About Us

In 1972, William L. Winkel founded the company that began as an outgrowth of a family
homebuilding business. In 1973 an opportunity to expand into retail store building
created a new direction for the business. The Company ceased home building in 1976
and incorporated in 1981.

In the 1970’s many retail store-building companies expanded into providing nationwide
service. Management made the decision to concentrate its activities in the
southeast. Today’s marketplace has recognized the value of using regionalized
contractors. Greater familiarity with a smaller service area and more repeat business
with subcontractors produces better service and value to our clients.

In the 1980’s in addition to our primary type of projects, new and renovated stores in
regional shopping centers, we started building freestanding single user stores and multiuser
buildings. The Company also began doing complete exterior renovations to
smaller strip centers. The relationships management nourished with our clients began
driving the expansion of our company.

In 2010 William L. Winkel decided to turn over the daily operations to his son, Richard
W. Winkel C.E.O. Richard has been an integral member of Winkel Construction, Inc.
since obtaining a degree in Architectural and Construction Design in 1990. William and
Richard have worked side by side managing the business for many years. William L.
Winkel remains a very valuable member of Winkel Construction, Inc. as an advisor and
officer of the corporation.

Over the years, management expanded our traditional “home market area” from an area
within a 500-mile radius of Central Florida, we are now licensed throughout the
southeast. The Company has routinely maintained licensing in Tennessee, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Since 2013, we
grew our service area by obtaining licenses in Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas and
Kentucky.

Winkel Construction, Inc. continues building retail stores in regional malls and strip
centers as our major emphasis. However, management is also placing emphasis on
building medical, churches, as well as freestanding facilities and exterior renovations for
strip or plaza type centers. The Company’s growth is being driven by our clients’
confidence in our performance and our ability to remain competitive in today’s market.

Father-and-son construction duo Rick and Bill Winkel work side by side at Winkel Construction in Inverness. The elder Winkel is the owner of the company and his son is the chief operating officer.

Father’s Day could be just another day to some, but for fathers and sons working side by side, the creators and the successors of a company, Father’s Day marks a day of recognizing not just a man who introduced you into this world, but a man who introduced you to a career.

Starting at the bottom of the ranks of Winkel Construction Inc. in Inverness, Rick Winkel learned about the importance of expanding in the business. But it wouldn’t have been possible without working beside his father and president of Winkel Construction, Bill Winkel.

“I treated him the same as everybody else, teaching him life lessons along the way,” Bill said about employing his son Rick.

With pressures constantly hanging overhead, not everything started as planned for the pair, especially dealing with the emotional aspect of business.

“Everything comes down to family,” Rick said about his business relations with his father, “but he’s still my father and I love him.”

The experiences of working together eventually strengthened the bond they share.

“It became easier with time,” Bill Winkel said. “We matured as people and became more tolerable with each other.”

Currently, the chief operating officer of Winkel Construction, Rick Winkel owes many lessons in business ethics to his father.

“I’ve learned more about flexibility and the dynamics of the business working together,” Rick said.

Since working with his son, Bill has noticed his proven ability to develop technical and business skills, giving both of them the fulfillment of succeeding in a valuable business venture.

“Rick has learned to deal directly with people while having the service integrity of an owner,” the father said.

For Bill, there’s nothing better than watching his son grow as both a businessman and family man.

“I’m a proud dad,” Bill Winkel said. “As a father, it’s rewarding to see Rick enjoy his family without having to work all the time.”

The Winkel family will celebrate Father’s Day as a day to learn from the past and plan for the future.

Rick’s hope is to echo the same enduring relationship that he shares with his father and apply that to his own children.

“Father’ Day is a day to reflect on where you’ve been as a father and son, and where you hope to be as a dad yourself,” Rick said.