Del E. Webb Construction Company

After moving from Fresno to Phoenix in 1928, Del Webb began working for a small contractor who was building a grocery store. The contractor eventually left town without paying Webb or completing the grocery store, so Webb took over the business to complete the job. This became the foundation of his namesake construction company.[5] Among his earliest commissions were grocery store buildings for the Basha family.[6] Webb soon became known as a grocery store builder. However, Webb sought to expand his firm and eagerly sought out public sector jobs during the Great Depression of the 1930s. In 1937 the firm opened a small branch office in Los Angeles to oversee construction of a high school there. With the onset of World War II the firm constructed several airfields throughout Arizona, as well as an internment camp for Americans with Japanese lineage at Poston (Poston War Relocation Center).[7][8][9] In 1943, Webb made trusted employee L. C. Jacobson a 25 percent partner. Jacobson eventually became vice president. In 1946 Webb was contracted by mobster Bugsy Siegel to build the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.[10] From 1947 to 1948 Webb built distribution centers and warehouses throughout the United States for the Kraft Foods Company. In the early 1950s Webb would be contracted to build facilities for Howard Hughes. The Webb firm would go on to build several plants for Hughes.

In 1952 the company founded its first subsidiary, the Del E. Webb Development Company, responsible for the design and construction of housing tracts and shopping centers. In 1953 the development company would begin construction on San Manuel, Arizona a mining town built out of nothing. In 1955 the Webb corporation began constructing hotels for the Flamingo Corporation, which Webb was part owner. The following year Webb constructed the first Hiway House Hotel, which was a company owned jointly by Webb and Flamingo. On March 1, 1958, Webb sold his share of the Flamingo hotels and Flamingo sold its share of Hiway House. Thus Webb became full owner of Hiway House, the hotel chain would be sold off in the early 1960s. As well as housing, during the 1950s, the construction company would build hospitals hotels and other large and small scale projects.[3][4]

Inspired by the construction of Youngtown, Arizona, Del E. Webb began planning the construction of a retirement community for senior citizens in 1959. The development was planned as an age-restricted community of modern ranch-style houses, with facilities such as a shopping center, golf course, motel, and swimming pool.[11] On January 1, 1960, the development company unveiled Sun City, Arizona as the first community designed for senior citizens. More than 100,000 senior citizens were present at the community's unveiling, which marked the first planned retirement community in the United States. Sun City was a success, with the company selling 237 homes within its first three days of opening.[12] It was followed by Sun City, California, the Kern City, Sun City Center, Florida, and similar developments in Nevada, Illinois, and Massachusetts.[13]

In December 1960, the Del E. Webb Construction Company went public on the New York Stock Exchange trading as WBB. The company also became known as the Del E. Webb Corporation at this time. In 1961 the Webb Corporation acquired the Sahara Nevada Corporation and its holdings of the Sahara and Mint hotels in Las Vegas. This made Webb the first publicly held corporation to be involved in Las Vegas gaming. [5] Webb would go on to purchase, build and expand several properties throughout Nevada. In the 1960s Webb would develop a chain of high-end multi-story hotels called the Towne House. During this time the corporation was also deeply involved in the development of Oak Brook, Illinois, Clear Lake City, Texas and Alamaden, California. In the late 1960s the corporation entered a joint venture building infrastructure for several South American countries, this was the firm's first involvement outside the United States. Also at this time the corporation formed an additional subsidiary the Del E. Webb Building Management Company which was responsible for building management, it would eventually become the Del E. Webb Realty and Management Company when the subsidiary expanded to include holding leases on public buildings. In 1971 the corporation acquired Merlin Hotels which had many properties throughout East Asia. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, the corporation continued to construct many large and small scale projects including housing, schools, hospitals, hotels, high rises, convention centers, athletic venues and airports. The company would also continue to keep close ties to Las Vegas and its gaming industry, working on a major expansion of Caesar’s Palace in the mid seventies.[3][4][5][14]

The company was involved in a number of construction projects commissioned by the United States government, including the construction of a rocket engine test stand at Edwards Air Force Base. The company also built military housing on Offutt Air Force Base, Whiteman Air Force Base and Vandenberg Air Force Base. The company's founder Webb was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for Patriotic Civilian Service by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson as recognition for these projects.[5]

In 1987 the decision was made to divest the gaming, hotel and realty management sections of the corporation all of the Webb owned properties were sold off, and the corporation reorganized to focus solely on the concept of master planned communities for senior citizens. New communities opened in Arizona, Nevada, California and Texas. During the 1990s, Marco Rubio began holding speaking engagements at these retirement communities, for which the company tried to reward him by nicknaming a star after him in 1993.[15] In 2001 the corporation was purchased by Pulte Homes. The Del Webb name is used by Pulte as a brand name for its age-restricted communities.[14]