Dennis Washington
Dennis Washington | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Born | July 27, 1934 |
| Occupation(s) | Owner, The Washington Companies and Seaspan Marine Corporation |
| Spouse | Phyllis Washington |
| Children | 2 sons |
Dennis R. Washington (born 1934) is an American billionaire industrialist who owns, or co-owns controlling interests in, a large consortium of privately held companies collectively known as the Washington Companies and, in Canada, another collection of companies known as the Seaspan Marine Corporation.
Early life
[edit]Born in Spokane, Dennis Washington grew up in Spokane, Bremerton, Washington, and Missoula, Montana.[1] His parents separated when he was very young, and Washington lived with his mother. He rarely saw his father, who worked in construction overseas. Washington did not grow up in a wealthy family. Additionally, he states his parents' divorce as his motivation to provide his own wife and children with a stable family environment.[2]
Career
[edit]Following graduation from high school, Dennis Washington worked in construction in Alaska and Montana. He began his business career at age 30 in 1964, with a $30,000 loan and a single bulldozer [citation needed]. He created Washington Construction, which worked primarily on highway contracts, and by 1969 was the largest contractor in Montana.[citation needed]
In the 1970s he moved into mining and dam construction. In 1986 he acquired a copper and molybdenum mine at Butte, Montana. He reopened the mine and it became a profitable operation. This success helped him diversify into railroads, marine services, coastal shipping, aviation and real estate. In 1996 Washington Construction acquired global construction and engineering company Morrison-Knudsen Corporation[3] of Boise, Idaho, creating Washington Group International.
Washington Companies
[edit]The Washington Companies are a group of individual privately held companies headquartered throughout the United States and western Canada and conducting business internationally.
Included in the Washington Companies'[4] holdings are:
- Seaspan ULC is an association of Canadian companies involved in coastal marine transportation, shipdocking and ship escort, ship repair and shipbuilding services in western North America.
- Montana Rail Link is a Class II regional railroad that operates over 900 route miles of track in Montana and Idaho.
- Aviation Partners Inc. develops and markets the Blended Winglet Performance Enhancement System for business jet aircraft. .
- Envirocon Inc.’s core services include environmental remediation, ecological restoration, and decommissioning and demolition for government and commercial clients.
- Southern Railway of British Columbia (SRY) is a major transporter of freight in British Columbia.
- Modern Machinery Co. Inc. sells and rents heavy equipment, and supplies parts and service to support the construction, mining, aggregate, and logging industries.
- Montana Resources LLP operates an open-pit copper and molybdenum mine in Butte, Montana, near the Continental Divide.
- Seaspan Corporation (NYSE:SSW) is one of the world’s leading independent containership owners, owning and managing ships which are chartered long-term.
Political activity
[edit]Together with his spouse, Washington contributed $1 million to Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign.[5]
Personal life
[edit]
Washington is married to Phyllis and lives in Missoula, Montana. His son, Kyle Washington, is co-chairman of Seaspan Marine Corporation.[6]
Washington also owns a private estate on Stuart Island, British Columbia, including a fishing lodge and golf course. The Washington–Grizzly Stadium for football at the University of Montana is named for him.[7]
His private yacht Attessa IV has been featured in Forbes magazine.[8] He has a Boeing Business Jet, 737-700 registration N162WC.[9]
Awards and honors
[edit]| Year | Association | Category | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | American Academy of Achievement | Golden Plate Award | [10] | |
| 1993 | — | Host; ceremony held in Glacier National Park, Montana | [11] | |
| 1995 | Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans | Horatio Alger Award | [12] | |
| 1996 | Ellis Island Honors Society (EIHS) | Ellis Island Medal of Honor | [13] | |
| 2007 | Mining Foundation of the Southwest | American Mining Hall of Fame | Inductee | [14] |
| 2012 | Maritime Museum of British Columbia (MMBC) | SS Beaver Award for Maritime Excellence |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Tribune Staff. "125 Montana Newsmakers: Dennis Washington". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
- ^ Kroll, Luisa. "Billionaire Highway Man: Life Lessons Dennis Washington Learned When He Was 25". Forbes. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "Washington Construction Group Agrees to Buy Morrison Knudsen - WSJ". Wall Street Journal. May 17, 1996.
- ^ "Companies – the Washington Companies".
- ^ "Here Are The Billionaires Who Donated To Donald Trump's 2020 Presidential Campaign". Forbes. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Forbes profile: Dennis Washington". Forbes. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ "Washington-Grizzly Stadium - Facilities - University of Montana Athletics". gogriz.com. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ "Attessa IV". Forbes.
- ^ "BBJ N162WC Flying With Advanced Technology Winglet - Airliners.net". www.airliners.net.
- ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
- ^ "1993 Salute to Excellence: Stars of Today and Tomorrow Meet in Glacier" (PDF). Great Falls Tribune. June 27, 1993.
- ^ "1995 Horatio Alger Award Winner". Horatio Alger Association.
- ^ "1996 Ellis Island Medal of Honor Recipients". Congressional Record Online.
- ^ "2007 Inductee into American Mining Hall of Fame". Mining Foundation of the Southwest.
External links
[edit]- WashingtonCompanies.com – official biography
- Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation