Preston Haskell
Encyclopedia
Preston Hampton Haskell, III is founder and chairman of The Haskell Company
, the largest privately held construction company in Florida and a top design/build firm in the United States. He is also a minority owner of the National Football League
Jacksonville Jaguars
.
. His parents were Preston Hampton Haskell, Jr. and Mary Wyatt Rushton. He graduated with the second graduating class in 1956 from Indian Springs School
in Shelby County, Alabama
; attended Princeton University
and earned a Civil engineering
degree with honors in 1960; received an MBA
with distinction from Harvard in 1962 and continued his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in Building Engineering
and Construction
.
and was employed by the S. S. Jacobs Company. Developer James Winston encouraged Haskell to break out on his own and gave the Preston H. Haskell Company their first project in 1965. The company successfully designed and built a $1 million apartment complex at Atlantic Beach
and developed a reputation for quality work on time and within budget.
The company's name was shortened to The Haskell Company in 1978, when a new logo was unveiled and the phrase, “Architects/Engineers/Contractors” was added. Describing the tagline as "significant", Preston Haskell stated:
Throughout his entire career, Haskell used and promoted the integrated Design-Build method of construction, but faced widespread opposition to what was classified as a non-traditional method. He took an active leadership role in the construction industry as the founding chairman of the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). He also served as a director of the Civil Engineering Forum for Innovation (now a subgroup of the American Society of Civil Engineers
).
Haskell met Steve Halverson through their mutual affiliation with DBIA, and was so impressed by him that he hired Halverson in 1999 to be his successor as President and CEO of The Haskell Company. Preston Haskell remained Chairman, but the operation of the firm was turned over to Halverson, who increased revenue by 74% during his first eight years. According to Preston Haskell: "He's doing awfully well. He's a big improvement over his predecessor." The company has expanded their scope to include all of the Western Hemisphere
.
Preston Haskell was honored with the Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 from the DBIA.
and former chairman of the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens
in Jacksonville. He frequently loans items from his personal collection to institutions for display.
His support of education was demonstrated as a former trustee
of Princeton University
, chairman of the Alliance for World Class Education, director and former chairman of the Schultz Center for Teaching & Leadership and former chairman of the Florida Postsecondary Education Commission.
Preston Haskell has taken a leadership role in civic activities, including terms as director of Baptist Medical Center and Baptist Health
, former chairman of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
, former chairman of the Jacksonville Electric Authority
, former chairman of the United Way of Northeast Florida, former chairman of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
and former chairman of the Florida Government Accountability to the People Commission.
in 1992 to start the Haskell International Group, which began with real estate investment and property management but also operates restaurants and manufactures furniture; Haskell Vineyards was created after the 23 hectare (56.8 acre) Dombeya wine farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa
was purchased in 2002.
The Haskell Company
The Haskell Company is Florida's largest privately held construction company and Florida's 52nd largest private company. The Engineering News-Record named Haskell a top GREEN contractor and they rank among the top design/build firms in the US...
, the largest privately held construction company in Florida and a top design/build firm in the United States. He is also a minority owner of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Education
Haskell was born in October, 1938 into a prominent family in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. His parents were Preston Hampton Haskell, Jr. and Mary Wyatt Rushton. He graduated with the second graduating class in 1956 from Indian Springs School
Indian Springs School
Indian Springs School is a private school that includes grades eight through twelve with both boarding and day students. It is at the base of Oak Mountain, in Indian Springs Village, Shelby County, Alabama, United States, near Pelham and just outside Birmingham.-History:Indian Springs School was...
in Shelby County, Alabama
Shelby County, Alabama
Shelby County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama and a part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. It is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky. The county seat of Shelby County is Columbiana. As of 2010 U.S. Census the population was 195,085. Shelby...
; attended Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and earned a Civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
degree with honors in 1960; received an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
with distinction from Harvard in 1962 and continued his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in Building Engineering
Architectural engineering
Architectural engineering, also known as building engineering, is the application of engineering principles and technology to building design and construction...
and Construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
.
