GULF COAST CONSTRUCTION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Office Manager
- Project Manager
Job Titles:
- Founder and President, Meister and Sons Construction Company
Peter F. Meister, Sr. was born in Bavaria, Germany. He was the second son of a builder. He arrived in Ellis Island, New York in 1875 and settled in Western New York. Using his expertise as a master mason, he lived out the ultimate American dream and started his own business, Meister and Sons Construction Company, with his four sons Peter, Jr., William, Frank and Henry. While President of Meister and Sons Construction he worked on several major projects including laying the historical brick streets of Western New York, and building the Lake City Sales Building and the original Dunkirk High School. He retired in 1907 and appointed his oldest son, Peter Meister, Jr. as President.
Peter F. Meister, Jr. took over Meister and Sons Construction Company after his father and this company founder retired in 1907. Peter, Jr. died just three years after assuming control of the company of leukemia. While President, he oversaw the construction of several important projects including the Lake City Ice House, SS Kresgee Building and the HC Balers Building. After his untimely death, his younger brother William Meister assumed the management position.
Job Titles:
- Vice - President
- President, Coastal Construction Management
- President, Meister Contracting Company
Robert P. Meister, Jr. served as President of Meister Contracting Company for nearly 16 years before relocating the business from just outside of Buffalo, New York to sunny Naples, Florida in 1983. At that point, he changed the name of the company to Gulf Coast Construction. For approximately the next twenty years, Robert took part in the fast paced growth of the Southwest Florida market having built projects such as a Winn Dixie Shopping Center, Eagle Creek Country Club and Condominiums, and Devoe Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Volvo and Infinity to name a few.
In 2001, Robert stepped down as President and named one of his two sons, Thomas J. Meister, President of Gulf Coast Construction of Naples. He currently serves as Vice President and Senior Project Manager for Gulf Coast Construction of Naples and is an independent construction consultant.
Robert P. Meister, Sr. served as President of Meister Contracting Company for more than thirty years. Under his leadership, Robert was responsible for several major projects in the Western New York area including the Welch Foods Plant, Kraft Foods Plant and the expansion of Dunkirk High School, a project his grandfather originally built. Upon his retirement in 1967, one of his eight children, Robert P. Meister, Jr., assumed control of the company.
Robert P. Meister, III, started a new division of the Meister Companies called Coastal Construction Management in 2001. He specializes in residential and commercial construction and his offices are currently co-located with Gulf Coast Construction of Naples.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- President
- President of Gulf Coast Construction of Naples
Since 2001, Thomas J. Meister (T.J.) has been the acting President of Gulf Coast Construction. Prior to becoming President, he worked for the company under the direction of his father, Robert P. Meister, Jr for more than 10 years in several different capacities including Superintendent, Estimator, Project Manager and Carpenter. He has two degrees in Building Sciences and Technology and is a Class A State Certified General contractor. T.J. has managed many visible projects in the Southwest Florida market which can be viewed on the completed projects pages of this site.
Job Titles:
- President, Meister Contracting Company
William J. Meister took over Meister and Sons Construction Company in 1907. That same year, he changed the name of the company to Meister Contracting Company. While president of the newly incorporated company, he built several key projects in Western New York including the Masonic Building, Park Avenue Hotel and the Holy Cross Seminary. In 1933 while finishing the Holy Cross Seminary, William was killed in a construction related accident. Robert P. Meister, Sr. was named President.