CONSTRUCTION LEADERS TODAY T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R C A P TA I N S O F I N D U S T RY www.constructionleaderstoday.com
GENERAL CONTRACTING OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY
midwest
2 Winter 2010
| general contracting
general contracting
| midwest
by Joel Cornell
For nearly half a century, R.C. Wegman Construction Company established and upheld their legacy of excellence. As a full service commercial and industrial construction company, their family-oriented style of doing business has left them with a strong reputation in and around the greater Chicago and Aurora, Ill. area as honest, honorable and committed to quality construction. Robert “Chic” Wegman and his partner Howard Banks founded the company as Banks & Wegman Builders in Aurora, Ill., just 40 miles west of Chicago. Initially, the company focused on residential construction, for both new developments and remodeling projects. Over time, the company saw great success. Eventually, Banks left the industry to pursue an income he found to be more stable for supporting his nine children. Wegman continued to uphold the business, changing the name to R.C. Wegman Construction Company. “Mr. Wegman always focused on the importance of a quality reputation,” said Terry Bohr, the current company president and son-in-law to Wegman. “Above all, he wanted to ensure a reputation of honest business practices and high quality work. He did a lot of business with nothing more than a handshake, and has given the company name the highest standing as a builder within the Aurora, Ill. community.” Robert Wegman retired as company president in 1993, at which time his three sons, Carl, Paul and Chris Wegman, took over as the leaders of the business. Carl Wegman served as president until recently, in 2006, when Bohr stepped up to the position. Throughout these years, the company retained its reputation for honesty and excellence. R. C. Wegman suffered a tremendous loss
Construction Leaders Today 3
midwest
4 Winter 2010
| general contracting
general contracting
| midwest
PREVIOUS PAGE: Paramout Theater. THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE PAGE: Aurora Fire Station No. 8 & Customer Service Center, Aurora Ill. Totaling nearly 20,000 sq. ft., this unique structure houses both Fire Station No. 8 and the City of Aurora’s Customer Service Center. Aurora’s Fire Station No. 8 received a GOLD level award by the Station Style judges in the shared facilities category. Photos by John Bonk of Studio AVALON.
on November 12th, 2010, when Paul Wegman passed away after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. His loss has left a void in the company that will be difficult to replace, but the company continues to move forward, committed to the principles established by Paul’s father. “My father-in-law always took extra measures to establish great working relationships with our subcontractors, and we uphold that tradition,” Bohr said. “They always knew that when they had a job with us they were going to get paid. Many in the construction industry can easily obtain a seedy reputation. Our heavy emphasis is on the way we operate. Our supervisors and superintendents know how our subcontractors work best, and strive to provide them with the ideal environment
DON BOHR & SONS Don Bohr & Sons, Inc. was established in 1975 and has been a leader in quality concrete work ever since. Don Bohr & Sons is a third generation family owned and operated concrete contractor serving the Chicagoland area in the commercial, residential and industrial industries. For more information, please contact Don Bohr & Sons at dbs.larry@att.net or by calling 630-898-3393. Construction Leaders Today 5
midwest
6 Winter 2010
| general contracting
general contracting
| midwest
so that they can produce their ideal work.” Today, the company has moved out of the residential market, vastly increasing their range and scope within a wide array of commercial and industry verticals. With a highly qualified and practiced staff of 18, each averaging 24 years worth of experience in the industry, the myriad project types that R.C. Wegman Construction Company performs are always completed with a specialist’s attention to detail and quality. “Within the many types of projects that we’ve done, we also ensure great flexibility THIS PAGE & OPPOSITE: Oswego Fire Department. THIS PAGE: (BELOW) Vaughan Athletic Center, Aurora Ill. The Vaughan Athletic Center is a 170,000 sq. ft. facility featuring: 10,000 sq. ft. fitness center; 1/6 mile elevated 3 lane running track; aerobic, spinning and multi-purpose rooms; indoor children’s playground; washrooms and locker rooms complete with steam rooms and saunas; office space; 40,000 sq. ft. field house with 4 basketball courts, volleyball courts and batting cages; 200 meter 4 lane track, complete with long jump and pole vault pits. The Natatorium features: 3 meter 4-lane therapy pool with a zero depth ramp; 8 lane competition pool; plunging pool with 2 body slides; zero depth leisure pool with built-in play features; water playground. The Vaughan Athletic Center received the McGraw Hill Construction “Best 06” Sports and Entertainment Award. Photos by John Bonk of Studio AVALON.
