your honor

James F. Parks

James F. Parks of Berghammer Construction Corp., Butler, won the 2004 Affiliate of the Year Award from the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin for his commitment to the association and the real-estate industry. Parks also won the award in 2000. … The Wisconsin Commercial Real Estate Women recently honored several projects for outstanding real-estate development and redevelopment practices. The Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center in Sheboygan won the 2004 Real Estate Development Showcase Award. Boston Lofts in Milwaukee won the Judges' Choice Award. Cathedral Place in Milwaukee won the Heart of the Community Award. Korger's Decorating & Fine Furniture in Chippewa Falls won the Phoenix Award. The Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee won the Leading Edge Award. Legacy Bank in Milwaukee won the Spirit Award. The Centralia Center in Wisconsin Rapids won the Grass Roots Award. … J.H. Findorff & Son Inc., Madison, won three Golden Trowel Awards from the International Masonry Institute for the contractor's work on Capitol Point Condominiums in Madison, Findorff's corporate headquarters in Madison and the private residence of Joel and Leigh Bahr.

Capitol Point Condominiums

Miron Construction Co. Inc., Neenah, won a Golden Trowel Award Honorable Mention Schools (K-12) for its work on Wausau East High School. Voss Jorgensen Schueler Co. Inc., Waukesha, won a Golden Trowel Award Honorable Mention University or College for its work on Mount Mary College's Gerhardinger Center. The IMI gives out the awards every two years to honor excellence in masonry design and construction. … Tweet/Garot Mechanical Inc., Green Bay, and August Winter & Sons Inc., Appleton, won a 2004 Build Wisconsin Award from the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin for their work on the Lambeau Field redevelopment project in Green Bay. J.H. Findorff & Son won a 2004 Build Wisconsin Award for its work renovating and expanding Middleton High School. Miron Construction won four 2004 Build Wisconsin Awards. The company won for its work on the Lambeau Field redevelopment, the Boys & Girls Brigade-Camp Onaway in Waupaca, the ArtsBlock Performing Arts Center in Wausau and the Elisha D. Smith Public Library in Menasha. … Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer & Associates Inc., Milwaukee, won the Excellence in Structural Engineering Award from the National Council of Structural Engineering Association and the Outstanding Structure Award from the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering for the company's work as the structural engineer of record for the Quadracci Pavilion at the Milwaukee Art Museum. … Mead & Hunt Inc., Madison, won an Honorable Mention Award from the American Public Works Association Sacra-mento Chapter for the company's engineering design of the Reclamation District 1000 Pumping Plant No. 1 in the Sacramento, Calif., region.

Hot spot

Hot Spot General contractor Peter Schwabe Inc., Big Bend, is digging in on the $6 million Bay View Commons development on a 2-acre piece of land at Becher Street and South Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View. The mixed-use project, designed by Welman Architects Inc., Waukesha, and developed by Big Bend Development LLC, will feature 21 condos with underground parking and 20,000 square feet of retail space. Big Bend expects the project, which got under way in December, to run eight to 10 months with occupancy slated for late summer. All of the leased retail space is open for tenants, and Big Bend Development is planning for future build-outs.

By design

Sheboygan Senior Communities wants to offer its residents the full spectrum of retirement care, and its plans for Landmark Towers should accomplish just that. The 80-unit, seven-story Landmark Towers, which is under total project management by Hoffman LLC, Appleton, will add an independent-living senior apartment
community to Senior Communities' campus in downtown Sheboygan. The 160,000-square-foot project, with an estimated construction cost of $19 million, will offer apartments in a variety of sizes as well as added space for community and resident programs and services. Hoffman expects competitive bids for the project to
hit the streets in May, and construction should start in July. The project is scheduled to reach completion in January 2007.

in memoriam

Raymond P. Reichl, Greendale, died Nov. 6 of undisclosed causes. Reichl, 82, worked at Bell-Reichl Construction Co., Hales Corners, as an estimator for many years. Prior to his time at Bell-Reichl, he was a professor of engineering at Marquette University. … Kenneth M. Coffman, Milwaukee, died Nov. 16 following a stroke. Coffman, 83, worked in the mechanical construction field for 57 years. He was hired as executive vice president and general manager of Downey Inc., Milwaukee, in 1969 and continued to work for the company until a few days before his death. He also served as the president of mechanical contracting associations at the local, state and national levels, culminating with his role as president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America in 1988. Coffman also was the recipient of more than 100 industry and community awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Construction and Engineering Management Program. … Daniel F. Hinkes, Sun City West, Ariz., died Nov. 16 following a long struggle with diabetes. Hinkes, 71, was a second-generation owner of Geis Building Products, Brookfield, and an active participant with the Metropolitan Builders Association. … Mark J. Roidt, Rice Lake, Robert Crotteau, Haugen, Joseph Crotteau, Haugen, and Allan James Laski, Haugen, all died Nov. 21 of gunshot wounds while hunting in Sawyer County. Roidt, 28, was a wood-flooring installer for Burnell's Décor, Rice Lake. Robert Crotteau, 42, was the founder and owner of R&J Concrete, Rice Lake. Joseph Crotteau, 20, worked for his father, Robert, at R&J Concrete. Laski, 43, was the manager of the Rice Lake United Building Centers store.

