A salute to construction executive Oscar Boldt
It's been a long time since the Boldt. Co. was seen as an out-of-state construction company — for years, most competitors and colleagues considered it an Oklahoma City company that happens to be based in Appleton, Wisconsin.
So let's join them in saluting the grandson of the founder, Oscar C. Boldt, who died Tuesday at 96.
Boldt Co.'s Southern Operations, headquartered here, has been quiet for several years, partly because of nondisclosure agreements, mostly because of work for General Motors in other states, although it is at work now on the $40 million Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine at SW 89 and Interstate 35.
Rother was a Roman Catholic priest from Okarche who was murdered in Guatemala in 1981. He was beatified in 2017.
Before that, Boldt Co. undertook expansion and renovation of Spanish Cove, a continuing care retirement community in Yukon. The company led the rebuilding of Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, destroyed by the May 20, 2013, tornado. Other high-profile projects including public schools, Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark and part of the Bricktown Canal.
Boldt Co. sent equipment and more than 120 employees to recovery after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995.
Boldt Co. went green early. In 2005, it built the first privately owned LEED-certified building in Oklahoma, its own Southern Operations headquarters, at 101 W Hefner Road, on the west side of Broadway Extension. Oscar C. Boldt, then 81, came here for the dedication, of course.
Oscar C. Boldt, whose grandfather Martin founded the company in 1889, was its driving force from the time he over from his ailing father, Oscar J. Boldt, in 1948. He was aB -24 navigator in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in civil engineering.
“My dad was extremely proud of all our field and office employees," said his son, Boldt Co. CEO Tom Boldt. "He loved the company and the positive impact it has had on so many customers and communities. He was excited about what we will be capable of in the future. And, he wanted us to have fun doing it.”
President and COO Dave Kievet said, "Oscar built a business based on honesty, and fairness, hard work, performance and a passionate love for construction. These are principles that guide our team members on a daily basis and are the foundation of our culture.”
Jim Rossmeissl, a senior executive and member of the Boldt Co.'s board of directors, said, "Oscar's energy and charisma were legendary and he inspired us all."
Bob DeKoch, past president and board member, said, "For 50 years, Oscar provided a powerful vision to grow our company and create a culture of excellence for team members who are still working with us today."
In addition to his business involvements, Oscar C. Boldt was a member of the board of directors of Appleton Medical Center, a member of Appleton Rotary Club, a member of the executive committee of Commu nity Foundation for Fox Valley Region Inc., a member of the board of trustees and executive committee of Lawrence University in Appleton, and an elder of Memorial Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), in Appleton.
Rest in peace, Mr. Boldt.