Corval Group Inc.

While many things have changed over the course of 93 years in business, Corval Group Inc. (Corval), a Minnesota-based industrial general contractor and engineering firm, remains committed to its core values, hence the name. The company’s mission is simple: to build confidence by being the one-stop shop solution clients can truly count on for the highest safety standards in the industry, open communication and superior results.

Based in St. Paul, Minn., the full-service company is schedule-driven, focusing on delivering on time and on budget no matter the challenge. “We tend to go after the jobs other companies are afraid of,” shares Peter Jordan, co-owner of Corval.

As an industrial-focused general contractor and engineering firm, Corval delivers targeted solutions for a broad scope of clients. “Our main markets are petrochemical, alternative power and energy, as well as industrial food and beverage manufacturers, industrial refrigeration and warehouse cooling,” notes Jordan.

Fourth-generation Owners

With fully integrated design, construction and fabrication in-house, Corval has the ability to lead any project in these highly specialized markets, from concept to development, in a timely and cost-effective manner and has been doing so since 1921.

“The company was established in 1921 and eventually came under the ownership of my father, Larry Jordan,” recounts Jordan. “My brother, Paul Jordan, and I purchased the company from our father. I’ve been with Corval for 30 years now and I run it with my brother, and Steve and Richard Poser, whose father also had ownership in the company at one point. Together, we make up the fourth generation of consecutive ownership.”

Over the years, Corval has expanded throughout the Midwest into Wisconsin, Illinois, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, North and South Dakota and other outposts. “We go all over the Midwest,” details Jordan. “We’re involved in the oil and natural gas industry in North Dakota and heavy into the agriculture and food sector in Iowa and Wisconsin. Corval supports big-names in this industry, such as General Mills, Kraft and Nestle.”

Building Safer for Big Industry

With the influx of more natural gas production in recent years in the upper Midwest, Corval has gained ground with large-scale petroleum refineries and companies, from ExxonMobil to Conoco Phillips and many more. “We provide ongoing services at the Flint Hills Refinery [Flint Hills] in Rosemont, Minn.,” reveals Jordan.

Corval has supported Flint Hills since 2004 with maintenance, capital projects and turnaround services. “In 2009, Corval earned OSHAVPP status via Minnesota’s OSHA MnSTAR program for our dedication to world-class safety,” shares Jordan.

Corval has delivered demolition, the installation of process piping, instrumentation and stream tracing with support craft, including scaffolding, electrical, iron work, crane service and insulation for Flint Hills. “Much of our work has involved difficult to reach areas at elevations in excess of 200 feet,” notes Jordan. “Extensive planning was needed to assure all critical lifts, safety plans and rescue procedures were in place before work commenced.”

Even with more than 130 pipefitters on site to meet the project’s demanding objectives, Corval delivered a Midwest refinery on budget without a single recordable safety incident. “We’re proud to announce that we just hit 4 million man-hours without a lost-time incident [LTI],” reveals Jordan. “That’s enormous in this industry, but it’s because we invest a lot of time and resources to ensure everyone gets home safe at the end of the day. It goes beyond work, it’s about a life-work balance, safety isn’t something that’s just for the job site; it goes home with you.”

By recognizing the importance of safety in the workplace and emphasizing personal safety in every work location, Corval remains top in its class when it comes to safety. “Safety is emphasized from the moment of hire throughout our day-to-day operations,” says John Rutledge, safety director of Corval. “With safety as our foundational value, we will continue to seek out ways to keep it at the forefront of our operations.”

Not only is Corval on the cutting-edge as far as safety, the company is also on the cusp of solutions for newly emerging needs in the oil and gas industry. “We have been heavily involved in the construction and engineering of facilities that transport crude and natural gas,” details Jordan. “We’re working with the state of North Dakota to develop a comprehensive solution for recovering flare gas from natural gas wells. The goal is to capture the flare gas and get it to market through a viable solution. There’s a lot of opportunity in North Dakota.”

With new opportunity comes the same responsibility and dedication to safety first and cost-effective schedule attainment. “We want to keep our diversity that’s made us last this long, while focusing on the core values at the center of our operation,” adds Jordan. Corval Group Inc. remains a go-to engineer and general contractor, building confidence for so many of the major industrial players in the Midwest.