The Daily Reporter's 2016 Newsmakers of The Year

2016
of the year
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THE DAILY REPORTERS 2016 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR
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The benefits of partnering with Building Advantage
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October 2016
THE DAILY REPORTER'S 2016 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

of the year
Architect of the Year

Zimmerman Architectural Studios
11
Estimator of the Year

Steve Wilz, Miron Construction
18
Interior Designer of the Year

PRA Interior Designers
24
Public Official of the Year, Russell

Stamper II, Milwaukee Alderman
31
Service Provider of the Year

Miller-Bradford & Risberg
39
Unsung Hero of the Year

Arlyn Kurth, Ruekert & Mielke
Builder of the Year

Mortenson Construction
12
Executive of the Year

Mike Dillis, J.H. Findorff
19
Minority-Owned Company of the

Year, Choice Construction Companies
26
Educator of the Year

Tracey Griffith, WRTP/BIG Step
14

Mike Sorge, Mortenson Construction
20
Project Manager of the Year

Scott Boettcher, Catalyst Construction
27
Rising Young Professional

Erin Bertocchi, Mortenson Construction Sara Feuling, WisDOT
34
Subcontractor of the Year

J.F. Ahern Company
40
35
Engineer of the Year

Bob Gutierrez, WisDOT
15
Humanitarian of the Year

James ZZ Zradicka, J.H. Findorff
22

Chad Labucki, Mortenson Construction
10
Engineering Firm of the Year

Excel Engineering
16
Innovator of the Year

Terry McGowan, Operating Engineers
23
Public Official of the Year

Rob Hutton, State Representative
28
30
36
38

Benjamin Koepsell, Michels Corporation Jared McDaniel, Tri-North Builders
Super Super
Team Leader of the Year
Unsung Hero of the Year
Justin Blubaugh, Mortenson Construction Laura Hause, Gilbane Building Company Jennifer Grimes, WisDOT
42
Virtual Construction Manager of the Workforce Creator of the Year

Year, Josh Baysinger, J.H. Findorff
Employ Milwaukee
44
Lifetime Achievement Award

Tom Thayer, Tri-North Builders
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Zimmerman connects with clients to find ideal design

When Zimmerman Architects began working on a design for the
Sojourner Family Peace
Center in Milwaukee,
architects used a tree
analogy to help develop
the final look.
of the year
Theres a central
trunk and from there, there are branches that
reach out into different areas, plus strong roots
holding it all into place, said Dave Stroik, Zimmerman president and chief executive officer.
We took that and connected it to having a main
street hallway with several sub lobbies leading to
the different destinations. As for the roots, thats
the connection the center has to the community.
Stroik said the Sojourner center is an example
of Zimmermans emphasis on tailoring its designs
to meet clients needs. The project called on the

architects to establish a sanctuary for victims of
domestic violence while also setting up spaces
where Sojourner and its partner organizations
could provide wrap-around services.
We try to get inside the head of our client and
learn what kind of facility best suits them, Stroik said.
We spend time with them and get to know them.
Stroik said the staff at Sojourner could get an
idea of what the final product was going to look
like by visiting Zimmermans main offices. The
company recently consolidated its operations
in a 40,000-square-foot building in Milwaukees
Menomonee River Valley.
During the past 30 years weve added specialists, including HVAC, mechanical engineering, structural engineering and more to create
one-stop shopping for our clients, Stroik said.
When Sojourner would come in for design
meetings, they could see the physical manifestation of what they wanted to do. For us,
single-source design from a single location improves communication among professionals,
eliminates project downtime and provides our
clients with efficient teams.
Rob Myers, a construction executive at
Mortenson Construction who has worked with
Zimmerman on several projects, including the Sojourner center, said Zimmerman works well with
its partners.
From a construction manager point of view,
they listen and accept feedback during the design phase to help streamline the execution
during the construction phase, Myers said.
Each of Zimmermans team members had a
positive attitude and genuine concern for the
end product being delivered.
MaryBeth Matzek
ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR

Mortenson takes pride in past while looking to future
of the year
When a contractor has

as many big projects
to its name as Mortenson Construction, there
comes a time when you
start to see how your
work has an effect on
things not just in the
past, but for years into
the future.
Just ask Scott Heberlein, vice president
and general manager of the companys Milwaukee office.
There was the Froedert and Medical College
Center for Advanced Care, the Acuity Insurance
Corporate Office, and were working on the new
downtown arena for the Milwaukee Bucks, Heberlein said.
All these massive projects have left their mark
not only on their surroundings but also Mortensons reputation in the industry.
Then there are the smaller projects such
as the Sojourner Truth House in Milwaukee.

Not the biggest job weve ever done in terms
of dollars, said Heberlein, but it was clearly
one of the most important.
Sojourner is a first-of-its-kind center that is
fully equipped to help both young and old victims
of domestic violence. This sort of help has long
been on offer in Milwaukee. But the services
were spread out among three different sites in
the county.
The new building brings all of it together under one roof. Its also worth noting that Sojourner is one of the first such centers in the country
to offer holistic treatment options to victims.
That accomplishment and others have already
brought the center various national, state, and
local honors.
When he looks to the future, Heberlein sees
no reason not to be optimistic about the industry. Thats especially true as Mortenson tries to
reach out to younger and more diverse groups.
My middle-school daughter interviewed me
for a report on engineering as a career, said Heberlein. STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs are going to play
an even bigger role going forward.
Our team members support each other,
Heberlein said. Its great for them and it helps
Mortenson advance as a company.
Mortenson has also established job-training
programs in many of the places where its working. One of the most successful is called Tech
Terns. The partnership seeks to introduce young
people to careers in construction, health care,
and related fields.
Heberlein also foresees big changes in the industry. He believes contractors will come to rely
more on prefabricated construction, virtual-reality planning and lean initiatives.
STEM will be even bigger as were recruiting
more and younger women and minorities into the
industry Heberlein said, because we have to
be ready to adapt every day.
Jerry Huffman
BUILDER OF THE YEAR

Griffith helps industry

meet residency
requirements
The task taken on by
WRTP/Big Step and its
director of construction
services, Tracey Griffith, is no small one.
Several years removed from the economic recession that
of the year
left many construction workers without work, industry officials
now have the opposite concern: They cant
find enough skilled employees.
WRTP/Big Step, which works to bring Milwaukee
residents into the construction industry, is charged
in part with helping developers and contractors
meet city-set goals that call for employing local residents as much as possible on public projects.
The citys Residents Preference Program calls for
40 percent of the construction-labor hours on public
projects to be performed by certified underemployed
or unemployed residents. The goals are generally
tied to city contracts and any private developments
that receive more than $1 million from the city.
As the city undergoes a building boom, the
goals are becoming something that more and
more contractors find themselves trying to meet.
The past two years of my work here (Ive
been) working very closely with contractors, especially tied to the Northwestern Mutual project
and working with the trades, Griffith said, referring to the $450 million headquarters tower that
is being built in downtown Milwaukee for the life
insurance company.
Theyve really worked closely with us and
embraced some of the things they needed to do
(with inclusion goals), Griffith added.
Griffith started with the organization in 2000,
first working as a tutor. She has since gained experience in apprenticeship-preparation tutoring,
developing construction-readiness training and
identifying ways to recruit candidates to those
training programs.
Griffith said her current role has her identifying the needs of trades union and contractors
and what their scope of work is going to be on
certain projects. She also develops plans to connect all the pieces.
Her contributions have not been lost on
union officials.
(Griffith) has played a large role in educating and
preparing candidates for careers in the construction
trades, said Dan Bukiewicz, president of the Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council.
Bukiewicz noted that few people understand how
instructors, businesses, political officials and labor
leaders all cooperate to make apprenticeships work.
Not only does Tracey understand this equation, she has helped to improve it through her
passion and commitment to candidate readiness
training, he said.
Alex Zank
EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

