L-D celebrates Mark Danielson’s retirement
Mark Danielson, a company leader and fourth-generation owner, retired from Larson-Danielson Construction Company. On Friday, September 30, Mark’s last day, employees past and present gathered to celebrate his retirement.
Food from Northside BBQ and friendship overflowed as colleagues, family and well-wishers gathered to commemorate Mark’s last day as an active employee. During the party, Tim Larson, immediate-past president of Larson-Danielson, shared some of his memories of Mark’s time with the company.
The transition from third generation to fourth generation
“When [Dan Danielson] retired in 1992, we hired a facilitator, Steve McClure, to help us figure out how to manage the company. Steve interviewed employees, including superintendents and foremen, to gather their thoughts about us taking over from our fathers,” he said. “I remember waiting with anticipation to hear from Steve. He came back to us and said there was a lot of apprehension among the employees that the ‘kids’ were taking over. They were concerned for the future of Larson-Danielson.”
According to Tm, “that was kind of a letdown for us. But with also a motivator and we took it to heart not to let them down. We wanted to make sure the company prospered to continue to provide them a place to work. Not only did we, the ‘kids’ make it, but the company has grown exponentially since then. It is in great shape with a bright future for everyone working here. Thanks for being a part of that growth and successful continuation of a 114-year-old company.”
Mark’s imprint on Larson-Danielson
A company leader and fourth-generation owner, Mark is the son of Dan Danielson, a former Larson-Danielson president. He joined the company in 1983, has a business degree from the University of Dayton and is a journeyman carpenter.
Mark retired as the director of field operations and director of safety. From 1993 to 2022, he was responsible for project supervision assignments, safety, labor assignments, equipment assignments, and vehicle assignments. He also managed the supply warehouse and all other related responsibilities in the day-to-day operations of the field.
During his nearly 40-year career with Larson-Danielson, Mark has worked on hundreds of projects and with hundreds of employees. His commitment and dedication to the company and its staff have set a standard of leadership to be admired.
“[Mark has] always shown great compassion and caring for employees, not only for their safety but their overall well-being. He always treated the employees, not as a commodity to accomplish work, but with dignity and respect,” said Tim. “[Mark] understood that we are all part of a larger organization. He set aside his personal ambitions and always tried to do what was best for the company. Those qualities have helped L-D grow and prosper.”
The transition from fourth generation to fifth generation
Mark is the first of the fourth generation of Larson-Danielson leaders to officially retire. As the company transitions to the fifth generation, the impact of the previous generation’s leadership will continue to shape the firm for years to come.
“Mark should be proud of the company, the workforce, and the culture that he helped shape during his career, and that we now trust others to continue for this great organization,” Tim said.
