After hanging up his hard hat in 1985, Bill Kuhlke didn't plan on returning to construction. More two decades later, though, the Augusta native found himself behind the desk once again, after his friend and successor at Kuhlke Construction, David Darby, died after fighting cancer for years.

"David's death was a real shock to everyone," Mr. Kuhlke said. "We needed to stabilize."

For the past three months, Mr. Kuhlke has led the company founded by his father, trying to determine its future.

Though some might have sold or closed the business, Mr. Kuhlke said there were employees at the firm to look after, and of course, Mr. Darby's family. He also didn't want to leave the company in flux.

"It's not just a company," he said. "I don't just walk away from it. I was willing to take the time to make that happen."

The future was set in stone June 1, when Hank Griffin became the president of Kuhlke Construction & Associates, and Mark Mullan was named vice president.

"I have a great deal of confidence in every one of them," Mr. Kuhlke said.

Mr. Kuhlke had had plenty of construction industry experience by 1973, when he decided to leave his father's firm, Kuhlke Construction, to start Kuhlke & Associates. The two firms merged in the early 1980s to create the present-day Kuhlke Construction & Associates.

Mr. Kuhlke spent summers as a teenager working in the field for his father (William Sr., known as "Monk"), who founded Kuhlke Construction, and through Butler Manufacturing Co. brought to Augusta the "design-build" concept that allowed customers to have a single firm handle their project from start to finish.

It was through his father that Mr. Kuhlke learned the business from the ground up: digging ditches, pouring cement and working with superintendents.

"He learned more there than you could in any kind of college," said his brother, Hamilton.

Mr. Kuhlke, 70, was reared in Augusta; the self-avowed country music lover grew up on Williams Street in Summerville and can remember the practice air raids during World War II, when his family would shut off the lights and stuff blankets underneath windows.

The oldest of three boys by four years (Hamilton and Dessey are twins), he wasn't the best of students at the Academy of Richmond County, most likely because of laziness, Mr. Kuhlke said.

"The only person worse than me was Bill," brother Dessey said jokingly.

Brotherly love

Despite that, both brothers said Bill, a skilled athlete who was popular in school, was a great role model for his impressionable brothers.

"There were problems in high school - don't think they didn't exist back in the '50s," Hamilton said. "Bill was one to never participate in any of that. I can just remember thinking 'That's what I want to do. That's the way I want to be.'"

The Kuhlke brothers learned a lot from their father, whom many describe as good-humored, good-natured and a true family man.

Although Monk, who started out in the feed and seed business and eventually moved into construction, took his business and reputation seriously, he didn't forget to have fun, Bill said.

"The important thing is he enjoyed life," Mr. Kuhlke said of his father, who died in 1994. "He kept everything on the light side."

All three boys, like the rest of the family, are a lot like their father, friends say. Still, "with all due respect, there is nobody like Monk Kuhlke," said Ron Cross, the chairman of the Columbia County Commission, who started CCI Construction and got his start with Bill Kuhlke.

Although he had a sense of humor, he also believed in hard work.

"He instilled in each of us a real strong work ethic and a firmness in dealing with everybody," Hamilton Kuhlke said. "In the community and business."

Bill inculcated many of those same values in his own three children, said his son Tripp, who now works at Transportation Solutions of Augusta, which sells golf carts and other course vehicles.

"He just instilled the right things in his boys," he said. His father was at all of his children's sporting events, he said.

Bill made a few attempts at college, first attending Augusta College (now Augusta State University) for two years and then transferring to the University of Georgia, where he played for the baseball team. Eventually, he left UGA, something he now knows was a mistake.

"I probably wasn't that interested in the college part," Mr. Kuhlke said. "I was probably at a point where I was ready to go into business."

Having always admired the Marine Corps, he joined in the late 1950s, but after meeting the foul-mouthed, tough-as-nails sergeants on the bus to training camp, he had second thoughts.

"The day I went through the gates at Parris Island, I questioned my intelligence," he said.

He served six months before going into reserve status for 5 years. The closest he came to action was stopping at the U.S. facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but his experience shaped him and let the lifelong Augusta resident meet people from all walks of life.