Tracey Griffith, WRTP/BIG Step
7
Gutierrez work
shaves $600M from
Zoo Interchange
Roberto Bob Gutierrez is pure Milwaukee.
He grew up there.
Went to college at the
University of Wisconsin
Milwaukee. He not only
understands the people
but how they drive. And
of the year
he saved taxpayers
nearly $600 million dollars in the process.
In other words, hes a man whos not short of
admirers.
For the last decade, the civil engineer has
managed some $2 billion dollars in infrastructure improvements, all the while changing the
way the Department of Transportation carries
out its design work. Its work that has led to
lower costs and helped well-traveled highways
simply look better.
For the next several years, the Zoo Interchange project in Milwaukee is likely to continue taking up most of Gutierrezs time. Originally
bid as a more than $2 billion dollar project, the
project became $600 million dollars cheaper
when Gutierrez and his team identified savings
that could be obtained without lowering the final
products quality.
It wasnt about finding waste, said Gutierrez
It was about bringing the best minds together
and being smart.
One example? Gutierrez and his team were
able to use structural walls to minimize the
need for real estate purchases, thus saving tax
dollars.
Its also less disruptive to neighborhoods,
he said. When we dont have to purchase as
much land to accomplish our goals there is a
smaller footprint.
A project this big can be daunting. It will be
the biggest, busiest interchange in Wisconsin,
said Gutierrez. Sometimes even I have to break
it down into pieces to comprehend it all.
One example of how design can affect the
general public? Gutierrezs work on the Mitchell
Interchange in Milwaukee led to a 44 percent
lower crash rate there.
Away from the job, Gutierrez is equally proud
of his work with the Hispanic Professionals of
Greater Milwaukee. A member of the groups
board of directors, Gutierrez and his fellow 1,800
members last year helped provide $60,000 worth
of scholarships to young Hispanic students.
Gutierrez says hes looking forward to the
conclusion of the massive Zoo project. Still,
when that day comes, the father of two also says
hell be wondering, Whats next?
Jerry Huffman
ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

Bob Gutierrez, WisDOT
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Employee-owned Excel Engineering aptly named

Look at a list of Excel
Engineerings projects
and youll find the Fond
du Lac-based companys diversity is readily
apparent.
Whether working
on an addition to the
of the year
Kohler Inn at Woodlake, the Central Wisconsin Christian School
in Waupun or the Abbyland Distribution Center in Curtiss, Excel Engineering benefits from
using teams familiar with the industry, said
Jeff Quast, the companys president.
We have made a concerted effort to develop
specialized, multi-disciplined teams who work
well together, which allows us to be well-coordinated and save time, he said. We hire very
few consultants, so our employees know what to
expect from each other.
Although the firm is called Excel Engineering,

Quast pointed out its a full design firm, employing architects, engineers and surveyors.
We are able to bring a variety of professionals to the table on every project, he said, adding
that between 30 and 40 percent of the companys
work is done outside Wisconsin.
Brian Tobiczyk, a design phase manager at
Mortenson Construction who worked with Excel
staff on the Kohler Inn at Woodlake addition project, is impressed with the level of expertise the
firm brings to its projects.
Excels team continuously evaluates options
to provide the most effective solutions, he said.
They are focused on total project success and
highly effective partnerships.
Excel Engineering is employee-owned, which
Quast said allows the company to stand out from
the crowd.
We have a culture of accountability,
he said. We have profit sharing so everyone

from executives to assistants benefits when
we do well. Being owned by employees is
definitely a difference maker.
Quast said Excel continues to grow. The
company is expanding its Fond du Lac office,
adding a new front lobby, additional conference
rooms and office and desk space for 49 more
employees. The project also includes an
outdoor pavilion and recreation area for
employees.
Referrals from previous clients and repeat
business have propelled Excels expansion, said
Quast, adding the company provides more than
$600 million in services annually for projects
throughout the country.
We have a lot of long-term relationships
with our customers, which we view as a compliment, Quast said.
MaryBeth Matzek
ENGINEERING FIRM OF THE YEAR

Excel Engineering
10
Wilz starts on ceilings, hits ground running as an estimator

When Steve Wilz began installing ceilings,
he could have never
imagined it was laying
the groundwork for his
current career.
I didnt have the
traditional education experience, but I use my
of the year
background and build on
it as I work with clients
everyday on their projects, said Wilz, director of
conceptual estimating for Miron Construction Co.
Twenty years ago, Wilz had worked for a
Miron vendor before being brought on at Miron
and moving into estimating.
Miron does a great job helping their employees grow, he said.
Wilz said an estimator needs to strike a bal-
ance between being too conservative and too

aggressive when developing a proposal.
Experience helps in determining that number, but I still focus on the individual project and
think about the buildings design, he said.
Wilzs estimating output is impressive. In 2015,
he worked on 54 estimates worth $531 million.
Miron was eventually awarded $222 million of
that total. In addition to his own workload, Wilz
leads and manages the companys conceptual-estimating department.
Its a balance of evaluating the teams workload, maintaining an updated project schedule and
looking at the risks associated with the different
projects and how to handle them, he said.
Jason Fuhrmann, director of hard bid estimating at Miron, said Wilz has a great ability to explain his cost reasoning to clients.
Steve has such a deep understanding of
costs and an incredible ability to keep track of

them, Fuhrmann said. Hes charismatic and,
honestly, hes a model of what you aspire to be
as a conceptual estimator.
Successful estimators need technical knowhow and an ability to sometimes look at things
from different perspective. Wilz has both, Fuhrmann said.
When putting together his estimates, Wilz studies proposals, analyzes labor and time requirements and summarizes data and trends. He then
puts together the necessary documents and ensures they are delivered on time to the client.
Being an estimator isnt always easy, since
projects with short turnarounds can pop up. But
he tries to keep the atmosphere light, Wilz said.
I work well under pressure and have a good
sense of humor, which helps, he said.
MaryBeth Matzek
ESTIMATOR OF THE YEAR

Steve Wilz, Miron Construction
11
Dillis leads with trust,

encouragement
You cant put a label
on an effective leader, said Mike Dillis,
vice president of J.H.
Findorff & Son. I think
theres a lot of different
actions and opportunities that help make a
of the year
leader successful.
For his part, Dillis said a great leader is a good
listener and someone who can simultaneously
encourage and empower others.
Its about not impeding people, giving them
the opportunity, giving them trust to stand back
and guide them, he said.
Dillis has climbed the ladder at Madison-based
Findorff, where he started as a project manager
34 years ago.
Colleagues said that since his start, he has
genuinely exemplified meaningful leadership
and spearheaded quality construction practices.
In his time at the company, Dillis has played
a crucial role in expanding a training and development program. He drew inspiration from
a mentor and wanted to influence others in the
same way.
Dillis is someone who enjoys connecting the
dots. In his work with both construction and the
community, he has shown an ability to search
out difficulties and find solutions.
He brings those abilities to bear in his involvement in the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County,
where he serves on the board. They also show
up in his work with the Executive Leadership
Committee and as the chairman of the Facility
and Safety Committee.
He also recently finished a three-year term as
chairman of the Madison South Rotary Foundation and is a member of the Engineering Advisory
Council and Thought Leaders Council at his alma
mater, Marquette University.
Dillis has also had a notable relationship with
schools, becoming involved with construction
projects in various school districts.
His optimistic attitude has allowed J.H.
Findorff to complete projects on time and under
budget, while also establishing trust and longstanding relationships with clients.
What Dillis finds most gratifying is the tangible results.
To get to see a building you built, to get to
see in a lot of cases generations of kids
go through those schools, it puts into perspective the impact you have, he said. Its very
gratifying to see the end result of what you have
created.
Alison Henderson
12
EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

Mike Dillis, J.H. Findorff
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Sorge learned ways of the trade in old school

Mike Sorge is old school
an observation made
with great respect.
When most people
see a building under
construction, theyll
see a shell, maybe
some trucks, perhaps
of the year
the sparks of a welding torch. When Mike Sorge is on a construction site, he sees talented people striving to do
their best.
Every project comes back to the team, Sorge
said. We work through issues and it all depends
on how we interact. We succeed together. And if
we get it wrong, we endure failure together.
Sorges emphasis on people stretches back to
growing up in Burlington around his uncle Fritz
and grandpa Ed. Both were farmers, as well as
avid woodworkers.
They were so exacting in their work, it was

an inspiration, Sorge said. I dont know that
they taught me as much as they let me absorb
their process. What we build shapes our world.
Sorge has worked on national projects from
Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., to the Minneapolis Convention Center. Here in Wisconsin, he
was instrumental in building the Harley-Davidson Museum, as well as the SC Johnson International headquarters in Racine.
Sorge is now working on the largest construction project underway in Milwaukee: the arena that
will be the new home of the Milwaukee Bucks.
That will be an amazing facility, said Sorge,
the kind of place everyone can rally around to
help the community.
Through all the years and all the projects, Sorge
has had a soft spot in his heart for his hospitals.
We create public buildings that are exposed
to millions of people, Sorge said. But a hospital
is different. If we do it right, the bad times might

be a little easier to bear and the good moments
can be even better.
For the next generation of contractors who
are more at home with an iPad than people,
Sorges advice is straightforward.
Put down the device and learn how to talk to
people. Its a little too easy to send an email and
hide behind the electronics.
After more than 30 years on the job, the kid
from Burlington has learned construction isnt
merely about taking a hammer to a nail. Its
also the journey, and the people who help you
make it.
According to Sorge, every building is more
than just steel and concrete. Each in some way
takes on the imprint of every contractor who
worked on it.
Its an old school way of thinking.
Jerry Huffman
EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

