ODC Construction: Insisting on Excellence

ODC Construction (ODC) was founded in 2002 and swiftly established itself as a residential market leader in concrete foundations and block masonry. New ownership and management took over the Florida-based company in June 2011 to expand ODC’s offerings to include the total shell construction package – including framing – and launched a commercial and municipal division. The company also launched a program tailored to custom homebuilders.

ODC has reconstructed the company’s foundations by improving operational efficiencies and insisting upon excellence in construction quality and service on every project. The key to ODC’s success is the company’s ability to leverage the experience of its team in order to deliver great value at competitive pricing.

ODC is based out of Orlando’s College Park, and the team works with both commercial and residential customers across central Florida. The company’s staff includes general contractors, construction management professionals, engineers and hundreds of skilled laborers. Despite historic lows in the industry – or because of them – the company’s new ownership is investing heavily in improving and expanding ODC.

“We’ve been contrarians in this market,” admits Isaac Lidsky, president and CEO of ODC. “Our strategy has been to invest in offering great value to our customers and to grow with their success as the industry rebounds.” Lidsky’s strategy has enabled ODC to find significant growth throughout the economic downturn.

Building with Balance

Lidsky and a college roommate, Zac Merriman, purchased ODC in 2011 with the intention of growing an already strong company by honing its operational efficiencies and capitalizing upon the talents of its team.

One of Lidsky and Merriman’s first major moves was to launch a full-scale commercial and municipal division with the help of a longtime industry veteran and employee, Mike Fritz. Fritz took hold of ODC’s commercial division in 2011, bringing over 40 years of experience in commercial construction to the company. Fritz has successfully managed a wide array of projects throughout his career, running the gamut from clean rooms to places of worship. Fritz previously served as vice president of one of the country’s largest publicly traded construction companies and helped to launch an aggressive growth strategy.

ODC also tapped Tony Hartsgrove to expand the company’s thriving residential division. Hartsgrove spent 13 years as a homebuilder in central Florida, helping to build thousands of homes for small custom homebuilders and large residential developers alike. Hartsgrove’s insights into ODC’s customers’ needs have helped the company to refine its offerings.

ODC is a company that prides itself on its team. Hartsgrove boasts a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Central Florida and licenses for general contracting and real-estate brokering. Fritz is also a licensed general contractor, and has a degree in architecture – with a minor in architectural engineering – from Pennsylvania State University. Beyond the academic credentials and professional experience, Fritz and Hartsgrove are both well-respected and admired in Florida’s industry.

At ODC’s helm, Lidsky is an honors graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. A self-styled recovering attorney, Lidsky litigated appeals in federal courts for the U.S. Department of Justice and served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

And Lidsky is not new to business. He holds a degree in mathematics and computer science from Harvard, and also founded a still-thriving Internet start-up company in 1999. Lidsky also founded Hope for Vision, a nonprofit organization that has raised millions to fund research into blinding diseases, in 2005. Lidsky, himself, is blind, and is the only blind law clerk in the Supreme Court’s history. Before losing his vision he was a child actor, an experience that culminated in his being a series regular on NBC’s sitcom “Saved By the Bell: The New Class,” where he played the role of Weasel.

“Depending on how you slice it, this is my fourth or fifth career,” laughs Lidsky. He is quick to add that he has no doubt when it comes to his greatest role, however. Lidsky and wife Dorothy are the proud parents of 21-month-old triplets – referred to as the “Tripskys” – Lily Louise, Phineas and Thaddeus.

Made for Success

Due to the company’s experienced and knowledgeable team, ODC has seen great success. ODC goes above and beyond, adding value engineering and sophisticated construction management to quality construction and service to every project, allowing the company’s residential customer roster to grow weekly.

The ODC team has worked on projects ranging from gas stations and convenience stores to bank branches, from warehouses to sidewalks and community walls. ODC’s private commercial customers include C.T. Earle, Hardin Construction, Hawkins Construction, Schmid, Honors Contracting and M.D. Estrin Construction.

On the municipal side, ODC has completed several projects for Orange County and the Florida Department of Transportation, and the team is a contracted provider for Osceola and Volusia school districts.

ODC’s diverse set of management talents enables the company to execute its aggressive growth strategy. And its deep bench of construction professionals can tackle the specific needs of every project and deliver on the company’s promise to build value for the client at a competitive price. Florida’s private sector will be booming in the next few years as $70.4 billion in federal funds floods the state – reported by the U.S. government as part of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act – and the state’s housing market seems to be recovering gradually, if in patches.

As opportunity abounds across the state, ODC Construction will position itself to lend a hand with commercial, municipal and residential projects, leveraging a talented team of professionals and a reputation for quality and reliability.