Golden Family
How’s this for a long family lineage: J.F. Shea Co., the parent company of Shea Properties, has been around for 125 years. In the housing industry, the company is best known for its Shea Homes division, which is the largest private homebuilder in the country. But J.F. Shea didn’t enter homebuilding until the 1960s. The company actually got its start in 1880, in plumbing installation for large buildings and sewer construction. The company expanded its operations throughout the years, tackling such monumental projects as the Golden Gate Bridge and Hoover Dam.
Not surprisingly, to be preceded by such a corporate reputation gives Shea Properties an undeniable edge in the marketplace, providing tremendous access to capital, market knowledge, and name recognition. “Drop the name, and 99 out of 100 times people smile and really greet you infectiously just because they are so happy to be dealing with the Sheas,” says Don Gause, a senior vice president at Shea Properties.
Today, the company’s diversified operations include heavy construction with a focus on tunnel construction for major metropolitan subway systems, material production, venture capital, and of course, commercial and residential development.