Mike Sorge, Mortenson Construction
14
ZZ doesnt snore
when it comes to
community service
When it comes to helping others, James ZZ
Zradicka said its just
the kind of person he is.
I guess Ive just always been someone
thats about helping other people, he said.
of the year
Besides being named
The Daily Reporters 2016 Humanitarian of the
Year, the 49-year-old superintendent at J.H. Findorff & Son has received various honors for his
past service. They include recognition as a Backyard Hero from Community Shares of Wisconsin
and the receipt of the Associated General Contractors Community Service Award.
The latter is given to those who make exemplary contributions that go above and beyond the
normal course of business.
I think its important to be honorable, courteous and have integrity those are things that
roll into your everyday life, he said.
This year, Zradickas service has been directed mostly at leading Findorffs involvement in
Hammer with a Heart, a Project Home initiative
that provides home repairs and maintenance improvements to families in need.
Zradicka has acted as the companys team
leader for the initiative since 2002. That role has
had him searching out a local property that was
in need of repair, recruiting dozens of volunteers,
assessing the work needed for the project, ordering the necessary construction materials and
developing a plan and schedule to see the project through.
He estimates he spends hundreds of hours
a year on such projects and he loves every
minute of it.
Im usually pretty happy when its all done,
he said. Every year its something different.
He also said he loves seeing the skyline
change when he walks away from a job. And
with the hundreds of job sites and building completions he has overseen in his 27 years at Findroff, he gets that experience quite often.
What I love about this job is you can look
at something tangible that you built with your
hands, he said.
Zradickas passion for his service and his field
of work may be contagious. Not only does he
work alongside his eldest son at Findorff, all of
his children participate in Hammer with a Heart.
One of Findorffs most significant initiatives
involves our commitment to community, said
Brian Hornung, Findorff vice president. ZZ is a
great example of someone who looks for opportunities to engage in making our communities
stronger. He is a leader on the project site and
in the community.
Alison Henderson
HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR

James ZZ Zradicka, J.H. Findorff
15
McGowan battling
labor shortage
one click at a time
Its no secret that the construction
industry is struggling with a labor
shortage.
For one, a lot of those working
in the field are either retiring or
getting close to retirement. At the
same time, the young are becoming
less inclined to seriously consider
of the year
pursuing a career in construction.
Eliminating this shortage will require a willingness to
do things differently. There will need, for instance, to be a
greater emphasis on recruiting at the high-school level.
Unfortunately, these efforts are coming at a time when
many school districts are offering fewer technical education courses, which are often one of the best means of piquing students interest in the trades.
Terry McGowan, president and business manager of the
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 the
largest construction-industry union group in the state
may have found a solution: the Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin.
The academy, also called the DCA, is a tuition-free online
public school for students in grades 9 through 12 in the McFarland School District.
The DCA opened for registration in the spring. Beyond
architecture and construction, students can take courses
in business management and administration, health systems and information technology.
Groups involved with the DCA, such as the Operating Engineers and Fox Valley Technical College, will help provide
the students with hands-on experiences and prepare them
for apprenticeships further down the road.
Virtual classrooms are still pretty new, and we wanted
to find a way to apply (it) to the construction industry, McGowan said of getting Local 139 involved.
Although the courses now concentrate on the trades
that employ operating engineers, McGowan said he hopes
the offerings will be supplemented in the near future.
We are the first construction trade to make virtual classrooms available in the country, he said.
Things are looking good so far, even before the first semester comes to an end.
McGowan said the academy is drawing interest from
around the U.S. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, for instance,
has reached out to learn more about it, McGowan said.
Also as part of the program, Local 139 plans to invite the
top achievers among the student body to its training center
in Coloma for a summer camp, where the students will be
able to go beyond virtual experiences and practice operating actual heavy machinery.
The training center just received a $10 million addition
about a year ago. McGowan said the new-and-improved
center features simulators, machine shops, welding booths
and an indoor training arena.
This is just a wonderful recruiting tool all-around, he said.
Alex Zank
16
INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

Terry McGowan
Wisconsin Operating Engineers
Plunkett Raysich Architects uses design to reflect clients story

When it comes to designing interior spaces,
Plunkett Raysich Architects team strives
to capture what makes
a particular business
stand out and to express
that difference through
of the year
the final product.
We create unique designs for each client,
said Michael Sobczak, the partner in charge of
Plunkett Raysich Architects Design Studio. We
learn about what makes the company or client
unique, whats in their DNA and the story the
company has to tell.
The fruit of that dedication is visible in Bemis Co.s Innovation Center in Neenah. The
design includes open, multi-functional spaces featuring bright, bold colors in wall cov-
erings, furniture and signs. The look fits well

with the buildings mixed use its not only
a research center, but also a place where
Bemis, a maker of flexible and rigid plastic
packaging for the food, health and consumer-products industries, meets both customers
and possible customers.
The building has a client-visitor experience,
and we also designed a tour experience inside
the building for Bemis, Sobczak said. There
are different stops along the way that use design
elements to illuminate a certain point.
Sobczak said the company is seeking to marry
exterior and interior design.
We believe in having a holistic design, he
said. We want a building that is a true reflection
of the client and not some kind of a generic building that any business could call home.
To capture what sets a particular client apart
from other companies, Plunkett Raysich looks at

its history, learns about its goals and holds listening sessions with employees.
We develop design drivers that helps us focus and guide our decisions and we move on
from there, he said.
For another Plunkett Raysich client Badger
Meter designers met with CEO Rich Meeusen,
who provided four basic goals for a remodeling
project at its Milwaukee site.
I told them the message I wanted to send to
our facility visitors and what I all wanted, and
they took that and figured it all out, he said.
Plunkett listens very carefully and are very
creative. They created a customer experience
center that truly wows and everything screams
high-tech, which is the message we wanted to
convey to our visitors.
MaryBeth Matzek
INTERIOR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

18
Choice Construction builds itself a home in Milwaukee

Nothing compares to
the feeling Brian Mitchell gets when he looks
at a major building or
bridge in MIlwaukee
and knows that he can
say he helped build it.
One of the joys of
of the year
being in this business is
the ownership and pride you feel with the projects youre working on, he said.
Mitchell certainly has a lot he can look back
on. From his time at both his first business, Brian A. Mitchell Construction, and the one he now
owns, Menomonee Falls-based Choice Construction Cos., Mitchell can say he has had a
hand in many of the best-known projects in and
near Milwaukee. They include Miller Park, the
Hoan Bridge, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino and
the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons.
Recently, Choice Construction was chosen
to install the rebar needed for the new Bucks
arena and related projects.

