The Vecellio Family
The Vecellio family’s story begins at the turn of the 20th century when Enrico Vecellio came to West Virginia as a masonry contractor, then expanded to grading and building roads. From this early start grew one of America’s premier contracting, mining and engineering businesses, operating throughout the mid-Atlantic, southeastern U.S. and beyond.
In 1938, Enrico’s son, Leo, Sr., founded Vecellio & Grogan, with his father and brother-in-law. During World War II, Leo led the construction of roads and runways for Allied Forces overseas. Back home, Vecellio & Grogan became ranked as a top transportation construction firm.
Leo Vecellio, Jr., grew up in the family business and extended its reach in the southeastern United States through a series of acquisitions, start-ups, and expansions. He also diversified into aggregate production and energy services. The West Palm Beach, Florida-based corporation includes: The Vecellio Group, Vecellio & Grogan, Ranger Construction Industries, Sharpe Bros., White Rock Quarries, Vecenergy, and Hal Jones Contractor.
Leo, Jr., and wife, Kathryn brought their sons, Christopher and Michael, into the business in 2002; becoming the fourth generation of family leaders.
The family’s Foundation since 1973 has provided nearly 400 four-year scholarships to graduating high school seniors, totaling $3.2 million dollars. It has provided major financial support to local and national charitable groups. The Vecellios also endowed the Vecellio Professorship in Construction & Engineering Management at Virginia Tech.
