The Hagerman Group

Not many companies can ring in a centennial celebration, but The Hagerman Group (Hagerman) is fast approaching its 105th year in business. The Indiana-based construction manager and general contractor has been delivering top quality new construction, design-build and renovations for over a century, with a focus on skilled, in-house masonry and carpentry and building longstanding relationships with repeat clients.

Family First

The family-owned and -operated company formed in 1908, at the turn of the century in Fort Wayne, Ind. William Hagerman and his brother-in-law Frederick Buesching founded the firm and eventually passed it onto the second generation in the 1940s. William’s sons, Theodore and William O., stepped into their father’s leadership role, followed by Theodore’s son, Mark in 1978.

Today, Mark and his son, Jeff, continue to build on the Hagerman foundation, expanding the company’s locations and services. “We’re all united under the Hagerman Group umbrella,” explains Evan Sutton, director of Masonry Operations for Hagerman. “Hagerman Construction, our trade business and Hagerman Incorporated, our construction management and general contracting company exist as separate entities.”

Since Hagerman’s inception, nearly 105 years ago, the company has expanded outside of Fort Wayne. “Our corporate office is still in Fort Wayne, but we’ve added a second location in Fishers, Ind., a suburb of Indianapolis,” reveals Evan. “We cover the entire state of Indiana and into Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and we dabble in Michigan, but not lately with the recession.”

“We have about 500 employees, and about 100 to 150 during peak season in the masonry department alone,” estimates Evan. “The Hagerman family has always put family and employees first. They realize people are the biggest investment; internal growth and continuing education are strongly encouraged here.”

Evan says that’s exactly what drew him to Hagerman in the first place. “I started out as a bricklayer in the 1990s,” he recalls. “I knew this company had the longevity and stability to offer room for my personal growth. I came up through the ranks over the years to where I am today.

A Client-driven Approach & Versatility

Along with a focus on family and internal improvement, Hagerman has remained dedicated to client-first solutions. “We’re highly client-driven from the prospective of general contractor and construction manager,” notes Evan. “By nature, we’re rigid in our polices and procedures and it fits well with the other general contractors we work with. In fact, I think they prefer to work with us because there’s less of a management issue; we’re schedule driven because the faster you’re off the job- the better for everyone.”

Hagerman offers a wide range of construction services, from design-build to BIM modeling, green, sustainable building, and also specific trade work such as masonry, concrete and carpentry. “We mainly focus on new construction but we also do some restoration and maintenance work,” details Evan.

Hagerman’s masonry service provides block, brick and stone such as limestone for architectural, owner and general contractor specific requirements. “Projects are typically dictated by the design team,” explains Evan. “We can do it all in-house, depending on the size of the job, our backlog and amount of resources, but we appreciate and value our relationships with subcontractors and suppliers. It’s hard enough to turn a profit in this industry, so it’s good to know we have people we can depend on.”

“The trend in this area has been to have masonry as a subcontractor, but in the late 1990s and early 2000s we were doing a great deal of prime contractor work,” continues Evan “We have the flexibility to approach a job however it helps the owner.”

A Project Portfolio to be Proud of

Over the past century, Hagerman has developed a high-profile project legacy many companies merely dream of. Hagerman is proud to have played a part in developing city skylines and other important structures throughout the Midwest, from the Indianapolis Arts Garden to the Circle Centre Mall, the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum to the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial and a slew of other higher education and institutional work. “We have a great resume of jobs we’ve been fortunate enough to work on over the years,” adds Evan.

A prime example of Hagerman’s highly skilled masonry service is the Performing Arts Center in Carmel, Ind. “This beautiful limestone structure is a once-in-a-lifetime job,” describes Evan. “We’ve won several awards for the materials, craftsmanship and intricacies involved.”

On the design-build front, Hagerman recently landed Crawfordsville Middle School in Crawfordsville, Ind. “This was a huge win for our organization because we’ve really been trying to target design-build jobs in the public sector,” shares Evan. “We’ll be working hand-in-hand with the design team and we look forward to this market growing in the future.”

After 105 years of success, Hagerman doesn’t forget to give back to the community that’s made it all possible. “We’re big on community involvement and giving back,” details Evan. “We do a lot of projects with United Way, rehabbing daycares and other facilities. It’s a great relationship because you can see the benefits going directly to the children.”

Moving forward, Evan says Hagerman will continue to pursue design-build opportunities while focusing on the hard bid market that’s allowed for great success. “We’re looking for strategic growth and always better ways to serve our clients,” adds Evan.

After 105 years, The Hagerman Group continues holds tight to family ownership, the community it serves and longstanding relationships that have resulted in a trusted reputation.