Case Studies Commercial

When it comes to pulling together construction projects, Comico Hadden got a formidable lesson from two strong-minded women in her life who taught her anything can be achieved with hard work and persistence. She learned that firsthand when her mother and grandmother bought an affordable fixer-upper in northern New Jersey and taught the 8-year-old how […]

During the economic downturn and recession in 2008 and 2009, just before Duane Boris came to work at Northern Tool, the Minnesota-based construction equipment provider faced a choice: Continue as it had or adapt to the changing marketplace. It did the same thing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Boris says. “Even though we’ve been […]

To say that the metal fabrication industry is male-dominated would be an understatement. But that hasn’t stopped Holly Gotfredson from making her own statement. As the owner of American Metalcraft Inc. located just outside of Atlanta, Gotfredson and her leadership directors guide nearly 60 team members in producing painted aluminum architectural products for projects ranging […]

There was an element of surprise that made a world of difference for six-year-old Julissa and her family—something they never expected, living around the corner from the new neighborhood car wash. Julissa had beaten the odds, having leukemia once, but was stricken again. With mounting medical bills, life was tough for her family. They never […]

Growing up, Jerry Baker remembers watching his father build houses for wealthy and famous people—magnificent structures that seemed more like castles than homes. He wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and worked with him for a few years while his career took shape. But Baker says that he had a broader vision—he was wired […]

When Louisiana-based Bernhard Mechanical Contractors opened its doors in 1919, the company focused mainly on projects for businesses and residents in and around Baton Rouge: plumbing, custom sheet metal fabrication and so on. The company was founded by German-born William Bernhard, who emigrated to New Orleans with his parents. The definition of a self-made man, […]

Earlier this year, Paul Battista expected to be on campus at Harvard University for the third and final semester of an Executive Education program he began a few years ago. Instead, the COVID-19 pandemic kept him at home in northern Virginia. And while he hasn’t completed the degree yet, he’s not letting the global health […]

Most people go through life never having owned a business. Larry Wombles owns four in industries ranging from pump stations, sewer and lift stations, and grading operations, to agricultural, petroleum and public works. And while owning that many companies in such diverse industries has its perks, it also comes with many challenges, especially during a […]

While Jon Wilson found his love of construction early on in his career, 14 years ago this Wisconsin native was looking for a change of scenery. When someone mentioned the word “lake” in reference to North Carolina, that’s all he had to hear. Bags packed, in 2006 Wilson and his family headed south, where he […]

There’s a new Silicon Valley in the making across the Pacific. South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province is a hotbed for young tech talent and a region that HP Inc. targeted for expansion long before its 2016 acquisition of Samsung Electronics’ printer-copier division. That $1 billion-plus transaction was consummated right around the time Douglas Wolf became HP’s […]