Career
When Haskell left MIT, he settled in Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
and was employed by the S. S. Jacobs Company. Developer James Winston encouraged Haskell to break out on his own and gave the Preston H. Haskell Company their first project in 1965. The company successfully designed and built a $1 million apartment complex at Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach, Florida
Atlantic Beach, a city in Duval County, Florida, is the northernmost of the Jacksonville Beaches communities. When the majority of communities in Duval County consolidated with Jacksonville, Florida in 1968, Atlantic Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Baldwin, Florida,...
and developed a reputation for quality work on time and within budget.
The company's name was shortened to The Haskell Company in 1978, when a new logo was unveiled and the phrase, “Architects/Engineers/Contractors” was added. Describing the tagline as "significant", Preston Haskell stated:
“This was the first time the company was identified as an integrated, in-house design-build firm practicing all three disciplines. It coincided with enactment by the Florida Legislature of legislation allowing the practice of architecture by a corporation.”
Throughout his entire career, Haskell used and promoted the integrated Design-Build method of construction, but faced widespread opposition to what was classified as a non-traditional method. He took an active leadership role in the construction industry as the founding chairman of the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). He also served as a director of the Civil Engineering Forum for Innovation (now a subgroup of the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
).
Haskell met Steve Halverson through their mutual affiliation with DBIA, and was so impressed by him that he hired Halverson in 1999 to be his successor as President and CEO of The Haskell Company. Preston Haskell remained Chairman, but the operation of the firm was turned over to Halverson, who increased revenue by 74% during his first eight years. According to Preston Haskell: "He's doing awfully well. He's a big improvement over his predecessor." The company has expanded their scope to include all of the Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
.
Preston Haskell was honored with the Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 from the DBIA.
Service to the community
Haskell is very knowledgeable regarding contemporary art, serving as chairman of the Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary ArtMuseum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville
The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, also known as MOCA Jacksonville, is a contemporary art museum in Jacksonville, Florida, funded and operated as a "cultural resource" of the University of North Florida...
and former chairman of the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens
Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens
The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens is a public museum located in Jacksonville, Florida. The museum focuses on portraying European and American artistic paintings. The museum also has a large collection of Meissen porcelain...
in Jacksonville. He frequently loans items from his personal collection to institutions for display.
His support of education was demonstrated as a former trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, chairman of the Alliance for World Class Education, director and former chairman of the Schultz Center for Teaching & Leadership and former chairman of the Florida Postsecondary Education Commission.
Preston Haskell has taken a leadership role in civic activities, including terms as director of Baptist Medical Center and Baptist Health
Baptist Health
Baptist Health, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a network of five hospitals, affiliated with 34 primary care offices located throughout Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia...
, former chairman of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, former chairman of the Jacksonville Electric Authority
JEA
JEA , located in Jacksonville, Florida, is the eighth largest community-owned electric utility company in the United States and largest in Florida. As of 2009, JEA serves more than 417,000 electric customers, 305,000 water customers and 230,000 sewer customers. Besides Jacksonville , JEA also has...
, former chairman of the United Way of Northeast Florida, former chairman of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Jacksonville, Florida. Widely recognized for its high artistic quality, the JSO ranks among the nation’s top 30 to 40 orchestras in terms of number of performances and population served...
and former chairman of the Florida Government Accountability to the People Commission.
Personal
While in school, Haskell met Joan Elizabeth Smith, whom he later married and with whom he shares three children: Preston IV, Sally and Rushton. Haskell is an avid abstract art collector; he and his family have traveled extensively around the world. His son, Preston Haskell, IV moved to MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 1992 to start the Haskell International Group, which began with real estate investment and property management but also operates restaurants and manufactures furniture; Haskell Vineyards was created after the 23 hectare (56.8 acre) Dombeya wine farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
was purchased in 2002.