HEAD OVER HEELS

"I grew up in this business, and I carry the proof with me.” David Kraemer

Kraemer falls for industry

There's a faded white scar on the tip of David Kraemer's chin.

He points to it when he's talking about construction and his history in the industry. It proves, he said, that he's a construction industry lifer.

"I grew up in this business, and I carry the proof with me," said Kraemer, the president and CEO of Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc., Plain. "When I was five, I road my tricycle in the shop, and I went over the handlebars and ended up with stitches in my chin."

It was arguably Kraemer's first experience with the ups and downs of the construction industry. But it wasn't the last.

Kraemer graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee with a civil engineering degree in 1964 and joined his family's company in August 1966 only to find himself shipped off to Toledo, Ohio, to run the company's new quarry.

"I was a raw rookie," he said. "I was 26 years old, and I had to learn everything — how to set up an office, labor negotiations. I had to learn how to build a production facility and learn the customers."

In Memoriam Cliff Bergin, Thiensville, died Sept. 25 at his home from cancer. Bergin, 75, founded Cliff Bergin & Associates, Mequon, in 1982. ... Anthony J. Poterala, River Falls, died Oct. 6 after he fell 65 feet from a beam while working on a bridge spanning the Mississippi River in La Crosse. Poterala, 34, had worked for project subcontractor Hi-Boom Erecting Inc., Black River Falls, for two weeks. ... Walter J. Novotny, Auburndale, died Oct. 7 after a cement truck hit him while he was pouring a concrete sidewalk in Stevens Point. Novotny, 47, had worked for project contractor Oscar J. Boldt Construction, Appleton, for 18 years.

It was Kraemer's opportunity to make his "first decisions," which were based on instinct rather than experience. Those decisions helped Kraemer grasp the industry and prepare for the leadership role he would eventually assume as the third generation of Kraemers running the business.

Kraemer returned to Wisconsin in 1969 and spent the next 17 years learning the industry and acting as an understudy to his father, Rudy, and uncle, Vic. And then, at exactly 1:04 p.m. on Valentine's Day in 1986, Kraemer once again experienced the highs and lows of life in the industry when he and his father completed a leverage buyout of the company from his uncle and a group of shareholders.

"My dad and my uncle were running the business as co-owners, and it wasn't working very well," he said. "We found a way for everybody to be reasonably satisfied.

About a year and a half later, my dad got sick, and I bought him out."

And that left Kraemer with the freedom to completely restructure Edward Kraemer & Sons. In 1986, the company pulled in revenues between $70 million and $80 million, but Kraemer had his eyes on a bigger bounty.

He sold the Toledo quarry, a portable crushing business in Wisconsin and a landfill in Minnesota, leaving the company with a core competency of heavy construction and materials.

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"We did that because our country is really underinvested in infrastructure," he said. "A lot of metropolitan areas need a huge infusion of infrastructure investment, and that was my strategy. We intended to be a part of that investment."

Kraemer's strategy worked. The company has regional and satellite offices spread through Wisconsin, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Utah and Virginia. Edward Kraemer employs about 1,100 people, and Kraemer said he expects revenue this year in the $330 million to $370 million range.

Despite the company's national growth, Kraemer's focus has never strayed too far from that shop where he earned his first industry scar. And when he says, "I grew up here and this is my roots," there's really no distinguishing between his hometown and his industry.

- Chris Thompson

Dotted Line

Mathy Construction Co., Onalaska, won a $2.7 million bid to handle asphalt paving at Fort McCoy. ... Kruczek Construction Inc., Green Bay, will handle road, utility and detention-pond work for the Shadow Ridge development in Weston after landing a $1.2 million contract. ... Bachmann Construction Co. Inc., Madison, netted a $6.6 million contract to build the Camp Douglas military administration building, and Thomas Electrical Service Inc., Marshfield, won a $1.3 million contract to perform electrical work on the same job. ... A-1 Excavating Inc., Bloomer, secured a $1 million contract for utility, roadway and detention-pond work on the North Industrial Park development in Rice Lake and a $2.6 million contract for utility improvements to East Garver Heights in Winona, Minn. ... The Bentley Company, Milwaukee, landed general contracting duties for the 30,000-square-foot addition and renovation of the Crossroads Presbyterian Christian Learning Center in Mequon. ... J.P. Cullen & Sons Inc., Brookfield, submitted a winning $9.6 million bid to construct Milwaukee Public Schools' new 37th Street School and the winning $5.1 million bid to handle masonry work on the $28 million Waukesha County Justice Center expansion and renovation. ... J.F. Brennan Co. Inc., La Crosse, landed a $1.4 million contract to construct new bulkhead recesses for Lock and Dam No. 3 in Welch, Minn. ... Selzer-Ornst Co., Wauwatosa, signed on to complete the two-story, 20-bed Marjorie Center for Alzheimer's patients on Bluemound Road in Wauwatosa. ... Michels Pipeline Construction Inc., New Berlin, won a $3.2 million contract to upgrade the electrical wiring and signals along University Avenue, Charter Street and Linden Drive in Madison. ... With a $1.6 million winning bid, G&L Electric Inc., Appleton, will replace the fire-alarm system at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ... United States Fire Protection Wisconsin, New Berlin, landed a $3.8 million contract to fit Gruenhagen and Scott halls at UW-Oshkosh with fire-sprinkler systems. ... R.M. Schlosser Excavating, Durand, will replace a water main in Wheeler after submitting the winning $1 million bid for the job. ... PTS Contractors Inc., Green Bay, landed a $2.8 million contract to construct a wastewater-collection system in Taycheedah. ... Knaus Construction Inc., Green Bay, won a $2 million bid to work a sewer and water reconstruction in Appleton.