Mitchell started as a civil engineer. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he worked for a contractor before starting
Mitchell Construction. Then, in 2007, he had the
opportunity to purchase Choice Construction.
He said he made the purchase largely because he believed Milwaukee offered a better
market for vertical construction. At first, Mitchell
said, he thought he would never see the Milwaukee area in the same light as Madison; he would
never consider it home, he said.
Those feelings have since changed. Largely
because of the pride he takes from working on
projects such as the $450 million, 32-story tower
that Northwestern Mutual is building near the
citys lakefront, he can now look at Milwaukee
and feel that he belongs.
The construction industry in Milwaukee has
certainly changed from what it was when Mitchell bought Choice Construction right before the
advent of the recent recession. The building boom
that came with the economys improving fortunes

has provided plenty of work for contractors.
The jobs are so abundant, in fact, that the most
pressing problem today is a shortage of skilled labor.
Oddly enough, Mitchell said, there are many
Milwaukee-area residents who are still looking
for work. He said the people who are now looking for work could be the very same ones who
help put an end to the labor shortage.
Those two seem to be complementary to
each other, Mitchell said, who also serves as
president of the Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Minority Contractors.
Mitchell said the recession hit minority-owned
contractors a lot harder than other businesses in
the industry. Many of these firms, he said, were
either newer or not as financially secure as others
and thus had a more difficult time riding out the
storm when the demand for projects dried up.
So a bump in the road can become catastrophic, Mitchell said.
Alex Zank
MINORITY-OWNED COMPANY OF THE YEAR

Brian Mitchell, Choice Construction Companies
19
For Boettcher,
fun makes for
a job well-done
Scott Boettcher didnt
take the route most
travelled by project
managers.
He worked in construction on and off in
college while earning
his undergraduate deof the year
gree in environmental
policy and law from UW-Stevens Point. Afterward, Boettcher split his time evenly between
working for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and construction. Eventually, he
chose the latter.
I always liked the pace and fluidity of construction, and focused on that career path, he said.
Boettcher began his construction career at
Jansen Construction, moving up from jobs that
had him doing things like estimating work out in
the field. Eventually, he became a vice president
of the firm, where he worked for 11 years total.
Those early experiences have proved invaluable in his current role as a project manager
at Catalyst Construction. Above all, they have
helped him foster stronger relations between office executives and workers in the field.
It allows me to go into the field and problem
solve better because Ive actually done it, he
said. I can really understand what the guys in
the field are doing and going through.
Boettcher said his more than 20 years of experience have also taught him how to deal with
everyone from subcontractors to crew workers.
Most importantly, he said, he has learned to treat
everyone with fairness and respect.
Boettcher said he has also picked up a few
lessons that outside observers might not expect.
Its really important to have fun as much as
you can, he said. If youre not going to have
fun, its hard to do your job well.
A good chunk of that has to do with the people
Boettcher works with.
I love working at Catalyst Construction and all
the great people I currently work with, he said.
Boettchers favorite projects so far have been
for St. Marcus Lutheran School in Milwaukee.
He has managed all the work Catalyst has performed for the school over the past six years.
The most recent project he worked on for St.
Marcus is a 40,000-square-foot addition to its
north campus on North Richards Street, allowing
it to enroll more than 400 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
After youre done, you get to go back and see
that building changing peoples lives, he said.
That makes your job rewarding.
Erika Strebel
20
PROJECT MANAGER
OF THE YEAR
Scott Boettcher, Catalyst Construction
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Lincoln Logs build

Labuckis career path
Like many contractors,
Chad Labucki found his
career path when he
was young.
His tale begins with
playing with toys and
then having the light
go on.
of the year
Yep, it was Lincoln
Logs at my grandpas house, laughs Labucki. I
was playing and realized there was something special about understanding how it all went together.
Labuckis degree from the Milwaukee School
of Engineering gives him a bond with his grandfather, Richard Tenner, who attended the same
college. Tenner was an electrical engineering
student in the 50s, when MSOE was a trade
school. Some 50 years later, Labucki studied architectural engineering and construction.
As a youngster, Labucki said, it was his grandfathers influence that led both to his initial interest in building things and his current position as
a construction project manager.
People are a big part of what I love about
construction, Labucki said. Theres my social
interaction everyday with our crews, which is
great. I love working with our customers, understanding their interests first and foremost. My
ultimate challenge is to help them see the future
and how we can create the best building possible to get them there.
Theres no doubt that getting along well with
other people counts for a lot in construction. Labucki has shown himself adept in this way, having earned high praise from customers, design
partners and subcontractors.
Mike Gleeson, a construction executive at
Mortenson, says Labuckis energy is tenacious and his willingness to tackle any challenge adds value to his customers projects.
Labucki has played pivotal roles in several
large projects. His first came when he worked as
mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineer
on an $80 million expansion of a cancer center at
Froedert and The Medical College of Wisconsin
in Wauwatosa. A LEED accredited professional,
Labucki has been a guest lecturer for various
classes at both Marquette University and MSOE.
Labucki also played significant roles in the
construction of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery on the UW-Madison campus, the Fitchburg Public Library, and the Cancer and Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of
Minnesota campus in Minneapolis.
My granddad gave me the do-what-you-lovephilosophy, said Labucki. My folks taught me to
do the right thing. And my job gives me the opportunity to make better environments for our society.
Those are ideals that Labucki and his wife, Kari,
hope to pass on to their newborn son.
Yep, grandpa would be proud of this MSOE
graduate.
Jerry Huffman
22
PROJECT MANAGER
OF THE YEAR
Chad Labucki, Mortenson Construction
Hutton stood in eye of

prevailing-wage hurricane
Like it or not, the
prevailing-wage
overhaul that Republican legislators approved in
2015 is destined
to touch every
corner of the
of the year
Wisconsin construction industry in coming years.
And although many lawmakers and
others helped move the changes along,
arguably no one did more than state
Rep. Rob Hutton. Not only did the Republican from Brookfield throw down
the gauntlet by introducing a bill in February 2015 calling for the repeal of Wisconsins prevailing-wage laws; he also
kept pushing for elimination even as
leaders in his own party were working
toward a much milder compromise.
In the end, Hutton and his comrades
in arms did not get a full repeal. But the
pressure that they and various outside
groups exerted almost certainly resulted
in an overhaul that went far beyond what
the state would have seen otherwise.
John Schulze, director of government
and legal affairs at the Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin, said
that obviously there were many people
who contributed to the prevailing-wage
overhaul eventually signed into law by
Gov. Scott Walker in July 2015. When it
came time to choose one to nominate for
The Daily Reporters Newsmaker award
for Public Official of the Year, though, Hutton was the standout.
They say success has a thousand
fathers, and it would have not happened
without the support of the schools, the
counties Schulze said. But he was
the leader on this.
Perhaps the greatest obstacle to complete elimination of Wisconsins prevailing-wage laws arose when Republican
leaders in the state Assembly proposed a
complex compromise that would have exempted only the least-costly public projects. Critics were quick to argue that the
resulting savings for taxpayers their
main reason for pursuing repeal in the
first place would be negligible.
Despite strong support for elimination
from various right-leaning groups, law-
makers were under intense pressure to

adopt something much less far-reaching.
Figures compiled by state officials later
showed that lobbyists spent more time in
the first half of 2015 trying to sway legislators opinions about Huttons prevailing-wage bill than about any other piece
of legislation aside from the state budget.
Contractors and unions joined forces to
try to put a stop to any changes to the states
prevailing wages, which they argued ensure
qualified workers are paid well enough to
keep them interested in staying in the industry. On the other side, a gaggle of conservative talk-show hosts and right-leaning groups
such as the Wisconsin chapter of Americans
for Prosperity argued that the wage requirements do little beyond enriching road builders at the expense of taxpayers.
Throughout it all, Schulze said, Hutton
made his case without resorting to inflamed rhetoric or denunciations.
It was a respectful discussion, Schulze said. He wasnt throwing bombs.
He wasnt talking about a coup. And he
checked his facts.
Because of those efforts, most local
projects throughout the state will soon no
longer require the payment of prevailing
wages. The only public-works contracts still
subject to the requirements will be those
that are either commissioned by state government or that benefit from federal money.
The prevailing-wage overhaul also
eliminated the separate system the state
had used to set prevailing wages on certain projects. For the projects that continue to fall under the requirements, the
wages paid will be those set by the federal Davis-Bacon Act.
Whether the overhaul will prove a disaster to the industry, a boon to taxpayers
or a little bit of both is still anybodys
guess. The changes wont take effect until
the start of next year.
Hutton, for his part, says he is happy
about how far he and his fellow Republicans were able to roll back what he
deemed an outdated and archaic law.
Still, he thinks the job was left unfinished.
The momentum is really in the right
direction, Hutton said. Its a discussion
that will be on the forefront in the next
couple of sessions.
Dan Shaw
PUBLIC OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Rob Hutton, State Representative
23
Amid building boom, Stamper looks out for residents

