OVER 36 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
B&W Marine is a full-service marine & general contractor in the Northeast Florida and Southern Georgia region.
About Us
Raymond Earl Bowers, Sr., 65, passed away peacefully at his home on Black Creek on Friday, November 13, 2009, after nearly two years of fighting lung and liver cancer. Ray was born August 8, 1944, in Jacksonville to the late William and Hortense Bowers. He is survived by his beautiful and loving wife of 42 years, Sharon, son and daughter in law, Ray and Brandie Bowers and his grandson, Mason Bowers, the light of his life who loved each other "more than to infinity and beyond." Ray is also survived by a multitude of friends and family who always felt his undying love and support. Ray worked for many years in sales in the food brokerage business and for the last twenty years as a partner in B&W Marine Construction Inc. He was an avid boater and water skier and took great pride in coaching youth athletics, and loving and living life to the fullest. Ray is well known for his wit, charm and sense of humor. Direct in his approach to every situation, Ray epitomized the meaning of "true friend." Family, friend, or colleague always knew they could rely on Ray for anything. A genuine, caring, no-nonsense kind of man, he always expressed his feelings as he saw fit. Borrowing a quote from one of his most-beloved friends, "You ain't gotta go, but you can't stay here"
Established in 1981
We believe in quality work; that is why our docks, bulkheads, and decks have stood the test of time over and over again. Take a boat ride around Jacksonville and you will see why B&W has the reputation of being the best in the business.
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Robert E. Woodard: The Founder
In 1981 he offically began B&W Marine Construction, Inc. and has enjoyed building boathouses, bulkheads, decks, docks and gazebos ever since. To date, he has built up quite the reputation of building better and stronger than minimum standards, which is why his docks and boathouses have survived decades of storms, where others have washed away. Robert takes pride in building the best and fixing the rest. What a lot of people don't realize is the sacrifice, hard work, and motivation that put B&W Marine Construction on the map. Our company would not be where it is today without the humble sacrifice and persistence of Robert Woodard. Through his humbling story, you will find yourself inspired by a man who beat the odds and lived the American dream.
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He started with a rented chainsaw and pump and a few borrowed tools to build his first dock. In 1979, Woodard was seriously injured in a skiing accident. He was told by doctors that he would be paralyzed from the waist down. "I really thought I was going to be disabled for the rest of my life," Woodard said recently. He explained that the doctor's advice for him was to remain active. It was with that suggestion in mind that he offered to take on the job of building a dock for his brother. When he began that first job with rented and borrowed equipment, he did not realize what he was getting himself into. By this time, he said, he was not completely incapacitated. He was partially mobile, but it required the help of two friends and a cousin to get the job done. Woodard mainly supervised the work, but with the aid of a makeshift raft he joined in the labor by cutting ten foot planks in half for the five-foot-high dock. Apparently, that first dock was more than adequate. As the dock progressed, so did requests for his dock building services. From there, it became dock building history for Woodard and for Jacksonville as a whole. Now, as then, his crews attract the attention of those near the jobsite and the result is his usually working in one area for an extended length of time. "Duval County has over 4,000 miles of waterfront property," said Woodard and by his estimations, about 40% of it is owned by active boaters. If Woodard has his way, all of those homes would come equipped with docks. Built, of course, by B&W Marine Construction.
The Location
B&W is one of only a few dock builders that has an actual work yard and business location to work out of. That location, 4611 Lakeside Drive, is ideal. The area has developed into a boating haven with several marinas and marine industry businesses located in close proximity.
AFFILIATIONS
We pride ourselves on partnering with local charities and organizations to help create a better Jacksonville. Click below to jump on board.
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St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Resident, A Community Newspaper
JMA Member