Best of the Web The National Building Museum's Web site at www.nbm.org offers a close look at the Washington, D.C., institution as well as its exhibits and events. The Building America online exhibit is of particular interest as it has very interesting interactive time lines documenting the history of the construction industry. Be prepared to spend quite a bit of time at this site. - Rick Benedict

... J&F Construction & Home Improvement, Eau Claire, will construct a public works facility for the city of Chetek after winning a $1 million contract. ... Oscar J. Boldt Construction Co., Appleton, won a $4.1 million contract to work on the Iron County Medical Care Facility addition and renovation in Crystal Falls, Mich. ... Tricon Construction Group, Cuba City, will lead the Ullrich Hall renovation at the UW-Platteville after winning a $2.1 million contract for the work. ... Dorner Inc., Luxemburg, landed four contracts, totaling $3.5 million, to construct the Duck Creek Interceptor's north leg in Hobart. ... Fischl Construction Corp., Madison, won a $1.7 million contract to construct a storage and refueling facility for Dane County in Springfield Corners.

On the Move

Ayres Associates has moved its Madison operations into a new building at 1802 Pankratz St. The 80 Madison staff members for the architectural and engineering consulting firm made the move from their old offices at 2445 Darwin Road. The new number for the Madison office is 608-443-1200. ... CG Schmidt Inc., Milwaukee, has relocated its design/build division, 1SOURCE, into the 875 East Wisconsin Building in downtown Milwaukee. The new number for 1SOURCE is 414-278-1177.

Milestones SDS Architects Inc. is 50 years old. The Eau Claire architectural firm was founded in 1953 as Grant Paul Architects, and it has grown over the years to a staff of 21. In the last 50 years, the firm has gone under the names of Paul-Hallbeck and Associates, James R. Hallbeck & Associates, The Hallbeck Group and Seymour Davis Seymour. ... The Bentley Company, Milwaukee, celebrated its 155th anniversary in October. The general contractor celebrated the event at the Wisconsin Club, built by the company in 1848, in Milwaukee.

Your Honor

Badger Home Builders Inc., Waukesha, James H. Hoffman Builders Inc., Mequon, and Moore Designs Inc., West Bend, each landed a People's Choice Award in the Metropolitan Builders Association's 2003 Parade of Homes. Hoffman won for its work on Hawks Landing subdivision in Mequon. Moore won for the Twin Creeks subdivision in Jackson. Badger won for the Western Hills subdivision in Hartford. ... The Milwaukee School of Engineering is creating a national name for itself with another year ranking high on the U.S. News & World Report list of best colleges. The school's engineering program ranked ninth, its industrial and manufacturing engineering program ranked fourth, its mechanical engineering program ranked seventh and its electrical, electronic and communications engineering program ranked seventh. ... The Towne Group, Milwaukee, took home two Aurora Awards from the Southeast Building Conference in Orlando, Fla. The firm won the awards for its Raleigh IV-3 and Monarch V model homes. ... The Wisconsin Airport Management Association recognized two employees with Mead & Hunt Inc., Madison, as leaders in their fields. Bob Kunkel, senior aviation consultant, won the Lifetime Service Award, and Bryan Page, airport engineer, won the 2003 Airport Engineer of the Year Award. Mead & Hunt also earned recognition from CE News, a civil engineering magazine, as one of the best employers in the nation's engineering community. ... The Wisconsin Section of the American Society for Civil Engineers honored several companies, projects and individuals for excellence in engineering. The General Mitchell International Airport parking structure, with construction manager CG Schmidt Inc., Milwaukee, and designer Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer & Associates Inc., Milwaukee, earned a 2003 Engineering Achievement Award. Darrell Berry, transportation and construction division manager for Bloom Consultants LLC, Milwaukee, won the 2003 Distinguished Service Award for his work for the ASCE as well as his professional and personal achievements. Ruekert/Mielke Inc., Waukesha, won a 2003 Engineering Achievement award for its work on Well No. 30 for the city of Brookfield. ... The Soo Line "S" Bridge Enhancement Project in Eau Claire won the Public Works Project of the Year award from the American Public Works Association. Fleming Andre & Associates Inc., Eau Claire, designed the project, and contractor Great Lakes Marine Contracting, Black Creek, built it. ... Payne & Dolan Inc., Waukesha, won the Diamond Achievement Commendation for Excellence in Hot Mix Asphalt Plant/Site Operations from the National Asphalt Pavement Association. The award recognizes facilities that operate in an exemplary manner.