Russell Stamper II has
more than a professional interest in seeing
Milwaukee residents
find jobs in fields such
as construction. For
him, its also personal.
Stamper grew up in
of the year
Milwaukees Sherman
Park neighborhood, and now represents that same
area as the alderman for the citys 15th district.
Ive always had a passion for my community, he said.
Stamper started his political career on the
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. His
election to the Milwaukee Common Council in
2014 came when the alderman who had been
holding that seat decided not to run again.
He said his long history with the neighbor-
hoods he represents means he is more in tune

with his district.
It gives me a distinct advantage because I
was born and raised on these streets, Stamper
said. Because hes spent his whole life in his district, he said, I know its needs.
It would be an understatement to say Stamper
has high hopes for his city and community.
I think Milwaukee needs to build, build,
build, he said, adding he wants all the new
buildings in Milwaukee to have the city drawing
comparisons to Atlanta and Dallas.
Even so, he doesnt necessarily think construction is good simply b itself. Its also important to him that as much of the labor as possible
be local.
I want to see the people from Milwaukee
build this city, Stamper said.
Hence his interest in improving the citys Res-
idents Preference Program, which aims to connect underemployed and unemployed Milwaukee residents with jobs in construction.
Earlier this year, Stamper led an ad-hoc group
that was charged with reviewing the resident-hiring program and recommending improvements.
The committee came up with a number of suggestions that eventually won the Common Councils approval. Among other things, the changes
eliminated a rule that prevented residents from
benefiting from the Residents Preference Program for more than five years and reduced from
30 to 15 the number of days a person needs to be
unemployed to qualify for the program.
Another thing Stamper emphasizes is getting
more people in his district to become homeowners. When people own property, he said, they are
more likely to take pride in their neighborhood.
Alex Zank
PUBLIC OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Russell Stamper II, Milwaukee Alderman
24
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QUOTE
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Case highlights by contractor

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Bertocchi excels
in male-dominated
construction industry
Growing up with two big
brothers in Michigans
Upper Peninsula and
later attending a college where most of her
classmates were men,
Erin Bertocchi has had
a lot of practice dealing
of the year
with the opposite sex.
Those experiences have since come in handy
in the male-dominated construction industry.
Lesson one, she said, is dont get upset because it doesnt do any good.
Bertocchi, who has been working construction
since her early 20s, says you can solve a lot of
problems by being open with male counterparts
and remembering, Theyre uncomfortable too.
Bertocchi started big in the business. As a
field engineer at Mortenson Construction, her
first assignment was the Radisson Blu Hotel,part
of the Mall of America in Minneapolis. The 500room hotel has two ballrooms, 27,000 square feet
of meeting space and an indoor saltwater pool,
among other top-shelf amenities.
Clearly a luxury hotel, the Blu earned a Best in
Real Estate award from the Minneapolis-St. Paul
Business Journal and a Design Build Excellence
Award from the Design-Build Institute of Americas Upper Midwest Region. As a sign of how
well the young engineers work was received,
the hotel was at 90 percent occupancy in its first
six months of operation, putting it well ahead of
expectations.
Along the way Bertocchi led the companys
Women Advancing Mortensons affinity group.
Her colleagues praised Bertocchi for the example she set as a female leader.
Walk the job site, is Bertocchis advice to
other women starting in the construction business. When you understand the guys are just
as uncomfortable as you are, you can break the
stalemate. Draw on their experience and let
them know youre here to do a job as well, and
you can usually find a way to work it out.
Bertocchi transferred to Wisconsin last year
to work on the Acuity corporate headquarters
expansion project in Sheboygan. Promoted
this summer to an assistant project manager,
she was given an Exceptional People Pinnacle
Award, the companys own award for outstanding client service.
Throughout it all, Bertocchi has seen the
Mortenson team as family.
We go through highs and lows together, she
said. We sometimes spend more time together
than we do with our own families and I love this
job simply because every day is a new challenge.
Jerry Huffman
26
RISING YOUNG PROFESSIONAL

Erin Bertocchi
Grandpa fuels
Feulings lifelong
love of construction
Sara Feuling can still
remember being 5 years
old and playing with
Erector Sets and Lincoln
Logs in her grandpas
basement.
Now 30, Feuling is
one of only four Wisof the year
consin
Department
of Transportation project managers assigned
to Milwaukees billion-dollar-plus Zoo Interchange project.
I can still remember him saying, Figure it
out, said Feuling. I always wanted to build
things. I always wanted to know how something
worked and my grandpa inspired me.
Feuling is one of a growing number of professionally licensed women engineers who are
working in a field where most of the colleagues
are men. WisDOT, though, is not entirely the
same as other employers in the industry.
DOT is unique in that on many of our internal teams there is a good split between the roles
men and women are assigned, said Feuling.
In the field, the division of duties is not always
so neat.
Women still have to be willing to assimilate
more readily than the men, said Feuling. Any of
us can talk trash about the Packers, but the men
just dont want to know about my new vacuum
cleaner, the Milwaukee native deadpanned.
Feuling credits the colleagues she calls the
best and the brightest at WisDOT for making the
massive Zoo Interchange reconstruction a reality.Although a recent budget proposal could push
the completion of the core of the project to 2020
from 2018, Feuling nonetheless says drivers will
be surprised before long back by how much easier the trip in and out of Milwaukee will become.
And when she gets to look back and say she
was one of the main architects of the largest
road project in Wisconsin history?
That will be way cool, said Feuling.
The UW-Milwaukee graduate is also a big
believer in paying her success forward. A proponent of instruction in the so-called STEM subjects science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics Feuling visits local schools to
encourage the next generation of engineers to
find their own path.
Im still young enough the kids dont look at
me like a parent, said Feuling. The girls are
surprised when they hear what I do. The boys
try hard to not act impressed, but Im pretty sure
theyre listening too.
Jerry Huffman
RISING YOUNG
PROFESSIONAL
Sara Feuling, WisDOT
27
Koepsell handles career from the ground up

Benjamin Koepsells design work is not usually
visible, but that does not
diminish its importance.
I get involved in the
project at the beginning, even when its just
an idea, said Koepsell,
of the year
an engineer at Michels
Foundations, a division of Michels Corp. I work
with clients on developing the best foundation
plan for their project.
During the past year he has handled a variety
of projects from the Riverhouse Apartments and
the Bucks arena parking structure, to The Mercantile Building and The Domus.
I wear a lot of hats since the work with
deep foundations, earth retention and marine
construction is highly specialized, Koepsell said.
That means he may do an initial design, estimate
the cost of the project and then, if the building

moves forward, oversee project management. It
is quite common for Koepsell to serve as project
manager on more than one project at a time.
Once a project is out of the ground, you never see us again, he said of the work Michels
Foundations does. Were the part of a project
most people do not notice.
But that part is essential to the buildings
structural soundness, which is why Koepsell
dedicates a lot of time and energy on his design
projects to spotting any flaws. He uses historical
databases that Michels acquired in its 2012 purchase of the Edward E. Gillen Co.
You go back and look at the square footage
and costs on various projects and that helps with
the budgeting, Koepsell said.
Paul Wiedmeyer, regional/senior project manger for Michiels Foundations, praised Koepsells
work habits and his ability to work on projects that
are at different stages on the way to completion.

