Paul Matt, chairman of MATT Construction, a general contracting firm in Newport Beach, Calif., he cofounded in 1991, died peacefully on June 30 at the age of 85. He had been battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Under his leadership, MATT Construction has been involved in the building of numerous projects that have become recognizable landmarks in and around Los Angeles. These include The Petersen Automotive Museum, the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands, the Skirball Cultural Center, and the restorations of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple the Hollywood Bowl.
“All of us at MATT take great solace that he lived to see his dream fully realized: building a company of great builders and great people. We will proudly carry on his legacy,” says Steve Matt, Paul Matt’s son and CEO of MATT Construction. Steve Matt is one of three children who survive their father, along with Paul Matt’s second wife Cathy, four brothers, one sister, and 11 grandchildren.
Having earned a structural engineering degree from Oregon Institute of Technology, Matt began his career in construction working as a welder on the Dalles Dam in Oregon. He later became a surveyor for the George A. Fuller Company, and in 1962 was promoted to project superintendent on the construction of the Salk Institute in San Diego, designed by architect Louis Kahn.
Paul Matt at his desk as a project superintendent in the 1960s for George A. Fuller Company. Image: Courtesy MATT Construction.
Prior to launching MATT Construction with his son Steve and brother Alan, Paul Matt was a senior executive and board member with the general contracting firm C.L. Peck.
Matt lived to see his company expand to 250 employees and more than $500 million in annual revenue. His career encompassed more than 450 buildings.
“Twenty years ago when I began working at MATT, I was trying to understand what my role would be,” recalls Marvin Wheat, MATT Construction’s president. “Paul told me ‘You can contribute to growing the company in any way you like as long as you’re not worried about who gets the credit.’ Paul always showed me how powerful it is to be a selfless team player.”
Paul Matt (left), with brother Alan and son Steve. They cofounded MATT Construction in 1991. Image: MATT Construction.
Related Stories
| Oct 13, 2010
Thought Leader
Sundra L. Ryce, President and CEO of SLR Contracting & Service Company, Buffalo, N.Y., talks about her firm’s success in new construction, renovation, CM, and design-build projects for the Navy, Air Force, and Buffalo Public Schools.
| Oct 13, 2010
Hospital tower gets modern makeover
The Wellmont Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tenn., expanded its D unit, a project that includes a 243,443-sf addition with a 12-room operating suite, a 36-bed intensive care unit, and an enlarged emergency department.
| Oct 13, 2010
Modern office design accentuates skyline views
Intercontinental|Exchange, a Chicago-based financial firm, hired design/engineering firm Epstein to create a modern, new 31st-floor headquarters.
| Oct 13, 2010
Hospital and clinic join for better patient care
Designed by HGA Architects and Engineers, the two-story Owatonna (Minn.) Hospital, owned by Allina Hospitals and Clinics, connects to a newly expanded clinic owned by Mayo Health System to create a single facility for inpatient and outpatient care.
| Oct 13, 2010
Biloxi’s convention center bigger, better after Katrina
The Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi is once again open for business following a renovation and expansion necessitated by Hurricane Katrina.
| Oct 13, 2010
Tower commemorates Lewis & Clark’s historic expedition
The $4.8 million Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower in Hartford, Ill., commemorates explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark at the point where their trek to the Pacific Ocean began—the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
| Oct 13, 2010
Maryland replacement hospital expands care, changes name
The new $120 million Meritus Regional Medical Center in Hagerstown, Md., has 267 beds, 17 operating rooms with high-resolution video screens, a special care level II nursery, and an emergency room with 53 treatment rooms, two trauma rooms, and two cardiac rooms.
| Oct 13, 2010
Campus building gives students a taste of the business world
William R. Hough Hall is the new home of the Warrington College of Business Administration at the University of Florida in Gainesville. The $17.6 million, 70,000-sf building gives students access to the latest technology, including a lab that simulates the stock exchange.
| Oct 13, 2010
Science building supports enrollment increases
The new Kluge-Moses Science Building at Piedmont Virginia Community College, in Charlottesville, is part of a campus update designed and managed by the Lukmire Partnership. The 34,000-sf building is designed to be both a focal point of the college and a recruitment mechanism to get more students enrolling in healthcare programs.
| Oct 13, 2010
Cancer hospital plans fifth treatment center
Construction is set to start in December on the new Cancer Treatment Centers of America’s $55 million hospital in Newnan, Ga. The 225,000-sf facility will have 25 universal inpatient beds, two linear accelerator vaults, an HDR/Brachy therapy vault, and a radiology and imaging unit.
