LANDAU BUILDING COMPANY

RELATIONSHIPS | REPUTATION | RESULTS

Company Time Line

Since its inception in the late 1890s, Landau Building Company has evolved over five generations to become a premier construction firm in Western Pennsylvania. The company has prospered over the past 100 years because of our commitment to quality and craftsmanship, and we continue to use our wealth of experience to provide our clients with superior products.

• 1858
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• Henrich Landau and his wife Mary arrive in Cincinnati, Ohio, from Prussia. Henry, as he was called in America, was known as a reputable carpenter in the area. Henry and his wife had three daughters and five sons: Ida, Bertha, William, Henry, Jacob, Fred, Albert, and Olga.
• 1879
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• Henry moves the family to Pittsburgh. According to the 1880 census, Henry was listed as a carpenter living on 44 Colwell Street. Henry’s specialty was wooden stairs, and he also built several homes in the Pittsburgh area.
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• 1890
• In the late 1890s, the four brothers were all working in the building industry as carpenters. By the early 1900s, Jacob, Fred, and Albert decided to formalize their work arrangement into Landau Brothers. William continued to work as a carpenter but did not join the company.
• 1912
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• 1918
• Circa 1912
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• The brothers incorporate in the state of Pennsylvania under the name “Landau Brothers Contracting Company” Jacob was the company’s first president.
• 1920
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• The two eldest sons worked in the company at this time, Calvin, who had served in the First World War, and Walter. Jacob Landau had six children, three sons and three daughters.
• 1927
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• The Roosevelt Hotel, located in downtown Pittsburgh, promised luxury accommodations for travelers and was a highly anticipated project; it was also one of the largest projects Landau had worked on up to that point. For decades, the hotel housed important meetings, ranging from government functionaries to hosting the annual meeting of the United States Chess Federation.
• 1930
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• Calvin and Walter took over the business from their father, along with help from their Uncle Fred. Meanwhile, their brother Thomas obtained his Civil Engineering degree from the Carnegie Institute of Technology, now part of Carnegie Mellon University. He was the first Landau to go to college and joined the company after graduation. In the aftermath of the Pittsburgh Flood of 1936, Landau performed a significant amount of work in the downtown area, at one point working for half a dozen downtown banks.
• 1940
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• With the onset of World War II, work increased for Landau as the country expanded its manufacturing base. Additionally, several Landaus served in the conflict. After the war, Landau busily contributed to the postwar boom in the American economy. They built structures such as a manufacturing facility for Denny Brereton and Tin Mill Products Corporation, as well as the Duquesne Brewing Company’s brewery in the South Side of Pittsburgh.
• 1943
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• Calvin Landau was president of the Master Builders’ Association of Western Pennsylvania. As a chapter of the Association of General Contractors of America, the Master Builders’ Association aims to create quality standards for contractors in Western Pennsylvania and to represent the interests of its member businesses. Several other Landaus have served as president of this organization and Landau continues to be affiliated with the group to this day. Calvin’s son, Calvin “Buck” Jr., received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and joined the company shortly thereafter.
• 1950
• Landau continued its efforts to facilitate the economic rise of Western Pennsylvania throughout the 1950s, building structures to accommodate the nation’s newfound affluence. Landau completed construction on the Whitehall Terrace Shopping Center located off Route 51 in 1952. Impressively, the building was three stories high and had 272,000 square feet of shopping space. In 1953 Walter’s son, Roy, received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Carnegie Institute of Technology and joined the company.
• 1965
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• The South Hills Village shopping mall opened in this year, one of the largest projects in Landau’s history. The mall sat on land originally purchased by Walter and Calvin Landau; interest from major retailers including the Joseph Horne Company, Gimbels, and Sears vastly expanded the project. Landau sold the land and built the Horne’s and Gimbels stores in the resulting 1,137,000 square foot complex.
• 1967
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• Thomas Landau is president of the Master Builders’ Association.
• 1968
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• Landau completes work on the Butler County Memorial Hospital, one of the numerous healthcare projects that the company continues to undertake to this day.
• 1970
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• During this decade, Landau continued its work in the retail, community, healthcare, and higher education sectors. Additionally, this time saw significant changes in leadership. Roy Landau had left the company in 1960 to pursue his own venture but returned when Walter Landau fell ill and was forced to retire. Calvin Landau retired shortly thereafter, followed by his uncle, Thomas.
• 1974
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• Roy Landau, who led the company after the departure of Calvin Jr., changes the name from Landau Brothers to Landau Building Company, Inc.
• 1978
• Roy’s son Thomas joins the company after acquiring his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University.
• 1979
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• Landau’s offices move from their location at 125 First Avenue in Pittsburgh to the North Hills. The old office had been continually occupied for 58 years.
• 1980
• Landau prospers during this time, continuing to build its excellent reputation as a contractor.
• 1996
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• Roy retires from day to day operations at Landau, leaving leadership to his sons Thomas, who became president, and Jeffrey.
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• Landau completes work on the Pittsburgh Children’s Zoo, an impressive local landmark.
• 2000
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• Landau continues to win many awards during this time, including the Master Builders’ Association’s Building Excellence Award, while continuing to produce quality healthcare, commercial, community, and higher education facilities.
• 2003
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• Landau completes work on the Regional Learning Alliance, one of several LEED certified buildings the company has constructed and an attractive example of how the company can combine sustainability with aesthetics.
• 2006
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• Landau partners with the well-established West-Virginian company Marks Construction to create Marks-Landau Construction, a wholly owned subsidiary of Landau based in Bridgeport, WV.
• 2010
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• Following in the footsteps of his great uncles Thomas and Calvin, Thomas Landau becomes president of the Master Builders’ Association. During his tenure, the organization celebrates its 125th anniversary.
• 2013
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• Jeffrey Landau becomes president, while Thomas continues to be a part of company affairs as CEO. Much like his ancestor Henry, Jeffrey began his career as a carpenter and worked his way from the field to the presidency.
• 2024
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• Today, Landau is a leading construction management and general contracting firm in Western Pennsylvania, drawing on our rich history to bring the highest quality products to our clients. We hope to continue this tradition of craftsmanship far into the future.