"I think it was good for me, matured me," he said. "You really get a feel of the other parts of the country."

Not long after, he was introduced to Beth, his future wife, while home for Christmas vacation. They married in 1959.

That same year, Mr. Kuhlke decided to stick to construction full time, working for his father, not only to take care of Beth but because he enjoyed the business.

Having already learned the business in the field, Mr. Kuhlke took courses and seminars on construction, absorbing the technical aspects of building.

"I think I just like to see things come out of the ground," he said.

After years of working in the field, his father showed him the ropes in the office.

"He taught me an awful lot about business," he said, "and how you deal with people."

Work for all

In 1973, he decided to part ways with his brother Dessey - who kept their father's firm, Kuhlke Construction, and focused on pre-engineered buildings - while Bill formed Kuhlke & Associates.

"I think I was just looking for some independence. I wanted to get out and make sure I could do it (on my own)," he said.

Construction is tough, and Mr. Kuhlke said a deep fear of failing drove him to work hard. He started with one superintendent but soon grew quickly doing projects such as Bob Richards Chevrolet dealership on Gordon Highway.

Even though he wanted room to grow, Bill, Hamilton and Dessey said they have never had trouble getting along. Some might find that strange, but all three said it always just clicked.

It also doesn't hurt that their father created a diverse enough business for each brother to handle. While Dessey and Bill preferred construction, Hamilton was able to run his men's clothing store and managed real estate interests, such as the chain of Master's Economy Inns that was sold in 1986.

"We had an unwritten policy that if there ever was a situation we couldn't agree on, Bill would be a deciding person," Dessey said about the possibility of any unresolved conflicts, but, "that never happened."

Though the Kuhlke family members aren't able to get together as often these days - such as the frequent beach trips they used to take - they remain close, something that is strikingly obvious to their friends and relatives.

It was at times hard to live up to the expectations others had for a Kuhlke, Tripp said, but his dad never put any pressure on him and Tripp still seeks his advice.

"It's been a good life, and I owe it all to him," Tripp said.

Much like car sales and real estate, construction was an industry in which people aren't inclined to trust a contractor. Like his father, though, Mr. Kuhlke was a man of his word who followed through and fixed any mistakes, his friends said.

"You had the feeling that if you run into problems, Bill's going to help you," said Bob Richards, of Bob Richards Chevrolet.

The work of the construction firm can be seen throughout Augusta, such as the new 50,000-square-foot spec building he recently finished in partnership with the Development Authority of Columbia County.

"He just knew how to sell and how to take a long-range business approach to treating people right," said Mark Capers, who went to work with Mr. Kuhlke fresh out of college in 1979 and later bought the company with Mr. Darby. "If you treat people right, they'll call you the next time."

Mr. Cross said Mr. Kuhlke has the kind of reputation people could trust.

Mr. Kuhlke, he said, once went to a church late one afternoon to discuss a possible project. He walked out with a $400,000 contract without any building plans.

"I was just amazed," Mr. Cross said. "He's got that knack to go and talk to someone when he doesn't really have anything to sell. They trusted him. He worked very hard to fulfill that trust."

For Mr. Kuhlke, however, it's rather simple.

"If you surround yourself with good people, you'll be OK," he said.

He merged back with his brother several years later, forming Kuhlke Construction & Associates, where he remained for more than a decade. By then, they agreed it made more sense to form one large company rather than have two, he said.

By the mid-1980s, though, Mr. Kuhlke had decided it was time to hand over the reins.

"I had made up my mind I was going to stay in construction for 30 years," he said.

The company was sold in 1985 to Mr. Capers and Mr. Darby, whom Mr. Kuhlke had hired straight out of Georgia Southern University years earlier.

Though the two men didn't have the money, Mr. Kuhlke worked out a plan to help them buy the firm, said Mr. Capers, who broke off in 1996 and formed Capers & Associates.

Taking office

Mr. Kuhlke didn't exactly rest on his laurels. He stayed on as a consultant to Kuhlke Construction for three years, managed properties and served with organizations such as the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Augusta Exchange Club.

