Ray Black was a self-taught carpenter. In 1922, at the age of 26, he left tobacco farming and went to work for a construction company in Paducah, KY.

Thanks to his exceptional skills with a framing square, Ray quickly rose to the top ranks to become a foreman. But the company was poorly managed and in 1925, it went out of business. This is when local leaders asked Ray Black to step in. They knew he was a skilled craftsman and a man of integrity, so they wanted him to start a company and finish the jobs his employer had abandoned. Ray didn’t think he had enough money to start his own company, but Paducah’s business community believed in him and promised to support him if he took the risk. And so, in 1925, Ray Black & Son was born.

More than 95 years later, Ray Black & Son is still serving the needs of Paducah and the surrounding community. Today, the company is managed by Ray Black’s grandson (Chris Black) and great grandson (David Black). Every day, we strive to honor Ray Black’s memory by bringing the eye of a skilled craftsman to all our work and by treating our employees and our clients with the highest integrity.