Construction Leaders Today 7
midwest
8 Winter 2010
| general contracting
general contracting
| midwest
for the scope of our services for each client,” Bohr said. “We hard bid as a general contractor. We provide a specialized team for construction management services. We maintain great working relationships with some of our area’s best architects, in order to provide a full suite of design/build services.” R.C. Wegman Construction Company’s range extends through the various specialty sectors of banking, police stations, education facilities, casinos, cultural centers and museums, bridges, supermarkets, golf clubhouses, bakeries and restaurants, churches, parking structures and park facilities, just to name a few. The scope of the company’s services within these project types ranges from repairs to total interior and/or exterior renovations, as well as new construction. Among the most frequent of R.C. Wegman THIS SPREAD: Aurora Police Department, Staff Garage & Training and Support Building, Aurora, Ill. The Staff Parking Deck is a 203,069 sq. ft., two level structure that is pre-cast concrete construction with 557 parking spaces. The Training and Support Building (TAS) is a 41,000 sq. ft. building constructed with structural pre-cast concrete wall panels at the exterior walls. The building houses a state of the art forensic department that has multiple labs such as a latents lab, digital lab, alternative light source lab, computer forensics lab and a vehicle exam area all of which can process evidence such as DNA, fingerprints and other evidence with the efficiency of a state certified lab. The TAS Building also features a state of the art firing range. The firing range is a ten lane range that can also be utilized as a free roaming range. The Aurora Police Headquarters Facility is targeting a LEED Gold rating, which will be the first LEED public project for Aurora. Photos taken by RC Wegman Construction Company.
Construction Leaders Today 9
midwest
10 Winter 2010
| general contracting
general contracting
Construction Company’s project types are firehouses. Throughout their history, the company has successfully completed 13 new fire stations within their traditional range of approximately 40 miles surrounding the city of Aurora. “With a fire station,” Bohr said, “you have a building that never closes or ceases to be in use. Most homes and business get some kind of a break during work or during play. It is essential that both the builder and the designer understand this. The materials used during construction need to be of the highest quality, because the building is going to see three times as much use as a regular structure. “Also, this is going to be the occupants’ home away from home. We make sure that the environment is as comfortable as possible. Many aspects of the design are quite unique to fire houses. The apparatus bay, where all of the vehicles are kept and maintained, needs to be uniquely ventilated and exhausted. The heating for such a bay is unique in that they are inhabited by massive fire engines, while frequently being left open to the whims of the elements. “You don’t have to be a specialist to do a fire station. You just need to work hard and work
smart so that every element of the design of the building is taken into consideration. Now, with such work already under our belts, we can go to other fire protection districts and speak intelligently about fire station design. The clients can then rest assured that we are entirely capable and knowledgeable.” One of R.C. Wegman Construction Company’s most unique and challenging projects was the Hollywood Casino Dockside Gaming Facility, built on the Fox River, which flows through the heart of downtown Aurora. Because the challenges of building on the river, the structure was built in four separate pieces. Each of the pieces was completed further up the river before being joined to one of the other sections of the building. The two pieces were then floated carefully down the river to the building’s final location. As both sections arrived, the teams from R.C. Wegman Construction Company worked quickly and carefully to secure the building and connect it permanently to the casino pavilion structure. Inside the building is one of the most secure and technologically advanced casinos in the state. The 180,000 sq. ft. floating radius casino was officially opened in 2002. Because of R.C. Wegman Construction Company’s
| midwest
ability to meet the repeated demands of the Hollywood Casino, they have been a repeat client since 1992. “We’ve had the chance to grow beyond our current size,” Bohr said, “but we’ve refrained from that because it allows us to keep our best people employed, trained and happy. We don’t have grand expectations of becoming Chicago’s next construction powerhouse. We’re the best mid-sized company we can be, and we can do the same job as any mega corporation, but with more personalized service and all around more bang for the client’s buck.” CLT THIS PAGE: (BELOW) Hollywood Casino Dockside Gaming Facility gave R.C. Wegman the opportunity to build the impossible, an 180,000 sq. ft. boating radius casino to encapsulate and join to the existing stationary pavilion. Nothing like it had ever been designed before. This one-of-a-kind structure had to be completed within the constraints of the United States Coast Guard maritime American Bureau of Shipping codes and the City of Aurora Building Officials and Code Administrators codes. Simultaneous to the construction, launch and securing of the floating casino, RCWCC also completed a major renovation to the pavilion, constructed two surface parking lots and added another enclosed pedestrian bridge and entry building. A Certificate of Occupancy was issued by the City of Aurora on June 16, 2002. All of these projects, totaling 220,000 sq. ft. and $56 million, were completed in 16 months. Photos courtesy of R.C. Wegman.
Olsson Roofing Co. Olsson Roofing Company is one of the nation’s leading commercial roofing companies, serving Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana for more than 95 years. Olsson Roofing specializes in commercial, institutional and industrial roofing, including green roof, single ply, modified, built-up and metal roof systems. Services include new construction, re-roofing, repairs, maintenance and warranty work. In 2010 Olsson Roofing received the Firestone President’s Club Award, Inner Circle of Quality and Master Contractor Award, their 14th consecutive ESP Award from Carlisle-Syntec and was named to Johns Manville’s Pinnacle Club. These awards are presented to contractors who consistently achieve the highest level of quality and professionalism. For more information please call 1-630-892-0449.
Construction Leaders Today 11
R.C. Wegman Construction Company 750 Morton Avenue Aurora, Illinois 60506 P: 630.844.3000 http://www.rcwegman.com