CEA Black History Month Feature: Leroy Ozanne

CEA celebrates Clevelanders that have made historical achievements to the construction industry.

While it can be fairly said that most entrepreneurs, especially in the construction industry, bring some uniqueness to their company, it is undeniable that Leroy Ozanne truly broke the mold. From his brusque and direct manner to the total engagement of his outsized persona in everything he did, Leroy Ozanne was clearly one of a kind. He was a man truly made for his time: anything less than his full-throated confident approach would likely have been insufficient to break down the industry barriers necessary to succeed in a place that was more often than not hostile to a black man wanting to secure a place at the General Contractors table.

Naturally enough, it seems, Leroy became one of Cleveland’s first African American building inspectors. He developed relationships with builders, architects, engineers, and city officials. With an outsized personality, boundless energy, and a growing family, it wasn’t long before Leroy decided to expand his side work as a contractor into a fulltime business, and Ozanne Construction Company Inc. was born in 1956.

Leroy was a pioneer black contractor in an era and region that was often inhospitable — to say the least — to his aspirations. Fortunately, his inbred sense of self-confidence was fortified with a heavy dose of stubbornness [a trait not unknown to successful contractors] that allowed him to plow through setbacks.

Many of his earliest jobs were residential, but Leroy intended from the beginning to succeed as a commercial general contractor capable of competing openly in both public and private markets throughout northeast Ohio.

His tenacity, skill at risk assessment, and ability to perform helped him to forge profitable relationships with companies like Ohio Bell, Cleveland Trust, and Gulf Oil. These successes led Turner Construction in 1967 to invite Ozanne to joint venture in the construction of a commercial plaza on Cleveland’s east side, the first such relationship between an African American construction firm and an international construction manager in American history.

Ozanne Construction joined CEA in 1968, becoming its first black contractor. The company has been an active CEA member ever since, a tradition of service now embodied in Dominic Ozanne, Leroy’s son and successor, and current CEA Board Chairman.

In 2016, Leroy was inducted to CEA's Hall of Fame and was presented with a Guardian Award along with ten other industry leaders who devoted their time and talent to the industry and our community.