Robert G. Clark

Robert G. Clark is an American businessman and civic leader, best known as founder and executive chairman of Clayco, a real estate development and design-build firm.^[1] Established in 1984, Clayco is one of the largest privately-owned firms in its industry in the United States,^[2] generating over $5.8 billion in revenue in 2023.^[1][3]

Clark has been involved in various civic and philanthropic activities. In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed Clark to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House.^[4][5] In 2021, Clark was selected by President Joe Biden to be the United States Commissioner General at Expo 2020 Dubai.^[4] Clark served as the senior U.S. government representative at the event, where he led a team showing U.S. culture, values, and technology. ^[4][6]

Clark grew up in Bridgeton, Missouri. He attended Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, Missouri.^[7] Clark's interest in construction began at age 13 when his father gave him a book on building.^[7] After high school, Clark started a painting business and later became a partner in an equipment company before dropping out of college and starting his own construction firm. ^[3][7]

In 1978, at age 19, Clark became a partner at Machine Maintenance and Equipment Company (MMECO).^[4] In 1984, he later sold his stake and started a construction company, Clayco, in St. Louis, Missouri.^[1][8] By 2024, Clayco had grown into one of the largest privately-owned firms in its industry in the United States, with over $5.8 billion in revenue in 2023 and more than 3,500 employees nationwide.^[1][7] Clayco provides services including architectural design, engineering, site selection, and land acquisition.^[1]

As of 2024, The Clayco Enterprise includes a range of subsidiaries: Clayco, The Lamar Johnson Collaborative, Concrete Strategies, Ventana, Clayco Design and Engineering, and Clayco Systems and Equipment Innovations.^[2]

In 2016, Clark and Clayco's company partners promised to give $4.1 million to Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine through the Clayco Foundation to advance research into RVCL, a rare blood-vessel disease that results in death five to 10 years after diagnosis.^[9][10]

The Clayco Foundation gave money to Savannah College of Art and Design, which renamed one of its building complexes for Clark. The complex, now called Clark Hall, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark.^[11]

In 2021, the Clayco Foundation endowed a $500,000 scholarship in Penn State’s Department of Architectural Engineering to help make the student body more diverse and help full-time undergraduate students who have financial need.^[12]

In 2007, Clark received the "What's Right with the Region" award from Focus St. Louis for improving racial equality and social justice. That same year, he was recognized by the NAACP with the "Commitment to St. Louis" award. ^[13]

The St. Louis Business Journal named him among the "St. Louis Influentials" from 2005 to 2011.^[14] In 2023, Clark received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his contributions to American society and his support for cultural unity and diversity.^[15]

In addition to the awards Clark has received personally, Clayco has also been widely recognized. The firm was named among Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021,^[16] and that same year, it was honored as the ENR Midwest Contractor of the Year.^[17] Additionally, Clayco has been ranked one of ENR's "Best of the Best" list and was named first BDC Top 100 Design-Build Firms List. ^[18][19]