Peer review

AT THE HELM

Pitz steers his company through its third generation

Pitz Erich Pitz would rather be duck hunting.

"You should see some of the sunrises I've seen," he said. "My dad got me into it. I used to tell him I was going duck hunting, and he'd say, 'You better enjoy it while I'm here because when I'm gone, it'll be different.' I know what he meant."

That was back when Pitz's father, Willott, was the president of McMullen & Pitz Construction Co. and Pitz was the vice president. But it all changed in 1997 when Willott died. Pitz took over the Manitowoc company, which handles all kinds of construction but specializes in marine work, and, as president, he assumed all of the responsibility.

"It's just a name, but there's a lot that falls on your shoulders," he said. "There's banking and bonding and personal guarantees. I'm the one who signs the ticket."

He's also the one who might drive up to Medford to dismantle a crane and haul it to Waupaca. Or perhaps he's the one running the show while a helicopter hauls concrete to a hopper on a barge when his crew is building an intake structure on Lake Michigan for the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant.

Or maybe, just maybe, he's the guy with his head in a pail while his tugboat rolls with the violent swells on Lake Michigan.

"We did a job at the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, and we were going 24 hours nonstop, but the weather picked up, and we had to pull the barge back to Manitowoc," he said. "I went down below to sleep, but the tugboat was rocking so much, I got up to go outside and puke. Ralph asked me where I was going. I said I was going outside to puke. He said, 'Oh no you're not.' So I puked in a pail.

"That year at the Christmas party, they gave me a pail with shoulder straps and a bull's eye on the bottom. I'll never forget that."

Pitz might not have such fond memories if his original plans had worked out. He grew up in Manitowoc with the company in his blood and Lake Michigan in his back yard, but, like his father, he didn't immediately plan on running the family firm.

His grandfather, Arthur Pitz, formed the company in 1918 with Oliver McMullen. Willott Pitz took over where his father left off.

"My dad was a civil engineer," Pitz said. "It wasn't his goal to come back and run McMullen & Pitz. He came back."

Pitz graduated from high school in 1971 and spent some time in college working toward a major in wildlife management and a minor in water resources.

But college wasn't for him, and Pitz eventually found himself standing in his father's footsteps. He joined the local union, earned the necessary certifications and signed on with McMullen & Pitz as a general laborer in 1974.

He rose through the ranks, first assuming a role as foreman and then, in 1987, making the move to the front office. But at McMullen & Pitz, there's a thin line between the front office and the field.

"I'm a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none," he said. "I'm certified in welding, I can run a crane, run a dozer. I wear a lot of hats. I have no choice."

And although the even mix of construction and waterfowl photos in the halls of McMullen & Pitz reflect the president's divided loyalties, Pitz said his heart is with the company his family built.

"It's a challenge," he said. "But it gets in your blood like a whiskey. You have to be able to adjust. I knew that when my father passed. He taught me so much, but the biggest thing is ethics. Be honest."

