The RO Legacy

Since 1969, RO's three generations of family ownership have carried forward the mission that started it all, building exclusively in Texas with the same long-term commitment that built our name.

1969

Inception

Steve Rogers, a mechanical engineer from Texas Tech University, was working in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the Stran-Steel Corporation, makers of metal buildings. Pat O’Brien, a civil engineer from Texas A&M University, was working in Texas for Texaco, supervising the construction of service stations. Steve said, “We saw what was being built and decided we could do it every bit as good as that and probably better.” And so our story began.

1969

The Start

Soon after childhood friends Steve Rogers and Pat O'Brien started Rogers-O'Brien Construction Company, they were awarded their first project with a contract value of $11,000. The single-stall truck wash station was completed in four months.

1970

Partnership

Rogers-O'Brien, a pioneer in the design-build method of construction, leverages its in-house engineers and architects and forms a successful partnership with Stran-Steel Corporation.

1971

Dealer of the Year

Rogers-O’Brien wins Stran-Steel Dealer of the Year for the Howell Furniture project in McKinney, Texas.

1973

Home For 30 Years

11145 Morrison Lane location opens, becoming RO's home-base for the next 30 years.

1973

Million Mark

RO reaches successful million-dollar project mark with buildings for Marazzi Tile, Gardner Denver and Theron Industries Mirazzi tile project.

1980 – 1989

Building Momentum

As the 1980s dawned, Rogers-O’Brien was hitting its stride. Revenues were growing incrementally every year, as were profits. The company’s project portfolio was diversifying, but individual project size remained relatively small. Despite this, RO continued making investments in technology and people.

1980

First Computer

RO invests in its first computer, a Nixdorf Posting Machine.

1982

Expansion To Fort Worth Market

RO opens its third office in Fort Worth, Texas

1985

Game Changer

Partnering with Texas Instruments, Rogers-O'Brien adopts Total Quality Management, a discipline that still shapes RO Core Training today.

1990 - 1999

Change And Expansion

The Texas Instruments partnership leaves a lasting mark, making Rogers-O'Brien a better builder and sharpening the people behind the work. As Steve Rogers departs to pursue new ventures, Pat's son Preston McAfee returns as Executive Vice President. His return sustains RO's marketing momentum and opens the developer market, which remains a cornerstone of the business today

1991

Inaugural Quality Achievement Day

All 103 employees were invited to the first annual RO Quality Achievement Day on May 3, 1991.

1995

25 Years And The Second Generation

Preston McAfee comes to RO to work alongside his step-father, Pat O’Brien, as the company celebrates 25 years in business. Co-founder, Steve Rogers, retires, leaving behind a legacy of excellence.

1996

Leadership In The Industry

Pat O’Brien’s involvement and commitment to ABC, Associated Builders and Contractors, TEXO, and CEF, Construction Education Foundation, exemplifies Pat’s leadership in the construction industry. Pat wins the S.I.R. Award from AGC's Dallas chapter.

1996

Dot Com

RO solidifies its position on the cutting edge of technology with the launch of the first website homepage, created by then Executive Vice President, Mike Orr.

1997

RO Is On The Move

RO ranks in the ENR Top 400 for the first time with a revenue of over $100M.

2000-2009

Strategic Growth

RO reaches the $150 million mark and continues to grow strategically, adding key team members and expanding into the Austin market. Preston becomes CEO and Pat moves to Chairman. They too, became effective partners as Steve and Pat had been. Justin McAfee, Preston's son, joins the family business, and technology becomes a differentiator for the company.

2001

AIA Dallas Contractor Of The Year

Annually, AIA celebrates architecture to recognize local, state, and national honor award recipients from related industries that continue Dallas’ tradition of design excellence.

2001

The Move To Regal Row

Rogers-O'Brien moves to a new home on Regal Row.

2003

Towering Over

The first RO tower crane is erected on the Young Street Project in Dallas.