Ben sets the standard at Michels for professionalism, dedication, hard work and integrity,
Wiedmeyer said. Ben exudes professionalism in
every aspect of his job.
Despite his heavy workload, Koepsell finds
time to help young engineers at Michels Foundations. Koepsell, who earned his professional
engineering certificate of registration in 2012,
enjoys helping young engineers discover what
part of the work they enjoy most.
All the new engineers start in the field or
as draftsmen. Its that hands-on experience
that allows you to take what you learned at
school and bring it to the field, he said. If
other engineers are interested in the PE, I
work with them on that and explain how it
works. Its rewarding.
MaryBeth Matzek
RISING YOUNG PROFESSIONAL

Benjamin Koepsell, Michels Corporation
28
Congratulations to our
2016 Newsmakers
of the Year
Mike Dillis
Virtual Construction Manager
of the Year
Josh Baysinger
Humanitarian of the Year
James ZZ Zradicka
Left to right: Mike Dillis, Josh Baysinger and James Zradicka
Madison 608.257.5321 | Milwaukee 414.272.8788
findorff.com
2016 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR
To our friend and

colleague, Steve Wilz.
Our heartfelt congratulations
on being honored as the 2016
Estimator of the Year.
New to Wisconsin,
McDaniel fits
right in at Tri-North
While working as a
sales clerk at his familys
hardware story, Jared
McDaniel learned that a
desk job wasnt for him.
He went on to earn a
degree in construction
management. Fast-forof the year
ward, and McDaniel can
now boast of having worked on three construction
projects costing more than $200 million each.
He attributes his accomplishments thus far
mostly to his ability to be responsive, says the
senior project manager at Tri-North.
As soon as an issue comes up I want to address it, McDaniel said. Thats the key to my
success: Not letting things linger on. I dont like
living in the past.
The work can be difficult, especially when it
calls for juggling more than one contract, subcontract or change order. The end product is
what makes it all worthwhile.
Driving around Chicago where he had
worked for Walsh Construction before joining
Tri-North McDaniel can point out finished
project after finished project.
Its cool just to see your work as part of the
architecture of the city, he said. I enjoy that its
hands-on.
McDaniel has now turned his attention to
projects in his new home state. He moved to
Wisconsin about a year ago to join Tri-North.
McDaniels short-term goals include getting
The Corners of Brookfield project finished on
time and under budget. The 75,000-square-foot
shopping center is Tri-Norths largest project to
date. The company hired McDaniel after work on
the project had started.
Beyond The Corners, McDaniel would like to
see a Tri-North project through from start to finish.
But the skys the limit, he said. I wouldnt
mind chasing my own work or have my own separate division chasing a certain type of work.
Outside of work, McDaniel enjoys being outdoors.
He hunts and bikes, but his biggest hobby is taking
part in triathlons, which he has done for six years.
I always liked to be on a bike so it kind of fit,
he said.
In September, he finished his first Iron Man
competition, in Madison.
Im recovered, McDaniel said. I think I over
trained, if anything. I was still exhausted. I could
still walk. I didnt need assistance, so that was
promising.
McDaniels next project is to remodel his
house with the help of his wife. The couple is
also preparing for the arrival of a baby son.
Erika Strebel
30
RISING YOUNG
PROFESSIONAL
Jared McDaniel, Tri-North Builders
Customer service allows Miller-Bradford to get bigger, better

Placing a priority on
customers and their
needs has been central
to Miller-Bradford &
Risbergs success for
more than 70 years.
The
Sussex-based
construction equipment
of the year
supplier and repair specialist had a busy start to 2016 when it opened two
new sites and outfitted them with larger lifting equipment that will help them take on bigger projects.
We now have the size and scope to work
on any size of machinery, said Mike Soley Jr.,
president and CEO of the firm. Our new facilities
allow us to serve our clients better.
The new sites in DeForest and Marathon
City are both near major highways and replace
smaller branches. Soley said the new locations
are larger, having additional service bays and

state-of-the-art tools that allow technicians to
make repairs as quickly as possible. They are
also stocked with a larger parts inventory and
offer rental equipment.
The biggest cost to our customers is downtime, Soley said. So we focus on getting the
job done as soon as possible. Weve found being family owned is also an advantage since so
many of the companies we deal with are also
family owned and they see that connection.
Technicians at the companys seven branches
in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan undergo extensive training and are certified to work on any
of the equipment they service. That commitment,
along with same-day parts delivery and on-site
service, helps set Miller-Bradford & Risberg apart
from its competitors, said Ron Wanless, who
owns an excavation company in Richland Center.
A small guy like me who buys a machine and it matters to Miller-Bradford & Risberg, he said. They want to keep us running.
They care plain and simple.
The new sites come as part of the companys
commitment to serving customers where they
are, Soley said.
Our philosophy is to be staffed up to take
care of our customers, he said. We have local
branch managers, local service managers and
local parts managers. Thats not always the case
with some companies. They may have a regional
manager overseeing a couple of branches.
When our customers call, they want to talk
to a person, Soley added. They dont want to
leave a message in voicemail or be in a computer system somewhere, and we want to be there
for them.
MaryBeth Matzek
SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

Mike Soley, Miller-Bradford & Risberg, Inc.
31
Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin

Center for Advanced Care
Wauwatosa, WI
Honored to be the 2016
Builder of the Year

Congratulations to our Newsmakers!
Super Super
Erin Bertocchi
Mike Sorge
Justin Blubaugh
Chad Labucki
www.mortenson.com
Employ Milwaukee Congratulates the 2016 Newsmakers:

J.H. Findorff
Catalyst Construction
WisDOT
WRTP/BIG Step
Gilbane Building Company
Michels Corporation
Tri-North Builders
Choice Construction Companies
Wisconsin Operating Engineers
Excel Engineering
J.F. Ahern Company
Ruekert & Mielke, Inc.
Miller-Bradford & Risberg, Inc.
Miron Construction
Russell Stamper II
Rob Hutton
The local workforce development board has a new brand: Employ Milwaukee. Employ Milwaukee is the largest of eleven federally legislated workforce development boards in the
State of Wisconsin. In partnership with leaders from government, private industry, labor, education and community and faith based organizations, Employ Milwaukee develops
workforce solutions that meet and anticipate regional economic development needs.
CONGRATULATIONS BENJAMIN KOEPSELL

ON BEING RECOGNIZED AS
RISING YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR!

www.michels.us
Industry-leading utility contractor

Licensed to work in all 50 states
31 offices from coast-to-coast
Operations serving 10 markets
More than 5,000 people strong
More than 10,000 pieces of
equipment
These are
big shoes to fill.
Explore our career opportunities: www.michelscareers.us
AA/EOE/M/W/Vet/Disability
J.F. Ahern has been doing it right for 140 years

Pick any one time during
the year, and J.F. Ahern
Co. likely has thousands
of subcontracts open.
Its no surprise for
the nearly 140-year-old
company, which is projected to finish the year
of the year
with around $290 million
in revenue. The Fond du Lac-based company
owes that success in part to its longevity and to its
strategic focus on markets and the customer, said
John Ransom, senior project manager at Ahern.
As an organization we are strategic about meeting market and customer needs, said Ransom.
For example, he noted that when the Clean
Water Act and the EPA were created in the
early 1970s, the market was awash in grants
for wastewater treatment plants. So that was
an area where Ahern developed its expertise.

The companys internal values of being adaptable, straightforward and good stewards have
also contributed to Aherns success.
I think when you do those things you become
a better company, Ransom said. You challenge
people to become better.
The company also encourages employees to
think oustide the box and take risks to deliver
solutions for clients.
I think theres a lot of autonomy given to employees to be creative and come up with new and
innovative ways to meet customers needs, he said.
Those themes have paid off for Ahern.
Madison-based general contractor Mortenson Construction is one of those long-time repeat customers, tapping Ahern to work on seven
projects in the last 10 years.
One of Aherns most recent projects with
Mortenson was the Froedert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Center for Advanced Care in
Wauwatosa. On that project, Ahern didnt just
spend time on the front end coordinating work. It
also provided a solution that shaved about eight
weeks from the project schedule and saved
about 1,000 hours of labor.
We are always trying to do those kinds of
things, Ransom said.
And thats likely why Mortenson remains a repeat customer. Ahern is a proven partner that is
professional, passionate about quality and safety, make deadlines and has highly skilled professionals working for them from employees in
the field to project managers, said Mike Gleeson,
construction executive with Mortenson.
They truly understand what customer service means, he said.
Erika Strebel
SUBCONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR

J.F. Ahern Company
34
Blubaugh continues service to country through construction

We all have bad days.
We all have good days.
For Justin Blubaugh, its
pretty easy to tell the
difference.
Any day is good
when theyre not shooting at you, Blubaugh
of the year
said.
Blubaugh, a veteran of the Army Reserves,
spent close to a year in Iraq doing construction
and guard work.
It made me appreciate what we have in this
country, said Blubaugh. They are rebuilding
from ruins and any problems we have pale in
comparison.
Honorably discharged after 10 years in the
service, Blubaugh followed a family tradition
by moving into construction. Both parents, as
well as his two siblings, are also in the industry.

