Robins & Morton Chairman Emeritus and Former CEO Barry Morton Dies

Robins & Morton chairman emeritus and former CEO Barry Morton died Dec. 3 at the age of 83. Morton was instrumental in the growth of the Birmingham, Alabama-based construction company that bears his name, guiding its growth as a commercial builder and leader in healthcare construction.

Morton began his career at Robins Engineering as an apprentice carpenter, working alongside his father, Boyette Edgar “Sunshine” Morton, a concrete finisher. After graduating from Auburn University in 1960 with a degree in Building Science, Morton joined Robins Engineering full time.

Over the decades, company founder Todd Robins saw in Morton the hardworking and ethical qualities to lead the company in the future. As a result, Morton became part owner of the company in 1975, and was named president of the company in 1982. In 1991, The Robins Corporation came to bear his name. He became chairman/CEO of the company in 1996 and moved into the chairman emeritus role in 2015 when his son, Bill Morton, who had taken on increasingly higher levels of responsibility within the company over two decades, was named chairman and CEO.

Morton also left a lasting mark on the construction industry and Birmingham business community as president of the Alabama Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors; chairman of the Birmingham Construction Industry Authority Board; chairman of Auburn University’s Construction Industry Fund Board; member of Birmingham Metropolitan Development Board and member of Birmingham Business Leadership Group.

Through his private philanthropy, Morton helped establish the UAB School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, called the Morton Family Endowed Lectureship in Vascular Sciences. He also supported organizations that assist children and families, as well as establishing Sunshine Farm, named after his father, as a camp facility where children and young guests could experience nature.