Bob Sr.'s son, (Bob Jr. the current president) doesn't remember the first time he swung a hammer, although he notes, "There's a difference between swinging one and actually hitting something with it."

By the time Bob Jr. had completed high school, he had spent most of his summers working with his father. Bob was experienced enough by the time he was 16 to run the framing crew by himself. "In fact," he says now, "I became a summertime employment agency for my friends. I'd hire four or five of them to work with me during the long, hot Atlanta summers."

During 1966-1967, Bob Sr. and Margaret, his wife, and partner, decided to start their own company. Bob had already been working as a framing contractor and decided to take it to the next level, incorporating the business as R. L. Connelly & Sons, Inc. The Connelly family was in business building custom homes.

Margaret took care of all correspondence, billing, payroll, accounting etc. while she raised the family. She was the voice that answered the phone while Bob was out working on the job sites (remember, this was before cell phones!).

Bob Jr. enjoyed working in the field and running the framing crew, but he wanted to do more than work all day in the hot sun. After high school, he decided to go to Georgia Tech and study architecture. There he learned the language of the architects and designers. Then love and war intervened (marriage and the army - it was the late 1960's) and Bob's studies were interrupted. Bob eventually returned to Atlanta however, and resumed working with his Dad.

Keith, Bob's younger brother, joined the family business also (Keith is eight years younger than Bob). For many years Keith, Bob, and their father worked together in the field. "We started working when we started walking," Keith says.

Over the years, the company continued to prosper, building their reputation as a firm with a commitment to honesty and integrity. Bob gradually moved more into management while Keith stayed in the field.

A Second Generation, a New Beginning
After many successful years, Bob Sr. decided to retire. According to Bob, "Dad did an excellent job of stepping back and allowing me to gradually take over the business. Several years before his retirement, my father had let go of all the major decisions and allowed me to run things."

In 1990, Bob Sr. made it final and retired for good. Bob thought perhaps their father would want to help out now and then on a project. "Sorry son," he would usually say, "I've got a round of golf scheduled. You're on your own."

Upon his father's retirement, Bob officially became President of the company, performing the role of estimating and sales while Keith still enjoyed working in the field. In the summer of 1999, Keith decided to branch out on his own and left R.L. Connelly & Sons, Inc. (which then became R.L. Connelly & Co., Inc.) to start his own company.

Three Generations of Builders and Remodelers
Sharon, Bob's wife, re-joined the company in 2000. "Sharon brings extensive management experience from the corporate world," says Bob. "She has really pushed us up a notch in professionalism. Sharon's quite an asset to the company."

In 2002, the company welcomed a third generation Connelly to the business when Melissa Connelly Cate came on board. Melissa grew up working in the office. She has spent time in the business since her teens and Bob and Sharon are proud that the next generation has chosen to share her talents full-time with the company.

From a father's humble start as a carpenter to the current family of builders, the history of the company is intertwined with quality, honesty, integrity, and a commitment to the client. "Being a family business, there's more than just a name on the line," says Bob, "It's our last name."