Case Studies Region: Midwest

You’d think you just walked into a hip Chicago loft space. From the geometric carpet laid atop hardwood flooring to the exposed duct work and brick walls, the office of Vortex Commercial Flooring isn’t your typical showroom. Even the shop’s location, in the heart of the Chicago Loop, is meant to buck the flooring industry’s […]

Even the most ambitious company has got to know its limits, especially when overmatched by industry giants. It might prove better to specialize in a couple of areas rather than spreading the corporate capability too thin. Upon careful review, BlueNRGY Group Limited opted to do just that this past spring, finally phasing out the more […]

As companies grow larger, there is often a danger that employees will feel disconnected with upper management. “I think everyone needs something that motivates them to come to work and be part of an organization,” says Stan Sugden, president of Ruekert & Mielke Inc. (R/M), a 71-year-old civil engineering firm with offices throughout Wisconsin and […]

Sam Wainer discovered his niche in the sustainability movement as a student at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management in 2010, when his department’s main building, Gallagher Hall, earned a LEED Platinum certification. While giving a tour of the new facility to the university’s board of regents, Wainer realized how nice it would be […]

If a big-box store in San Diego loses its air conditioning, the solution may be just a phone call away to a massive command center staffed around the clock in Ohio. Perhaps the issue can be resolved remotely, and, if not, a crew will soon be arriving either from Sodexo|Roth or from a trusted vendor […]

Few things make a person feel vulnerable like working on a paving crew. The only breeze under the beating sun may come from speeding traffic, and the only shade may be from the heavy machinery laying hot asphalt. At least, that’s how it looks from the outside. But according to one of Ohio’s largest paving contractors, […]

Construction isn’t known for being quiet. But over the last 25 years, a force has quietly swept the industry: design-build. In 1993, only three states allowed design-build, a construction method in which one team is tasked with both designing and constructing a project. Design-build presents an alternative to design-bid-build, in which one team designs a […]

When he was just 11-years-old, Weaver walked into the office of Clayco, Inc., a large design-build and construction firm in St. Louis, asking for work so he could earn money to help his family out. Little did he know, the man he spoke with was the owner, Robert Clark. For the next four years, Weaver […]

For over half a century, O’Brien Construction Company has been an institution in Michigan—building everything from car dealerships and multi-family apartments to public schools and churches in Detroit and its surrounding communities. However, it is perhaps best known work done outside the commercial sphere. Since it was founded in 1962 by Eddie W. O’Brien, P.E., […]

For more than 32 years, James G. Staat Tuckpointing & Waterproofing Inc. has been preserving and renovating structures, including historical landmarks, throughout Missouri and Illinois. Specializing in tuckpointing, water repellants, joint sealing, graffiti removal and brick cleaning, Staat Tuckpointing guarantees its workmanship. Preserving with aplomb Staat Tuckpointing was founded by James Staat in 1984 with […]