Our Centennial Journey
B. G. Danis, Sr. started a construction company in 1916 in Dayton, Ohio, a growing city bursting at the seams with innovation. His philosophy was to bring on board hardworking, creative individuals to build a strong foundation and create lasting relationships with clients.
Having arrived in Dayton five years prior from Pittsfield, Massachusetts as office manager for a nationwide contractor, Danis embraced this innovative spirit wholeheartedly. On one of his first jobs, a 10 million gallon water reservoir for the City of Dayton, he was awarded a patent for concrete forming. Over these early years, the company built projects for the Dayton-Wright airplane company, factories for the early automotive industry, and hospitals throughout the Dayton community. He believed that the success of the company was rooted in its people.
His two sons, Charles and B.G. Jr., joined the company after returning from service in WWII. They presided over years of growth and diversity during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Danis began building roads and highways, entered the solid waste hauling and landfill business, and grew the construction products manufacturing entity whose roots can be traced back to that first patent. As the company grew, the brothers promoted long term, non-family member employees to run their businesses. The B.G. Danis Building Division built its first skyscraper, the Winters Bank Tower (now known as Kettering Tower) which remains Dayton’s tallest building. We helped the University of Dayton greatly expand its campus building the Field House, the Albert Emanuel Library, and UD Arena to name a few. We also continued building churches, hospitals, and schools throughout the area, including Sinclair Community College’s campus.
During the 1970s and 80s, the parent company, then known as Danis Industries, transitioned to the third generation of family leadership. Tom and Dick Danis (sons of B.G. Jr. and Charles respectively) joined the company in the 70s followed by their brothers Peter and John in the 80s. The company expanded into the real estate business and began building water and wastewater treatment plants. The solid waste and manufacturing companies were sold. It was also during this time period that the building division expanded, opening offices in Cincinnati and Columbus. Larger and more complex projects were undertaken such as a five building campus for Mead Data Central, now LexisNexis, and extensive industrial projects for GM and Delco.
The 1990s brought more changes. The company exited the highway sector and healthcare became a major area of focus and expertise for the building company. The biggest change occurred in October of 1997. A group of managers and family members led by myself, acquired Danis Building Construction Company from The Danis Companies.
Danis Building and its affiliates continue to grow in the 21st century. Through acquisitions, we have expanded to Florida and North Carolina. Today, we are one of the nation’s largest healthcare builders, working on 15 to 20 campuses at a time and we continue to grow our healthcare expertise. Two of our largest greenfield projects have been Springfield Regional Medical Center of Mercy Health and Soin Medical Center of Kettering Health. We continue to partner with institutions of higher education, such as University of Dayton, North Carolina State and the University of North Florida among many others, and we help businesses such as Cisco, Cardinal Health, AtriCure and WP Glimcher grow their brands.
As we reflect upon the last 100 years of the company’s history, the company remains as strong as ever rooted in the original philosophies that my grandfather held when he began the firm. Our people are our greatest asset, and as we look to the future, we continue to bring on the best and brightest to build a strong future for the Danis Building Companies for the next 100 years and beyond.
John S. Danis, CEO