2005

Expanding To Austin

Rogers-O’Brien expands to Austin with Construction Partners, a successor company of Faulkner Construction.

2009

A New Chapter, Built in 3D

Third-generation leadership, Justin McAfee joins RO at an exciting and innovative time – a virtual design and construction (VDC) department is forged. 1400 Hi Line and Methodist Hospital for Surgery are RO’s first technology projects.

2010 - 2019

Things Come Together

Rogers-O’Brien becomes a national technology leader, analyzing every task performed in the field to identify what technology can add value for our clients and our teams. RO gains additional momentum from major investments in our people and their development, in strategic thinking about markets, in strengthening the culture, and in further geographic expansion.

2011

Paper-Free In The Field

RO transitions from paper drawings to iPads in the field, saving over 50,000 hours per year and $500,000+ by identifying and resolving issues proactively through all phases of construction.

2012

Eye In The Sky

RO acquires its first drone to better capture construction progress.

2014

Houston, We Have Liftoff

Rogers-O'Brien opens its Houston office, planting roots on the Gulf Coast and extending the RO way of building across Texas.

2017

Planting Roots in San Antonio

RO opens its San Antonio office, marking a major step in the company's growth across Texas. The new market quickly proves its value, anchored by the largest data center project in company history. With annual revenue approaching $700M, RO is firmly positioned to build in new communities and serve clients statewide.

2019

Third Generation

Preston McAfee transitions to the Rogers-O’Brien Chairman and Justin McAfee steps into the role of President and CEO, continuing the family legacy as the third generation of leadership for the firm

2020 - 2030

Defining What's Next

Rogers-O'Brien enters a new era defined by resilience, expansion, and innovation. Under Justin McAfee's leadership, RO grows to more than 750 team members across five Texas regions, surpasses $2 billion in annual revenue, and emerges as one of the nation's most active builders in mission critical, healthcare, and advanced industries. Anchored in refined core values, Protect Life and Well-Being, Stronger Together, Own the Outcome, and Find a Better Way, RO charts its 2030 Vision: Building Predictable Outcomes. Predictability isn't just what we deliver, it's how we work. Clear plans. Strong teams. Relentless follow-through. Every time. We build it right from the start, with no surprises. We don't wait for the future, we define it. This is the RO Ride. Together, we build a better Texas.

2020

Built To Endure

As the world faces unprecedented challenges, Rogers-O'Brien proves the strength of its culture and people. RO keeps every jobsite moving safely, supports its team and trade partners through uncertainty, and emerges stronger, reinforcing more than 50 years of resilience and trust.

2021

Powering The Digital Future

RO's Mission Critical practice accelerates rapidly, partnering with the world's leading data center operators across Texas. From Dallas to San Antonio, RO becomes one of the most trusted builders of the infrastructure powering the digital economy.

2022

Five Regions Strong

Rogers-O'Brien opens an office in Waco, expanding our Central Texas footprint and rounding out RO's five-region presence across Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Waco.

2023

Quality Over Quantity

RO launches its Three-Year Strategy: to Build the Strongest Teams by investing in our people, choosing the right projects, and executing with excellence. The strategy refocuses the company on optimization and intentional growth, preparing RO for the next chapter of family-led leadership.

2025

A Better Way

Continuing nearly three decades of technology firsts, RO's in-house Dev Team launches Compass, a secure AI assistant built exclusively for our teams. Connecting live company knowledge, project data, and field expertise, Compass marks RO's leap into the AI era and reinforces our reputation as a national leader in construction technology.

2030 - Beyond

Building Predictable Outcomes

The next chapter, built on the same foundation. The next decade will look different than the last, but the work will not. RO is investing in the people, technology, and processes that make Texas projects more predictable, from preconstruction through closeout. New tools. New regions. The same standard. We are building the company our clients will count on for the next 50 years, the way the last three generations built the company that got us here.

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