His work at Mortenson has given Blubaugh
the chance to put down roots for the first time in
his life. Having lived in nine states by the time he
was 14, the Michigan native was ready to have a
sense that somewhere was home. And he wanted to make a contribution to wherever he lived.
Blubaughs project list is impressive. One of
the most significant was the Sojourner Truth
House in Milwaukee. Working as the superintendent on the project meant overseeing 80
craft workers onsite. He was responsible for
everything from coordinating subcontractors to
making decisions concerning construction techniques and keeping everyone safe.
Finished last year, Sojourner was chosen as a
Top Project award-winner by The Daily Reporter, and best Public/Private Partnership Project
by the Milwaukee Business Journal. The cen-
ter was also recognized with a Mayors Design

Award from the city of Milwaukee.
The new Sojourner Truth House is significant
in Milwaukee because it allowed the countys
child-abuse-treatment services to be centralized in one place. Before its completion, they had
been spread out among three different locations.
Justin exemplifies our core values as a responsible, trustworthy construction professional, said John Nehls, a field operations manager
for Mortenson. His focus is on safety, teamwork
and stewardship.
Someday, Blubaugh wants to take his wife
and their three kids to the building sites where
he has worked so they can see all dad has accomplished. It should be an impressive tour.
Jerry Huffman
SUPER SUPER
Justin Blubaugh, Mortenson Construction
35
Organization,
communication key
to Hauses success
As project manager,
Laura Hause steers construction projects from
start to finish a responsibility she relishes.
I am on site and get
to focus on a project
from beginning to end,
of the year
said Gilbanes Hause.
While in college, she pursued a degree in
architectural and structural engineering along
with construction management.
I found I really enjoyed managing projects,
Hause said. As a project manager, communication is vital. You need to get input from contractors and figure out how to work through issues.
Hause is now managing Phase 1 of a construction project at Carroll University in Waukesha, work that includes a new science building
and renovations to turf and athletic buildings.
The Carroll project includes different construction sites on the campus. So choosing a project
manager with excellent organization abilities
was absolutely necessary, said Adam Jelen, Gilbane senior vice president.
Laura is often calm in the face of adversity and
meets challenges head on, Jelen said. You have
to do that to succeed in this profession, and Laura
does that as well as anyone Ive worked with. She
always has a firm grasp of a situation and is very
good at communicating with her team.
Hause, likewise, is enjoying her time at Carroll.
They are a great client to work with, and
working on a college campus is fun. The students and faculty are excited about the project
and what were doing, she said.
Before working at Carroll, Hause was an assistant project manager on the Schreiber Foods
Home Office project and the Global Technology
Center, a prominent project completed in downtown Green Bay in mid-2014. The Schreiber project included state-of-the-art food-research laboratories, customer-experience spaces, offices,
test kitchens, a data center and a pilot plant.
Coordination was a big deal with Schreiber,
she said. We had to make sure the final project
was what the client needed.
Hause said one difficulty was the high sanitary
standards that had to be maintained in a project
involving food production. She said slightly unusual material and installation techniques were
required for the project and the team built extensive mock-ups.
It was an exciting project to be involved with
because it was such a monumental milestone for
the company and it gave great energy to the team,
Hause said. It was rewarding to see how thrilled
Schreiber was to be in their new home office.
MaryBeth Matzek
36
TEAM LEADER OF THE YEAR

Laura Hause
Gilbane Building Company
Congratulations
to all the
2016 Newsmakers
honorees
National, full-service architectural and engineering firm

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Grimes treads lightly,

but leaves her mark
across Wisconsin
Jenny Grimes work often
has her striking a balance
at the Wisconsin Department Transportation.
An environmental
coordinator with an engineering background,
Grimes is passionate
of the year
about protecting nature while respecting the role of developers.
She often finds herself acting as a coordinator
between developers and government agencies.
The World Dairy Center in Madison is a prime
example of a project that saw various people
working together to navigate sometimes puzzling regulatory requirements. Several agencies,
for instance, ended up collaborating to create a
200-acre site to replace wetlands that had been
filled as part of a road project.
Thats a good example of how important it is
for planning, policy and design to all come together, Grimes said.
She acknowledged that finding commonalities can sometimes be difficult but believes Wisconsin can still protect the environment while
encouraging development around the state.
Thats especially true when there is respect for
everyones role on his or her individual teams.
Earlier this summer, Grimes was given the
Virginia Hart Special Recognition Award. Named
for Wisconsins first female cabinet member, it
recognizes women whose work has made a significant contribution to the state. In her nomination, Grimes received some 20 letters of support
from other WisDOT staffers, state and federal
agencies, as well as consultants.
As a woman working mostly alongside male
colleagues, Grimes knows how difficult it can be
to be judged by her work instead of her sex.
Experience matters, Grimes said. The important thing for me is to have the respect of my team.
Grimes is also in the final stages of creating
an out-of-the-ordinary landscaping and living
snow fence project along the Interstate 39/90 corridor. In most such projects, seeding and planting
work is routine but often theres no maintenance
and a loss of even more vegetation once the contract is closed.
Grimes wants to bring together a combination
of prairie plants, native flowers and trees and
shrubs that, when cultivated, could serve as a
natural snow fence.
I love the butterflies and pollinators, she said.
And by changing the landscape well not only make
the roads safer, but well spend less on plowing.
The New Berlin native played a central role
in establishing a relationship with the Lodi Rain
Garden community. She worked with several local groups to pull the project together, and her
efforts ultimately led to the first-ever large-scale
Wisconsin rain garden.
Jerry Huffman
38
UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR

Jennifer Grimes, WisDOT
From cutting grass

to cutting edge,
Kurth does it all
Arlyn Kurths career at
Ruekert & Mielke started with a part-time job
he heard about from
his high school drafting
teacher. For two years,
he cut grass part-time
for John and Lois Mielof the year
ke and was a print boy.
That part-time job eventually blossomed into
a 40-year career.
After two years, Kurth went full-time at
Ruekert & Mielke and climbed the ladder to
the position he holds today team leader for
field services.
Time went fast, but I work for a good company, Kurth said. Time usually goes fast like that.
On top of working for a good company,
Kurth enjoys how his job gives him time in the
office and out in the field. He also enjoys working with people.
I just like to be around people, he said.
I have a lot of clients I work for that I have close
relationships with.
And its Kurths communication abilities that
make him especially valuable because construction projects undergo changes constantly, said
Stan Sugden, CEO of Ruekert & Mielke. Sugden,
also a long-time employee of the company, got to
see those abilities on display first-hand when he
worked with Kurth while he was an entry-level
engineer for the company.
Having someone that communicates really
well and talks to all the different people involved
is a huge benefit for the project to go smoothly,
Sugden said.
The job can get hectic at times. Kurth manages 28 employees and multiple projects, meaning
he takes as many as 40 calls a day. The key to
keeping your head, he said, is to step back and
look at the big picture.
Ive learned if you worry too much, when you
get there it wasnt as bad as you thought it was,
he said.
Kurth also works on organizing internal employee events, including camping outings and a
highway cleanup. He enjoys doing it, partially because he has always enjoyed organizing events.
The company has given me a job for 40
years, he said. Its my way of giving back to the
company for being good to me.
Kurth holds an extraordinar place among the
Waukesha-based companys 100 employees,
said Sugden.
From my perspective, Arlyns ability to go
above and beyond at all times when no one else
is watching is what really sets him apart, he said.
Erika Strebel
UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR

Arlyn Kurth, Ruekert & Mielke
39
Baysingers work turns virtual into reality

Sometimes Josh Baysinger likes to drive around
Madison with his wife,
Sara, and their twin Labradors, Lola and Maverick, to look at his buildings.
Its pretty cool,
Baysinger said, when
of the year
know I helped build
something that will last.
Baysinger is a virtual construction manager
at Findorff & Son in Madison. His primary job is
creating the 3D Building Information Modeling
that can be used to make sure everything related
to a project, whether large or small, fits together
before ground is ever broken.
Nine years ago, when Baysinger started at

Findorff, BIM was the newest industry buzzword
but had not been widely adopted. Today it is the
standard in new construction.
With 3D we can spot problems before we get
into the field, Baysinger said. The technology
lets us do a more comprehensive cost analysis,
systems evaluations and constructibility reviews.
We save time and money for everyone involved.
Beyond helping to place things like pipes and
heating ducts, BIM plays an even bigger role.
With modeling we can even plan ahead
for placing large equipment, said Baysinger. Moving some of the largest equipment in
the world is much easier when we know the
exact route from the delivery truck to the fac-
tory floor and we know its going to fit.