- Chris Thompson

On the horizon

Engine & Transmission Exchange Inc., Milwaukee, is planning an estimated $1 million alteration project to its building on 76th Street in Milwaukee. … Isthmus Architecture, Madison, and Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer & Associates Inc., Madison, have signed on as consultants in preparation of an estimated $1 million restoration of Breese Stevens Field Stadium in Madison. … Bray Associates Architects Inc., Middleton, is working as a consultant to the Madison City Parks Division on an estimated $5 million renovation of the Franklin Field Parks Maintenance Facility in Madison. … The city of Racine is moving forward with plans for a $1 million to $2 million redesign and reconstruction of Monument Square in the city's downtown. … The city of Waupaca and Strand Associates Inc., Madison, are developing a remodel and expansion project of the city's police station. … The Zimmerman Design Group, Wauwatosa, in association with HOK Inc., Kansas City, Mo., and construction-manager-at-risk Oscar J. Boldt Construction Co., Appleton, are working through the state approval process for the estimated $133.9 million construction of the HealthStar Interdisciplinary Research Complex at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison. Zimmerman Design is also working on plans for Kathy Hospice, which will be near St. Joseph's Hospital in Polk. … Becher-Hoppe Associates Inc., Wausau, has signed on to provide consultant services for an improvement project at the Stevens Point Municipal Airport. … Ayres Associates Inc., Eau Claire, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation are developing improvement projects for bridges along Interstate 39 and the Wisconsin River in Rothschild. … Lenz Realty Development, Hales Corners, is planning the development of the estimated $12 million Hidden Ponds Condominiums in St. Francis. … The city of Kenosha has put together a capital improvement plan that includes $14.8 million for the construction of a Civil War museum near HarborPark and $13.3 million for the design and construction of a Kenosha Transit bus garage. … Somerville Inc., Green Bay, is working on the design for a new municipal-services building in Sturgeon Bay. … Water Technology Inc., Beaver Dam, and the Manitowoc City Parks and Recreation Department are getting started on plans for a municipal aquatic center in the city. … Developer RM Lakeshore Investments, Kenosha, is planning a 48-unit condominium complex on 11th Street and Lake Avenue in Racine. … Weas Develop-ment Co., Milwaukee, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are working on an estimated $68 million redevelopment plan for the Kenilworth Building on the UWM campus. … Carroll Associates Architects, Palatine, Ill., is planning the construction of a 650-car parking ramp at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa. … Fischer-Fischer-Theis Inc., Waukesha, has signed on to design the 36,000-square-foot Bayshore Branch of the U.S. Post Office in Glendale. … The village of Grafton is planning to retrofit the former Leeson Electric Co. building and the surrounding 25 acres for reuse as a municipal complex. … Engberg Anderson Design Partnership Inc., Milwaukee, has signed on to design and plan the interior restoration of the North Point Lighthouse for Milwaukee County. … Plunkett Raysich Architects, Madison, is putting together the design of an estimated $3 million Boys & Girls Club Center in the Allied Drive Neighborhood in Madison. … Grumman-Butkus Associates, Wauwatosa, will provide architectural and engineering services for an estimated $1.7 million multibuilding chiller and cooling tower replacement at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. … The Dodge County Highway Department has released a 2005 road-construction program that includes $2.5 million and $2.3 million reconstructions of Highway S and a $1.2 million
reconstruction of Highway W.

branching out

Callen Construction Inc., a family owned home improvement and remodeling contractor, is expanding the showroom at its offices in Muskego. The 2,500-square-foot addition should be complete in spring. … RMT Inc., an environmental-management, engineering and construction firm based in Madison, has expanded its office from 7,000 square feet to 12,500 square feet. The company plans to use the additional space for more staff and expanded services.

Dotted Line

Bukacek Construction Inc., Racine, won the contract to construct a $600,000, 10,500-square-foot warehouse facility in the Franklin Industrial Center IV in Franklin. … Kruczek Construction Inc., Green Bay, landed a $1.7 million contract to construct sanitary-sewer, water-main and storm-sewer extensions in Glen Kent Estates in Howard. Sievert Excavating LLC, Pulaski, won a $1.4 million contract for road-construction work in Glen Kent Estates. … Staab Construction Corp., Marshfield, secured a $4.2 million contract to upgrade a wastewater-treatment plant in Osceola. … Jossart Bros. Construction, De Pere, won a $1.2 million contract for utility work on Evergreen Drive in Little Chute. … Mainline Sewer & Water Inc., Wauwatosa, will construct the west transmission main project in Oak Creek after landing a $2.1 million contract for the job. … C.W. Purpero Inc., Milwaukee, secured a $2.6 million contract for retention pond and sewer work at the Tess Corners Creek Retention Pond in New Berlin. … Market & Johnson Inc., Eau Claire, won a $16.2 million general-construction contract for a new student union and child-care center at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Halverson Bros. Plumbing & Heating, Menomonie, won a $1.6 million plumbing contract for the job. Scheck Mechanical Wisconsin Corp., Kaukauna, won a $3.7 million HVAC contract. B&B Electric Inc., Eau Claire, won a $3.6 million electrical contract. … Advance Construction Inc., Green Bay, will construct improvements to the interceptor-sewer system in Kaukauna after winning a $2.8 million contract for the job. … Kinateder Masonry Inc., Waukesha, won a $1.2 million masonry contract for the construction of an elementary school in Oak Creek. … Downey Inc., Milwaukee, will construct fire-protection improvements at several housing developments in Milwaukee after winning a $1.6 million contract for the work. … Miron Construction Co. Inc., Neenah, won a $4.8 million contract to construct the Business Assistance Center at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay. … Marquette Constructors LLC, Waukesha, landed a $30.6 million contract to construct the west leg of the Marquette Interchange project in Milwaukee.

