October 22nd, 2009
Heldenfels' 100-year success is as solid as concrete

STAFF REPORT

In November, Heldenfels Enterprises, Inc. (HEI), with plants in San Marcos and Corpus Christi, will celebrate its 10oth year of business.

Heldenfels produces and installs precast/prestressed concrete for all types of structures.

The latest and largest Heldenfels project was the production and installation of 3,000 precast concrete pieces for the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. About 28,000 pounds of product was manufactured by the San Marcos-based company.

The company has won many prestigious Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) design awards. The Chicago-based PCI sponsors nationwide architecture and engineering competitions.

“We have a strong team spirit, most evidenced by our willingness to take on complex, challenging projects,” said HEI President/CEO Fred Heldenfels IV. When asked what was the single reason the firm has thrived for a century, Heldenfels said, “I believe we have always practiced what we preached, stressing good stewardship by emphasizing our core values of integrity, dependability and innovation. To me personally, the name Heldenfels is a badge of honor that has been earned by each generation through experience, hard work and dedication. It’s a family tradition.”

It was 1909 when F.W. “Fritz” Heldenfels, Sr. and his brother, C. A. Hendenfels, founded Heldenfels Brothers as a lumber and materials business. At the start of World War I, the company expanded into ship building. During the past century, the company has touched on every major construction arena in Texas.

Some examples of Heldenfels’ work include the 156-foot-high water tower they built in Alice, TX, which entered the Guiness Book of World Records as the world’s tallest concrete water tower. Heldenfels built the first highway to cut through South Texas ranching country.

In 1955, Fred Heldenfels, Jr., was involved in the approval and authorization of the Federal Interstate Highway System.

In 1995, Fred Heldenfels IV formed Heldenfels Enterprises, Inc., with his father F.W. Heldenfels III. Today, the company specializes in precast concrete structures for the highway, marine and industrial markets. Heldenfels Enterprises has also expanded into new construction areas by taking on large sports facilities, such as the Cowboys Stadium, Reliant Stadium (home of the Houston Texans), and the AT&T Center (home of the San Antonio Spurs). They also built Whataburger Field (home of the Corpus Christi Hooks), which has consistently won fan awards for the best field in minor league baseball.