Martin Ozinga III, chair of family’s ready-mix concrete company, dead at 71

Martin Ozinga III, the chair of his family’s ready-mix concrete company who once ran for U.S. Congress, died suddenly at his home Monday morning, his son said. He was 71. | Ozinga’s website

Martin Ozinga III, the chair of his family’s ready-mix concrete company who once ran for Congress, died suddenly at his home Monday morning, his son said in a statement. He was 71.

Mr. Ozinga, known to many as “Marty,” was a concrete magnate who helped lead the expansion of the family business in and around Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

He started his career when he was 15, working as a $1-per-hour laborer in the company’s first yard in Evergreen Park, according to the company’s website. Within three years, Mr. Ozinga was driving the Mokena-based firm’s iconic red-and-white striped concrete mixer trucks, while working toward a psychology degree at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the website said.

Mr. Ozinga worked his way up in the ranks of the fourth-generation family business, which specializes in building materials and logistics. He was promoted to general manager in 1973 at just 23, succeeding his father as company president in 1985.

Under Mr. Ozinga and his cousins’ watch, Ozinga supplied several high-profile construction projects in the Chicago area, including new Comiskey Park and the renovation of Soldier Field. Ozinga also produced more than 250,000 cubic yards of concrete used in the Dan Ryan Expressway reconstruction, the company said.

The Ozinga trucks were originally painted red and white to be like the American flag when the founders returned from World War II.

In 2008, Mr. Ozinga also ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in what was then the 11th Congressional District, which included some south suburbs. He lost to Democrat Debbie Halvorson.

Mr. Ozinga handed the company reins off to his six sons and their cousin Jeff in 2012, though he remained involved in the business, serving most recently as chairman of the board.

“Dad was loved by many, including his family, his coworkers, customers and friends in the community,” his son and Ozinga CEO Marty Ozinga IV said in a statement issued by the company. “Please keep the Ozinga family in your thoughts and prayers.”

Mr. Ozinga was married to his wife Ruth for 40 years until her death in 2010. Together, they raised six sons.

Mr. Ozinga survivors include his wife, Melissa; six sons; and 29 grandchildren.

Details on memorial services weren’t immediately available.

Martin Ozinga III is pictured with his six sons.