History
Charles R. “Chuck” Perry was a construction industry leader, philanthropist and businessman who founded Charles Perry Construction in 1968, and PPI Construction Management in 1993.
In 1954 he left his home in Winter Park, Florida to attend the University of Florida. His college years were interrupted by his service in the U.S. Navy, but in 1960 he earned a bachelor’s degree in building construction.
Perry strived to build a family within his company, and was known to listen to his staff when they talked about their lives, and knew the names of their children and their spouses. Perry and his wife Nancy promoted holiday picnics and parties, and believed everyone who worked at his company had a role in its success. When people asked if Perry himself was responsible for building projects, he would say it was the "people in the trenches” who deserved the credit.
Perry also developed liaisons with local education leaders to advance education in crafts and trades. Although Perry died in 2005, his company followed through on his efforts and began opening the doors to three new institutions in the next four years: in 2007, the Charles R. Perry Construction Yard at the University of Florida M. E. Rinker, Sr. School of Building Construction; in 2009 the Charles R. Perry Construction Institute at Santa Fe College’s School of Construction; and the Charles R. and Nancy V. Perry Center for Emerging Technologies for Santa Fe College's Laboratory Technology Programs. Perry's honesty, hard work, and business sense made him one of North Central Florida’s most successful builders and businessmen.
Always remaining on the forefront of the construction industry, Perry started PPI Construction Management to better serve the needs of his clients, many of whom were favoring the construction management delivery method over standard hard bid. Perry remained active in both companies until his death. In 2011, his surviving partners, Breck A. Weingart, John V. Carlson, Domenic E. Scorpio and Brian K. Leslie, united the individual operations of Charles Perry Construction and PPI Construction Management to better serve their diverse client base. When the partners consolidate the two companies, they honored Perry's legacy by naming the new company Charles Perry Partners, Inc.
