‘If You Like Golf…’: Rick Ledbetter (1941-2019), STL Industry Icon
Date Posted: July 9, 2019
Posted In: News, People,
by Rich Ledbetter
Special to ConstructForSTL
“If you like golf, you’re gonna love this shot.”
If you heard that line it meant you had the good fortune to spend several hours with Rick Ledbetter, most likely in a charity tournament scramble and most likely on the winning team. Rick Ledbetter passed from the effects of cancer treatment on Friday July 5, in his home at peace. His life and career in the Saint Louis construction industry are worthy of a chapter in “that book” we are all threatening to write.
Rick Ledbetter and his grandchildren.
Ledbetter is survived by his wife Sally and two children – Susan and Rich – and five grandchildren, who knew him as “Po” and who loved their time with him in love and laughter. Rick also shared a special friendship with his daughter in law Julie Ledbetter, with whom he had developed a business friendship before she knew who Rich her future husband was. In a line that can only be written in our Saint Louis construction family, “Julie and her Castle Contracting was the ditchdigger for Ledbetter’s Guarantee Electrical projects at Washington University and AG Edwards projects in the mid ‘90’s.”
Ledbetter spent time with his family business – Ledbetter Electric – in the late 60’s before serving stint in the US Army during the Vietnam War. In what can only be described as “Ledbetter luck” he was stationed in Frankfort Germany throughout his time and enjoyed travelling through Europe as a personnel officer in ’69 and ’70.
When he was discharged and returned to Saint Louis, he worked at Ledbetter Electric as it shut down operations, and then served at Payne Electric for a few years. Ledbetter loved to tell the story of being responsible for bringing Lou Payne to Saint Louis from Detroit for an automotive joint venture work.
Most of Rick’s career was spent at Guarantee Electrical Company, where he bled “GECO green” from 1977 through his retirement in 2010. From project manager, through sales and then as president, Ledbetter’s time is characterized by his relationships with some of the most significant leaders in Saint Louis construction. Bob McCoole, former CEO of Alberici remembered, “Rick Ledbetter had an uncommon ability to engage people in the construction business, whether they were presidents of companies, project managers or estimators. I think he did it better than his peers in business development and I’m sure it benefited GECO. He was a proud man; I’ll miss him.”
Scott Wilson, CEO of S.M. Wilson remembers the, “If you like golf…” signature comment, but Brad Hornburg, CEO of Landmark Construction Management, also recalls that, “If I had a four-foot putt to win his money he’d say, ‘Knock it close.’ I’ll miss my pal.”
Rich and Rick Ledbetter at a St. Louis Cardinals game.
Rick was a lifelong Saint Louis man, who deeply loved his city and his St. Louis Cardinals — none more than Stan the Man and Gibby, who he watched fan 17 in the ’68 series. He was devoted to his family — his wife Sally; his children as father to Susan (Wayne) and Rich (Julie); and to his grandchildren Sydney, Dani, RJ, Henry, and Jane.
First Non-Family President of GECO
Guarantee Electrical grew as one of the nation’s leading electrical contractors and, as the first president of Guarantee who was not a member of the founding Oertli family from 1997-2002, Ledbetter led them to a position of national prominence through their network of joint venture relationships with peer contractors. “It was all about relationships, and so many of those relationships belonged to Rick Ledbetter. People trusted him,” said his son Rich with whom he worked for several years.
Ledbetter’s stories could captivate a crowd and people naturally wanted to be around him, wherever the event was. And if you happened to be in his golf cart, you were sure to come away with a new set of stories, only a few of which are appropriate to retell. And whenever he’d use that line, “If you like golf…” he almost always made the shot.
Services to celebrate his life will be scheduled for late August and published later. In his memory, donations may be made to Siteman Cancer Center and the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital 1001 Highlands Plaza Drive West, Suite 140, St. Louis MO 63110.