work, road building and crushing, to name just a few services.
In 1973, he moved his family to open a Florida division of Woodruff & Sons. Today the IN and FL operations are run by Roy’s children, Don, Bruce, and Linda and a 4th generation is actively involved moving into the future. Roy’s legacy carries on throughout Woodruff & Sons.
As a “forward thinking contractor” his vision set this company apart. Roy never hesitated inventing or designing something that would work on his job sites, if he couldn’t buy it then he would build it. Here are just a few examples:
- Roy designed, along with Ted “Smitty” Smith and Leo Barbera of Richmond Manufacturing, a boring machine that split into 2 pieces, providing a lightweight solution for contractors to use on jobsites.
- Roy was issued 3 patents, 2 for inventing apparatuses for forming holes in the earth and setting subterranean structures therein. He called them hole punchers and used them to install wellpoints.
- Roy was also issued a patent for inventing an apparatus for compacting soil, which we call our Deep Compaction Probe.
- Roy worked with Geotechnical Engineers to develop a standard for utilizing crushed concrete as a road base material.
- Roy designed a Hopac compactor to mount on an excavator bucket, and today several companies manufacture compactor buckets.
- Roy along with Jim Heldt designed 2 Guillotine Trucks for breaking concrete, building them from scratch and modifying them as he felt they needed to be.
- Roy designed or modified many buckets, attachments and parts and things through the years to make construction more efficient.
Our Motto
Roy J. Woodruff
Founder 1926 – 2012
Woodruff & Sons, Inc. and the Community
Woodruff & Sons, Inc. is proud of our dedicated commitment to the people that make our company a success. From our clients and subcontractors to our employees and the members of the community, we feel our greatest asset is the relationship we have with others. We know that the best-built construction projects rely on strong relationships, excellent communication, and a desire to do what is right.
A few charities we support year after year
Meals on Wheels is the oldest and largest organization in the United States representing those who provide meal services to people in need. Their mission is to provide visionary leadership and professional training and to develop partnerships that will ensure the provision of quality nutrition services to seniors in need.
Woodruff donated toys and needed supplies to the Safe Children’s Coalition. The Safe Children’s Coalition is a community coalition blending available resources to assist abused and neglected children and their families in reaching permanency in a safe and stable environment.
The Salvation Army
The American Red Cross provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Woodruff’s commitment goes beyond just monetary support, to volunteering with the Red Cross.
Manatee County Fair
The Manatee County Fair is a wholesome community tradition. Packed with an endless variety of things to see, do and eat, the fair truly has something for everyone.