giving back

The Mechanical Contractors Association of North Central Wisconsin recently awarded a $2,000 scholarship to University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh student Jill N. Gloudemans, a $2,000 scholarship to Howards Grove High School senior Nicholas F. Plocar, a $1,000 scholarship to UW-Oshkosh student Amanda Lau and a $1,000 scholarship to Fond du Lac High School graduate Paula Anhalt. … The Wisconsin Fox Valley Sheet Metal Contractors Association recently awarded $1,000 scholarships to Peter G. Baye, who is a Concordia Seward College student in Nebraska, Melissa Leduc, who is a Freedom High School senior, and Stephanie Fameree, who is a student at North Central College in Illinois. … Safway Services Inc., Madison, donated $25,000 in scaffolding to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's construction-management program.

Best of the web

The Archpedia Web site at www.archpedia.com is a comprehensive guide to everything architecture. Its features range from descriptions of architectural styles, terms and theories to biographies and interviews in RealAudio format with famous architects. But beware. If you are the slightest bit interested in architecture, this site will take up a good portion of your afternoon. — Rick Benedict

Off the clock

Good acoustics

O'Toole performs at the Live at the Lakefront event put on by Eppstein Uhen Architects Inc. in September on the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee.

Kevin O'Toole started playing guitar because he couldn't play the drums.

His family didn't have a basement, and what passed for a garage was really no more than an open-air carport. Bottom line was the neighbors just weren't too keen on crashing cymbals and banging drums echoing across the Navy base in Monterey, Calif., where O'Toole was living as a teen-ager.

"Drums in the carport didn't last long, so I went and bought a guitar and taught myself how to play," said O'Toole, the executive vice president of Hunzinger Construction Co., Brookfield.

His mother, a concert violinist, approved.

"I have very fond memories of staying up late with my mom and playing her favorite songs," he said. "It was a way for me to connect with her. She died young, and I remember when I was 18 playing to her in the hospital."

Guitar playing evolved into songwriting, and O'Toole penned his first tune when he was a high school senior in Monterey. It was called "To Leave You Monterey."

Kevin O'Toole plays to the Shank Hall crowd in Milwaukee while opening for Asia on July 12, 2003.

Shortly after, he left Monterey.

"I came to Milwaukee for school at Marquette, and I was playing primarily as a solo acoustic act," he said. "I guess you could characterize it as contemporary folk rock."

O'Toole kept his act going around Milwaukee until family life in the late 1970s transformed his audience from a bar full of people into a living room with his kids.

But he bounced back into the Milwaukee music scene in the mid-1980s with the Basement Boys, which stretched beyond the local scene, opening for national acts such as Eric Burdon, Meatloaf, The Rascals and the Little River Band.

"We were a rock 'n' roll band to contend with," O'Toole said.

His time with the Basement Boys was limited. A move to Florida took O'Toole out of the Milwau-kee music scene for a decade. But when he moved back in 1998, he picked up right where he left off.

He played solo acoustic acts around town, opening and playing with some national acts. But his big break came with an acceptance to the Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio. The ranch is a guitar camp run by Jorma Kaukonen, the original lead guitarist of Jefferson Airplane.

Henry Lewis II (left), who owns Lewis Sound in Milwaukee, and O'Toole are working on a new music project.

"It's a four-day camp with generally three or four instructors," O'Toole said. "It's pretty heavy-duty stuff."

O'Toole's time at the camp led to one of his songs, "Big Girl," ending up on a soon-to-be-released Fur Peace CD. But the song has even more meaning for O'Toole. It played right before Kelly, his daughter, walked down the aisle in July 2003. The song also played while Kelly and O'Toole performed their father-daughter dance at the reception.

"For me, that brought things full circle," he said. "I grew up playing guitar, I played for my daughter, and then we danced to it at her wedding."

These days, O'Toole is still playing. He's been working on a new project at his home recording studio with Henry Lewis II, who owns Lewis Sound in Milwaukee.
"We've been in my studio writing a lot and recording," O'Toole said. "It's a project that I think has some potential."

Potential or not, O'Toole said he doesn't plan to quit his day job.

"For me, it's a release."

- Chris Thompson

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