Page 7 - Mercy College_BarrandBarr_7.26.17

1. FIRM DESCRIPTION

WHO WE ARE “Your
legacy
Th e story of Barr & Barr begins in 1906, in the sprawling American West. Th ere,
Joseph R. Barr, an ambitious 20-year-old engineer, is hard at work surveying land is what
for the railroads. Far from his native Rochester, New York, he is honing his eye for you’ve
detail and developing a talent for working big.
built.”
Becoming the consummate builder
- Joseph R. Barr
By 1912, Joseph R. Barr is back in New York, in charge of track work for the New
York Central railroad. Over the next 15 years he will master the complexities of large
projects. Along the way, he conformed to a simple philosophy of looking out for owners’
interests like a true partner. By 1927, he is ready to strike out on his own and founds
Barr & Barr (then Barr and Lane). Owners soon discover that Joseph R. Barr is not
only a consummate builder, but also a trusted adviser and a man of principle. Barr &
Barr quickly establishes itself as a builder of integrity.

A meeting with Rockefeller
In 1932, Joseph R. Barr is invited to meet Nelson Rockefeller Sr., who is interviewing
builders for the massive Rockefeller Center project then under way. Rockefeller sees
a winning mix of quiet confi dence and professional boldness - enough boldness to
take on the largest privately fi nanced construction project in the world. Barr & Barr
is hired to build the Time & Life building and several other Rockefeller Center
buildings, thereby establishing itself as a fi rm that meets the highest of expectations.