Baysinger got his interest in all things construction when he was growing up. As a teenager, he helped build homes in the Wisconsin
Dells while he was still in high school. He went
to Madison College and majored in small business and architecture, all the while playing on
the college basketball team.
Hes been the guy on the ladder, and understands how technology can make construction
safer and more efficient.
Its like making the transition from using a
hammer to using a nail gun, he said. Once
youve seen what a pro can do with a nail gun,
youre not going to go back to a hammer.
Jerry Huffman
VIRTUAL CONSTRUCTION
MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Josh Baysinger, J.H. Findorff
40
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2016

NEWSMAKERS HONOREES.
WE ARE PROUD TO BE PARTNERS
WITH THESE SUCCESSFUL
HONOREES
SALES / SERVICE / RENTALS
SERVING CONTRACTORS SINCE 1959
Pavement Saws and Wall Saws

Diamond Blades-Wet and Dry
Core Drilling Equipment
Diamond Core Bits
Generators & Pumps
Honda, Stihl & Wacker
(800) 242-2066
(262) 781-3660
WWW.CON-COR-CO.COM
Fax (262) 252-3832
W146 N5790 Enterprise Ave.
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051w
WE LET
OUR WORK
SPEAK FOR
ITSELF.
(BUT WELL BRAG ABOUT
OUR TEAM ALL DAY.)
CONGRATULATIONS TO TOM AND JARED, OUR 2016 NEWSMAKERS OF
THE YEAR! WE COULDNT BE MORE PROUD OF YOU TWO.
Tom Thayer
lifetime achievement
jared mcdaniel
rising young professional
Employ Milwaukee connects jobseekers with industrys needs

Connecting jobseekers
with open positions is
what propels Employ
Milwaukee forward.
Employ Milwaukee,
a workforce investment
board, has set up advisory boards to identify
of the year
the chief needs within
various industries, including construction, said
Earl Buford, Employ Milwaukee president and
chief executive officer.
Our industry advisory board connects us
directly to the construction industry and we
hear about their needs, he said. We are a private-public partnership that brings resources to
help fund the necessary training jobseekers receive so they can fill the open jobs.
Employ Milwaukee receives money from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Department
of Labor. In addition to construction, Employ
Milwaukees other targeted industries include

health care, manufacturing, water and information technology.
Employ Milwaukee is trying to fill job openings
at both small and large local projects, including
Northwestern Mutual and the new Bucks arena,
Buford said.
We work with advisory boards and vendors
of choice on putting together the training programs, he said.
To find applicants for the training program,
Employ Milwaukee has teamed with vendors to
attract jobseekers and has set up three permanent job centers, Buford said.
We also have the capacity for mobile job
center locations, he said. For example, we set
up an access point in the Sherman Park neighborhood to reach out to potential applicants that
can be trained for these open positions.
The construction and trades industry works
closely with Employ Milwaukee to identify where
the biggest demand is for talent, said Bridget

Slack, of Mortenson Construction.
Employ Milwaukee gives adults and youth
the knowledge to make informed career decisions and help them gain skills, find work and
move up in their careers, Slack said. As a
public-private partnership between government
and businesses, they help plan, administer and
coordinate employment and training programs
for adults and youth in Milwaukee County.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor
awarded Employ Milwaukee a $4 million grant to
support workforce training for technology jobs.
The work has primarily targeted people who receive help through the Housing Authority of the
City of Milwaukees TechForce Center, which is
run with the Milwaukee Area Technical College.
The goal is to train and place 150 individuals in tech jobs by 2017 and 600 by 2020,
Buford said.
MaryBeth Matzek
WORKFORCE CREATOR OF THE YEAR

Employ Milwaukee
42
2016
of the year
For more information

or to discuss options,
call Jenny Byington
at 414-225-1803.
Thayer takes
Tri-North to a
national stage
Looking back at a long
and successful career in
construction, Tom Thayer
can say hes still having
fun.
I love this
industry, said Thayer,
president and a
of the year
founder of Fitchburgbased Tri-North Builders.
Its a fun industry, he added, one which
seems to present a new challenge every day.
Yet, construction wasnt always his industry of
choice. In fact, he more or less stumbled into it.
Thayer started out seeking a degree in forestry at Colorado State University. That all changed
one summer when he took a job in construction
and realized he was pursuing the wrong degree.
It was just getting out there and watching
something being built, he recalled. Working
with your hands, working with other guys on the
job site. Just make something out of nothing.
Watching the building go up during that summer
really was kind of exciting to me.
The next big career decision he made was to
become a business owner.
Thayer and two friends, Joe Donnino and
Donald Jones, founded Tri-North in 1981. What is
now a national contractor started out back then
with five employees operating out of a humble
700-square-foot building.
Fortunately we had some clients that we had
worked with in the past that came with us, he
said, so we had a good base to start with.
Thayer became president of Tri-North in 1995.
Throughout that decade, the company saw its
sales increase from $25 million to $100 million.
It was around this time that the contractor also
gained a national presence.
In 1996, Tri-North opened its Milwaukee office, followed by an office in Dallas around 2000.
The company also became employee-owned
around the same time; Thayer led the change.
Thayer said Tri-North has built its success on
the loyalty of its clients. Tri-North, for instance,
built its first Marcus Theater around 1983 and is
still building theaters for the company.
Thats what drives our growth is our clients,
he said. We have customers that build, and they
build a lot. So thats part of what has driven our
growth, is our dedication and service to them.
They keep coming back to us and they keep expanding what they do with us.
Alex Zank
44
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD RECIPIENT
Tom Thayer, Tri-North Builders
Construction
HONORING DESIGN
PROFESSIONALS
OF THE YEAR
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
As part of Newsmakers of the Year, these awards showcase Wisconsin-based

companies and professionals who make construction projects successful.
Join us in congratulating these honorees.
Engineer of the Year: Bob Gutierrez WisDOT
Architect of the Year: Zimmerman Architectural Studios
Interior Designer of the Year: PRA Interior Designers
kphconstruction.com
Our contractors and

tradespeople are
BUILDING WISCONSIN
Proud to Sponsor the

Newsmakers 2016 Awards
Building Advantage
731 N. Jackson Street, Suite 620 n Milwaukee, WI 53202 n Phone 414.897.1146
Email:kkraemer@buildingadvantage.org n www.buildingadvantage.org

The Daily Reporter's 2016 Newsmakers of The Year

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The Daily Reporter's 2016 Newsmakers of The Year

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2016

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Daily Reporter photo by Kevin Harnack

At Building Advantage, we are extremely excited about all of the

Photo courtesy of Dairyland Electric.

The benefits of partnering with Building Advantage

Newsmakers of the Year is

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THE DAILY REPORTERS 2016 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

THE DAILY REPORTER'S 2016 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

Architect of the Year

Estimator of the Year

Interior Designer of the Year

Public Official of the Year, Russell

Service Provider of the Year

Unsung Hero of the Year

Builder of the Year

Executive of the Year

Minority-Owned Company of the

Educator of the Year

Executive of the Year

Project Manager of the Year

Rising Young Professional

Subcontractor of the Year

Engineer of the Year

Humanitarian of the Year

Project Manager of the Year

Engineering Firm of the Year

Innovator of the Year

Public Official of the Year

Rising Young Professional

Virtual Construction Manager of the Workforce Creator of the Year

Lifetime Achievement Award

WHEN YOU COME RIGHT DOWN TO IT,

WISCONSIN LABORERS DISTRICT COUNCIL

Zimmerman connects with clients to find ideal design

to meet clients needs. The project called on the

ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR

Mortenson takes pride in past while looking to future

When a contractor has

as the Sojourner Truth House in Milwaukee.

BUILDER OF THE YEAR

THE DAILY REPORTERS 2016 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

Griffith helps industry

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

Proven Commercial Performance

Outstanding Warranty Coverage

New Construction and Renovations

13745 W Capitol Drive

Employee-owned Excel Engineering aptly named

Although the firm is called Excel Engineering,

he said. We have profit sharing so everyone

ENGINEERING FIRM OF THE YEAR

THE DAILY REPORTERS 2016 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

Wilz starts on ceilings, hits ground running as an estimator

ance between being too conservative and too

costs and an incredible ability to keep track of

ESTIMATOR OF THE YEAR

Dillis leads with trust,

EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

RENTAL SALES &

Sorge learned ways of the trade in old school