OUR STORY
Doster is Founded
In December of 1969, Thomas E. Doster starts Doster Construction Company, Inc. in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. In the beginning, the new company was a one-man show that was sometimes operated out of the trunk of Mr. Doster’s car. In the early days, the family company consisted of three employees with Mr. Doster managing projects and his wife, Sissy, managing payroll, accounting and the back house of the business.
First Project
Carraway Health System
Bill Bowman
In 1975 Future Vice President, Bill Bowman, joins Doster as Estimator and Project Manager. Bill will go on to the lead some of the company’s largest projects including the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Convention Center, Van Antwerp Historic Renovation, and the Trustmark Building. He will retire from Doster in 2015 after 40 years with the company.
Landmark Hotel in Homewood
Doster constructed this landmark hotel property in Birmingham in 1987. The 10-story, 242-suite Embassy Suites Hotel features a large atrium skylight, extensive marble and tile work, and a glass back elevator in an open full-height atrium. This was another key building block that fueled growth in the full-service hospitality sector.
Modern Healthcare Ranking
Doster is ranked as the 9th leading healthcare contractor in the nation by Modern Healthcare. Doster established itself as a leading healthcare contractor working for clients like Carraway Health System, Community Health Systems, Encompass Health, UAB Health System, and Children’s of Alabama and is currently ranked by Modern Healthcare as a Top 20 General Contractor.
ISO 9001 Certified
Doster becomes an ISO 9001 registered company in 2003. We were recognized as one of the few contractors in the United States at the time to achieve the rigorous ISO 9001 registration. The fundamentals of the program led to our modern-day continuous improvement efforts and standard operating procedures.
Ross Bridge Resort & Spa
Doster completes construction on the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa in 2005, the first destination resort built in central Alabama.
Children’s of Alabama
Doster and Children’s of Alabama begin a partnership that will continue to this day.
Trussville High School
Doster completes construction on the 361,000 square foot new Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, Alabama. At $70 million, it was the largest education project built in the state of Alabama during the time of construction and established Doster as one of the top school builders in the country. It was also one of Doster’s first green projects.
Montgomery Hotel & Convention Center
Doster completes its largest project to date, the $175 million RSA Montgomery Hotel & Convention Center in Montgomery, Alabama. The facility accommodates a 395,000 square foot, 4-star hotel that boasts a 14,000 square foot ballroom and 347 rooms.
Velocity in the Gulch
Doster completes construction on Velocity in the Gulch in Nashville, Tennessee. The first infill project of its kind, the project consisted of 264 high-end residential units, 20,900 square feet of retail and an “embedded” parking deck to support both uses. Nashville’s Gulch has been certified as the first green neighborhood in the South and one of only about a dozen in the country.
Compass Bank
Doster and Compass Bank have had a long-standing relationship since the 1980s and have built more than 20 facilities together in Alabama and Florida. The LEED Gold Certified BBVA Compass at The Grove (pictured here) was a new retail bank building that would be used as the prototype basis of design for future branches.
VD+C Department Established
Doster first adopted Building Information Modeling (BIM) in 2011 and established a full-service Virtual Design & Construction Department the same year. Learn more here.
Employee Milestones
In 2013, Doster celebrated three employee’s 40-year Service Anniversaries (the first in the company to reach this milestone). Tim Robertson, General Superintendent, Charlotte McCaslin, Manager of Benefits & HR, and Charlie Hubbard, General Superintendent, have been a constant at Doster throughout the years and their dedication and leadership has touched everyone at the company.
University of Alabama Science and Engineering
Doster delivered the University of Alabama Science and Engineering Phase IV project. The facility provided approximately 205,000 square feet of research and instructional laboratories, research support amenities, faculty offices, graduate student workstations, conference/meeting facilities and collaboration spaces to the UA campus.
First Friday
‘First Friday’ was established in 2013 as a way for our teams to better connect with their colleagues. The first Friday afternoon of each month we get together for fun and fellowship. What started out as a small gathering in our breakroom has grown to a full-out themed event hosted by different departments each month.
Van Antwerp Building
Doster earns a National Excellence in Construction® Award from Associated Builders and Contractors in 2015 for the historic renovation of the Van Antwerp Building in Mobile, Alabama.
The National Memorial for Peace & Justice
The Equal Justice Initiative holds a grand opening of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama on April 26, 2018.
Austin High School
Doster completes construction on a new $50 million high school for Decatur City Schools in 2018.
New Corporate Headquarters
Doster completed a total renovation of our Birmingham headquarters in 2018 to accommodate our growing team (now reaching nearly 250 employees) and create a more open and collaborative working environment for our employees.
South Hillsborough VA
Doster completed construction on the South Hillsborough VA Primary Care Clinic in Riverview, Florida in 2019. The clinic serves more than 10,000 Veterans in the Riverview, Ruskin, Sun City Center, Gibsonton and Apollo Beach areas. The new facility was delivered ahead of schedule and is pursuing LEED Silver certification.
Doster Turns 50
On December 5, 1969, entrepreneur Thomas E. Doster, III started a construction company in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. 50 years later, Doster Construction Company has built over 4,100 projects that span 31 states for some of the nation’s leading companies.