For Ryan Gootee, CEO and founder of Ryan Gootee General Contractors, working on historic projects in New Orleans is always a passion project.

To date, Gootee, a self-described history nerd and a fourth generation builder, and his firm have worked on 146 historic renovations, totaling $330 million. Historic projects make up about a third of the company’s portfolio.

The Metairie-based contractor has restored and renovated the New Orleans Jazz Museum, The Historic New Orleans Collection and the Omni Royal Orleans hotel. Currently, the firm is working on restorations to the St. Louis Cathedral. Winning work as the general contractor on the project is affirmation of his team’s expertise in restorative work, Gootee said.

“If you had to pick the most iconic building in the city, that would be it,” Gootee said. “It’s like renovating the Lincoln Memorial. It’s just something that’s been around forever.”

Before RGGC became a go-to contractor for such projects, Gootee spent 10 years working at his family’s business, Gootee Construction, a mechanical contractor also in Metairie. After Katina in 2005, he decided to go out on his own, though he still works closely with Gootee Construction and often hires them as a sub on projects.

RGGC is on-track to grow revenue by 12%, hitting about $65 million this year. The company employs a 50-person team at its office in Metairie.

 

In this week’s Talking Business, Gootee discusses the challenges of navigating historic projects, the opportunities he sees for growth, and long-term plans for his business.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

 

How did RGGC become a go-to contractor for historic projects?

We landed a lot of construction, renovation and cleanup work after Katrina. When all that work dried up, I educated myself on the historic tax credit program, because I knew it would present a lot of opportunities and funding for construction projects. So many buildings in New Orleans are historic, and when you get 45 cents on the dollar back on qualifying restoration expenses, that’s a lot of money.

There is a lot of pressure to get these projects done in a timely and correct manner. I’ve heard about instances where a contractor took out a beam or messed up the historic fabric of a building — which can jeopardize funding. So can falling behind on meeting a project deadline, because you have to complete a project within the fiscal year for the tax credit to apply that year. A developer might not be able to hold the carrying costs of not getting that chunk of money.

We just got good at these projects over time. Now, we’re doing no-bid, no-selection process projects where people come to us saying, “we want you to do the job.”

 

You did have to compete for work on the St. Louis Cathedral. How did you guys win that project?

We have a pretty large portfolio of projects in the French Quarter, and I think that helped us stand out from other contractors. Down the street from the St. Louis Cathedral, we’ve been working on renovations to the Historic New Orleans Collection, and a lot of the things we learned from that project, like doing historic masonry and stucco, were relevant to the cathedral.

It’s also a logistical nightmare trying to work in the French Quarter. It’s a lot of moving parts, a lot of people, there’s not a lot of space, and I think we had a really good plan on how to approach it.

 

Where are you seeing new opportunities for growth?

Work in the hospitality industry is a bright spot right now. We’re seeing a lot of hotels asking for renovations. I think everybody just didn’t know what to do until after the city was done hosting the 2025 Super Bowl and, of course, Mardi Gras. Hotels didn’t want to put their properties in the middle of renovations or out of commission during those events. They also didn’t know what was going to happen to the economy. Now, with the 2028 College Football Playoff National Championship coming up and the new Convention Center business coming in two years, the time is now to get those renovations done. We’ve seen a lot of that, including work we’re completing on the Omni Royal Orleans hotel.

 

There is a lot of demand for industrial projects in the state. Are you guys chasing any opportunities there? Do you feel any pressure to go after that work?

A lot of contractors have chased and followed the data center work, and we have made contact with some of these companies developing these projects. If the right opportunity came along, we’d go and follow it. We’re not afraid of it. We know we can do it. Like with SpaceX, we may have some opportunity in that arena, and we may be looking to go over there in Vermillion Parish but it’s got to be the right opportunity.

 

You’re the fourth generation in your family to work in construction. How are you thinking about succession planning? Do you want it to continue as a family business?

My kids are still in school or just starting their careers. But last week, I told them next year, we’re going to sit down and decide who wants to be in the business and who doesn’t, because I need to plan. If my kids don’t want to be involved, I’ll eventually sell all my shares out to nonfamily members.

I currently share ownership of the company with Michael DeGruy, our company president. Over the last few years, I’ve been selling some of my shares to Michael, who now owns 30% of the company. I’ll probably sell my shares to some other key people in the coming years. I want to give some people who have earned it a seat at the owner’s table. I want to let them sit where I’ve sat, and handle the risks and rewards of being an owner.