Although the task was estimated to require 18 months, Dutra dewatered the island in one-fifth the time, 110 days. With a contract to repair the levee and pump out the flooded ground, Dutra was able to obtain several large pumps from farming giant J. In June 1972, a major levee in the Sacramento Delta broke at Isleton, flooding Brannan/Andrus Island, a major highway, hundreds of homes and 12,000 acres of farmland. He then ventured out on his own and returned to California, where he obtained a contractor's license.ĭutra Construction's first projects involved reclaiming land in California's Central Valley for large farming companies. His areas of concentration were civil soils and metallurgical engineering as well as business management. Married and with two young children at the time, Bill worked hard to graduate early, earning his bachelor's degree from the Oregon Institute of Technology in three and a half years.
Inspired by a mentor, Claire Lopez of the Leslie Salt Company, as well as by his fellow servicemen, Bill sought a college education. In 1965, he joined the National Guard, serving on active duty for two years. It began in 1961 when he went to work as a deckhand, then rose to tugboat captain and, ultimately, dredge captain.
He founded the Dutra Construction Company, forerunner of The Dutra Group, in 1972.īill gained his knowledge of the business from the deck up. Bill Dutra, Executive Chairman of The Dutra Group, is the fourth generation of his family engaged in the dredging business.
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