DONOR PROFILE Larry P. Rayburn, P.E., Goettle that accompany most city construction project solicitations. In 1959, he married his sweetheart, Rose Ann, and started a family one year later. Working for the city, although enjoyable, wasn’t for Rayburn. He enrolled in the night program in the College of Engineering at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and took a position selling reinforcing steel for the Ryerson Steel Company, where they provided him with a company car. Selling steel by day and studying Larry P. Rayburn, P.E., joined Richard Goettle in 1968 and rose through the ranks to ultimately become president and CEO of the firm in 1995. Since his retirement in 2010, he has served as chairman emeritus on the board of directors of the company he so greatly influenced. Rayburn is a charter member, past president and past trustee of DFI, where he met his lifetime friends, John O’Malley, Byrl Williams and Bill Loftus. He was a founder of DFI’s Educational Trust, where he served for many years as a trustee, some of that time as secretary. Rayburn was instru- mental in Richard Goettle’s $250,000 pledge for a DFI Educational Trust scholarship in his name at the University of Cincinnati. In 2002, Rayburn received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Spirit of Construction Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition, he received the DFI Distinguished Service Award (DSA) in 2006. Rayburn was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, and later moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he attended Hugh’s High School. Upon graduation, he began his career as a junior engineer/draftsman for the City of Cincinnati. Many of his original handmade drawings bearing the familiar “LPR” initials are still a part of the city’s standard details engineering at night, Rayburn met and made a strong impression on Dick Goettle. Richard Goettle, Inc. was a “General Contractor” back then, performing all aspects of the project. It was while quoting the reinforcing steel for an upcoming sewage treatment plant project in Cincinnati where the two met. As the story goes, Rayburn visited Goettle to perform a reinforcing steel mater- ials take-off for the project, which he was able to do so incredibly fast that he spent the rest of the time there studying for his engi- neering exams in an empty Goettle office. Dick Goettle took note and, realizing the true potential in Rayburn’s dedication and work ethic, one brief breakfast meeting later Rayburn was on board. Rayburn graduated from UC with a B.S. in civil engineering degree and Dick promoted him to head of engineering and sales. that, Goettle not only bid work as a general contractor but also began actively bidding work as a subcontractor, too. Rayburn was a true salesman. Not Rayburn was instrumental in Richard Goettle’s $250,000 pledge for a DFI Educational Trust scholar- ship in his name at the University of Cincinnati. satisfied to just bid work and hope to be the low bidder, Goettle invested heavily in specialty geotechnical equipment. Under Rayburn’s watchful eye, the company purchased tieback drills, the latest pile driving equipment, caisson (drilled shaft) drills and marine equipment. Goettle excelled at design-build earth retention projects, even attempting ground freezing long before it was popular. Goettle installed stone columns in the early 1980s, before abandoning them for augercast piles. On projects where Goettle wasn’t the low bidder, Rayburn would nego- tiate the specialty work that Goettle was the best at installing. Rayburn built the relationships with the customers, and before long, Goettle was no longer a general contractor and focused solely on geotechnical construction. Throughout his career, Rayburn was always generous when it came to students. For many years while he was a DFI trustee, he graciously had Goettle underwrite events at the University of Cincinnati so that students could attend DFI seminars held there at no cost. Today, Rayburn and his wife, Rose, of Richard Goettle, Inc. and Rayburn con- tinued doing business as general contrac- tors. It was during this time that Rayburn realized that the specialty contracting portions of the work, such as pile driving and shoring, were much more lucrative than constructing the entire project. After 60 years have traded traveling the world for spending time with their 6 children, 17 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. He plays cards most Thursday nights with fellow past and present Goettle emp- loyees, and still enjoys the occasional game of golf. AUTHOR Douglas Keller, P.E., president and CEO, Goettle DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JULY/AUG 2019 • 65
