Meyer Contracting Inc.

In 1984, Kathy and LeRoy Meyer set out to build a business that would support and set a precedent for their children. Kathy is a Native American (White Earth enrollee) woman, an anomaly in the construction industry; her interest in building the business stems from a drive for success that she has held from an early age. After losing her mother in a tragic automobile accident as a child, Kathy was determined to break down stereotypes of Native people. Meyer Contracting Inc. (MCI) is only part of the culmination of those efforts.

Kathy and LeRoy devoted years to the business, getting the small construction company off the ground and incorporating in 1987. In the early years, MCI specialized in the installation of water and sewer mains. As the company grew, the couple and their employees quickly extended the company’s scope of work into excavation, demolition, grading and road construction.

The company has grown significantly over the last three decades. Now, Kathy and LeRoy’s son, Paul Meyer, operates the business as CEO. He has worked for the company since inception, starting his construction career in 1984 at the age of 12. He has accumulated more than 25 years of experience in construction, business and engineering. He oversees a team of 200 employees performing earthwork, utility and heavy civil construction throughout the Midwest. The business has two offices, a headquarters in Maple Grove, Minn., and another location in Dickinson, N.D.

A growing portfolio

MCI offers diverse capabilities to a broad client base. With the experience, expertise and equipment to perform a wide range of projects, the crew has been busy in recent years. The company has worked for public and private customers, performing challenging projects throughout the Midwest region. The crew works with a team of valuable subcontractors, coordinating safe, efficient projects that exceed the expectations of clients and owners.

Recent work includes a few high profile projects. MCI performed site utilities work on Target Field, the new home of the Minnesota Twins, in 2010. The team has also performed work on the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium, scheduled to open in 2018.

Of course, it is not all glamorous stadium work at MCI. The company has been involved in a number of dirty and challenging project that showcase wide capabilities. Another project was major bridge reconstruction work on I-35 in Minneapolis. This was a fast-track design-build project involving the design of all utilities, gabion walls and tunnel relocation in response to the tragic bridge collapse over the Mississippi River in 2007. Work involved setting up a temporary sanitary sewer line while constructing new utilities, remediating contaminated soil and installing the largest pedestrian tunnel in the state.

A strong foundation

While MCI has grown significantly over the years, Paul and his team strive to carry on the values his parents set for the business 30 years ago. “Our key indicators of performance are repeat customers and that we are meeting and exceeding the bottom line,” Paul explains. “Our relationships are important to us, with our clients, our subcontractors and our in-house employees.”

Looking ahead, Paul predicts positive, steady growth for the business. “We are seeing a lot of opportunities opening up,” he explains. “Now that the market is recovering, our biggest challenge is securing labor. As different areas come back to life, we are losing people to different regions and industries.” As the business grows, Paul is looking for experienced and reliable employees to add to the team.

As the company grows, the Meyer Contracting makes a continuous effort to support the community. Kathy continues to donate her time to several organizations. Her involvement includes the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC), the Association of Women Contractors (AWC), the Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce (MAICC) and most recently the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI). Kathy is committed to helping small businesses in the community succeed through the challenging stereotypes that surround disadvantaged minorities.

On-site, in the office and everywhere in between, MCI operates on a simple philosophy: performing quality work, ethically and morally, while providing clients the best value and project satisfaction possible. As the business enters its fourth decade of family operation, the founding values remain unchanged. These values have fostered growth and opened windows of opportunity over the years. Through building strong client relationships, Meyer Contracting Inc. is infiltrating new markets throughout the Midwest and beyond.