Off the Clock

Architecture is art, and if you ever had doubts, consider that two area architectural firms have participated in gallery nights.

Groth Design Group in Cedarburg on Oct. 10 opened its doors to about 200 people interested in viewing the artwork of the Kinens, a local family of artists, during the Downtown Gallery Walk. The Gallery Walk was part of the Cedarburg Arts Weekend, sponsored by the Cedarburg Artist Guild, said Kristen Thomas, marketing coordinator for the firm.

"We wanted to do this for some time," Thomas said. "We have a close relationship with the Kinens family."

Two weekends later, Eppstein Uhen Architects Inc., Milwaukee, participated in the East Town and Historic Third Ward associations' Gallery Night and Day.

"This is our fourth time," said Anna Baxter Kirk, marketing manager of the company. "We're getting to be veterans. On average, we had about 600 people come through our space.

"We thought it would be a new way to connect with the community. And certainly, architecture is a form of art."

Baxter Kirk said Eppstein Uhen's mission statement is "beyond design." Events like Gallery Night and Day help the company achieve that.

For the Oct. 24 and 25 event, Baxter Kirk said the firm was focusing on the educational market.

"We've switched focus every single time," she said. "The last time we focused on interior design."

She said the space was filled with renderings and drawings, but the artwork of students from Eppstein Uhen's school projects was also on display.

"We put a nice twist to this that we're excited about," Baxter Kirk said.

- Candace Doyle

On the Horizon

By Design The Milwaukee Community Sailing Center wants to tear down its facility on McKinley Harbor and start fresh. But first it needs a successful fund-raising campaign to fuel its plans for a new $4 million, 23,000-square-foot building on the site. With HGA Inc., Milwaukee, on board for architectural services, the center is hoping to create year-round classrooms, a community meeting room, a boat maintenance area and a casual club room with a fireplace. The center wants to break ground in spring, and HGA expects bids to hit the street in late winter or early spring.

General contractor The Redmond Co., Waukesha, and architect Albion Group Inc., Milwaukee, are working through the Mukwonago approval process to build a 60,000-square-foot retail center in two buildings on Highway 83 in the village. ... Groth Design Group, Cedarburg, has signed on to design the offices for Milwaukee's Environmental Consortium at 1845 N. Farwell Ave. ... Engineer Kaempfer & Associates Inc., Oconto Falls, is prepping for an anticipated August 2005 construction start for a $24 million water-treatment plant for the city of Fond du Lac. ... Developer Urban Visions, Waukesha, has offered to purchase the former Zahn's Department Store in Racine and convert it into an estimated $7 million upscale hotel with 45 units. ... Developer Art Dyer, Muskego, is working with the city of Muskego to construct an estimated $70 million residential, commercial and office project on 12 acres at the corner of Janesville and Lannon roads. ... Hospitality Specialists Inc., Jacksonville, Ill., is planning to develop a 122-room hotel near the Powerade IcePort project in Cudahy in time for the ice arena's fall 2004 opening. ... Architect HNTB Corp., Milwaukee, is slated to complete its design work next year for a $12.1 million, three-story addition to the judicial building in West Bend. ... The city of Racine is considering construction of a $3 million aquatic center following a proposal by Mayor Gary Becker. ... Endeavour Group Investments LLC, Milwaukee, is seeking a $500,000 city loan to spur development of a $1.5 million office and restaurant building in the Milwaukee Central Business District. ... The city of Ladysmith and engineer Morgan & Parmley Ltd., Ladysmith, are seeking Public Service Commission approval to build a $700,000, 200,000-gallon water tower to replace a tower destroyed in a 2002 tornado. ... Smithgroup JJR Inc., Madison, and Wispark Corp., Waukesha, are considering developing 140 acres of Wispark property on South Lake Drive in St. Francis. ... Weas Development Co., Milwaukee, and architect Tod Williams & Associates, New York, are considering construction of a 33,000-square-foot, $20 million condominium, office and retail building on Seeboth Street in Milwaukee. ... Kahler Slater Architects Inc., Milwaukee, and construction manager M.A. Mortenson Co., Minneapolis, are on board for the planned construction of a $65 million facility for the Beaver Dam Community Hospital. ... The village of Allouez and architect Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc., Chippewa Falls, are moving forward with plans to construct a new village hall and public works facility for the village.