In 1995, he was elected as county commissioner, following in the footsteps of his father, who served on the Richmond County Commission in the late 1960s.

He spent his early years on the commission pushing for consolidation for Augusta and Richmond County. He saw that come to fruition, but success wasn't always easy.

"I can probably take more pride in making sure something didn't happen," Mr. Kuhlke said.

That can be hard for someone in business who is used to efficiency.

"Everybody wants to go down there and do this, that," Augusta Commissioner Jerry Brigham said. "Then the reality hits that you have to have six votes to do anything."

Serving in the public spotlight isn't always easy, but his friends and colleagues say he did it because, much like his father, Mr. Kuhlke believed in making Augusta better and helping his community.

"What motivates Bill is trying to do what he thinks is right," Mr. Brigham said. "There isn't anything wrong with doing what you think is right in politics."

Despite the difficulties Mr. Kuhlke faced in his eight years on the commission, he knew how to work with both sides of the aisle.

"He knew it takes six votes to get anything done," Commissioner Marion Williams said. "He tried to build a coalition. He may disagree with your idea but he did respect your idea."

Much like his father, he also tried to keep things light.

"What I loved most about Bill is he had a sense of humor," Mr. Williams said. "You could tell it wasn't fake."

Mr. Kuhlke - who, like much of his family, has been involved in numerous community and church organizations - is now the 10th Congressional District representative for the Department of Transportation, a role that he loves.

Although building roads is a little different from what he's used to, he enjoys being involved in the construction process and watching things evolve.

Loss of a friend

Life changed in 2004 when Mr. Darby, with whom Mr. Kuhlke had always been close, called his long-time friend and asked to have lunch.

"He told me he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer," Mr. Kuhlke said quietly.

At that time, the firm was in the middle of building its new offices off Flowing Wells Road, and Mr. Kuhlke agreed to go into the office when needed as Mr. Darby underwent treatment.

It would take up to 10 days for Mr. Darby to recover from a monthly round of chemotherapy, said Mr. Kuhlke, who had watched him grow up and had attended Sunday school classes with his parents.

"The longer it went, the harder it was for him to function," he said.

After years of fighting, Mr. Darby had another difficult conversation with Mr. Kuhlke last January. Treatment wasn't going well, and the situation wasn't looking good, so Mr. Kuhlke moved into the Flowing Wells office permanently to take over.

A week before Mr. Darby died, Mr. Kuhlke sat down with his friend one last time.

"His comment to me was, 'I think it's going to be quicker than I thought,'" Mr. Kuhlke said.

The men hugged. It was the last time he saw Mr. Darby, the father of two who served on the Richmond County Planning Commission and was involved with everything from the YMCA to the Augusta Exchange Club.

Not long after, Mr. Kuhlke got a call on an early Sunday morning in February. His friend had died just a few hours earlier.

Pictures of Mr. Darby, who was 50, and his family remain in his former office, where Mr. Kuhlke has spent the past several months manning operations.

On June 1, Mr. Griffin, who worked for R.W. Allen & Associates and most recently was leading the Village at Riverwatch project, took over as president.

Mr. Kuhlke will stay as chairman and secretary.

"To have Bill as your partner is a no-brainer. Bill has started (a lot of the) contractors in town," Mr. Griffin said.

He said he had always toyed with starting his own firm but didn't want to pass up the opportunity to lead such a well-known, established business.

For the moment, Mr. Griffin said, he has no plans to "upset the apple cart."

The only major change for now is that Kuhlke Construction is a profit-sharing firm, offering five other employees, including Mr. Kuhlke, a stake in the company's future.

"It gives them an opportunity to own a part of the company they've worked on for so long," he said.

Mr. Griffin, who was mentored by Mr. Darby and credits him with his entry into construction, said he will soon sit down and figure out the firm's short- and long-term goals.

"I just need to find my spoke in the wheel, roll up my sleeves and get it done," he said.

Reach Laura Youngs at (706) 823-3227 or laura.youngs@augustachronicle.com.