West Virginia contractor Andrew Jackson “Jack’’ Whittaker Jr. has never been an ordinary businessman or a typical millionaire.
Whittaker, who received a wonderful present on Christmas Day by having the sole winning ticket for the $314.9- million Powerball jackpot, learned the value of working hard, having good business sense and sharing his success with others at a very early age. In fact, he was only 14 years old when he “unofficially’’ began his construction career in the Mountain State.
“My dad was a manager at the Slab Fork Coal Co. and he took care of the company’s water and sewer needs. I used to go to work with him and I realized right then that West Virginia was a good market for water and sewer projects,’’ he said. “When I was 16 years old, I began bidding on jobs and actually doing the water and sewer contracting work.’’
Winning the Powerball has not changed the way 55-year-old Whittaker conducts his business or personal life since he already was considered a very wealthy man before hitting the recent jackpot. Family members, friends and business associates know that it’s not unusual for Whittaker to be answering the telephone and conducting business while the rest of Corporate America still slumbers.
After learning about their good fortune, Whittaker, his wife Jewell and their daughter, Ginger, were busy answering questions from reporters and appearing on television shows. However, Whittaker was anxious to get back to work and eager to put the money to good use.
In addition to bestowing some of the money upon his church and family members, he also set the wheels in motion to expand his three West Virginia businesses. He currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Diversified Enterprise Inc., a Hurricane-based company he started in 2000; Whittaker Equipment Inc., a 20-year-old company in Scott Depot that sells and leases construction equipment; and Whittaker Materials & Electric Co. in Shady Springs.
“Diversified Enterprise Inc. does public works, federal and state projects, specializing in water and sewer plants and systems,’’ he said. “Whittaker Equipment used to do the water and sewer work, but now this company owns and leases the equipment. I just started Whittaker Materials & Electric about a month and a half ago to do electrical work for Diversified Enterprise.’’
Whittaker, a West Virginia native, employs 117 people at Diversified, six at the equipment business and seven at his newest company. He started the new year by assuming responsibility for two $3-million jobs that could not be completed by former contractors who were having financial difficulties.
He proudly emphasizes that he only does work in his native state noting that his two most recent contracts are for jobs in Philippi and Worthington.
“I’ve worked in other states, but this is where the market is now. West Virginia receives a lot of federal funding for water and sewer projects, and I would never consider moving from the state. All of our work right now is water and sewer related,’’ he added. “We go into communities that have no water or sewer service and we build the plants, install the pipes and do all of the necessary work. The most rewarding part of my job is getting safe drinking water to families who otherwise would have to keep hauling it in the back of their pickup trucks. Our companies are helping to improve their lives.’’
Whittaker’s next goal for 2003 is to expand into the road construction business, a move he believes could prompt him to hire several hundred more employees at Diversified. He is currently working with the West Virginia Department of Transportation to receive final approval to proceed with the necessary steps before he can start bidding on projects.
He estimates that making inroads into the DOT work would add an extra $30-million worth of projects to his roster each year. Until then, Whittaker and his employees have plenty to keep them busy.
“During the last 10 years, we’ve worked in about 250 communities in West Virginia and we’re currently working in 38 locations throughout the state. Our No. 1 priority is providing service to the people who need it.’’
Some of Whittaker’s competitors have not been able to withstand the economic turmoil of the past year and a half, resorting to bankruptcy and plant closings. Whittaker credits his success, in part, to the fact that he loves his job and believes in being a hands-on company president.
He tries to visit all of his work sites on a regular basis, and is currently exploring the possibility of purchasing a helicopter to make what seems like a very hectic job a little bit easier. For those who say Whittaker may work too hard, he quickly responds that he would pay someone else just to let him do what he does every day.
