LH Block Electric Company, Inc. (LH Block) was established in the 1950s by Lukas Hunsinger when he immigrated to the United States from Europe. He hired Randy Block as an apprentice in 1972 with the promise that if he worked hard he could one day take it over. He did just that, and in 1979, Lukas retired and sold the business to Randy. read more...
Tom Trinen’s experience in the high-rise window cleaning industry began in 1977, cleaning windows during summer breaks from college. After graduating in 1980, he was hired full time at a national window cleaning company as a sales and operations manager, and in four years built up a strong, well-organized division of 25 window cleaners from what started as a team of two. read more...
Most people wouldn’t associate bravery with awning manufacturing and installation, but a willingness to delve into large commercial projects that no one else will touch is exactly the kind of thing that sets apart Merrillville Awning Co. (Merrillville Awning) in Merrillville, Indiana. “We’ve always been kind of fearless,” Mike Blessing, President of Merrillville Awning, says as he describes an enormous canopy they manufactured for United States Steel Corporation 15 years ago. The company needed a canopy to protect its tin line from condensation in the plant, so Mike and his Production Manager/Senior Estimator John Wickstrom put their heads together and designed a 30-foot-long, 8-foot-wide canopy that slanted 50 feet in the air. “Our challenge was to design intersecting sections that could be hooked, lifted, removed, then replaced above by the crane without manual assistance when the line had to be maintained,” Mike says. read more...
When the accomplishments, beliefs, actions and guidance of the forefathers are adopted as core values by future generations in a meaningful and successful way, a family legacy is then passed on to future generations. It is impressive to discover a company heading into its fifth generation of family ownership. Its heritage confirms that the firm, throughout the decades, endured more than a century of U.S. economic fluctuations and significant adaptations in core business technologies. read more...
Flooring in many ways offers pathways, and the story of Superior Floor Covering, Inc. (Superior) features its share of pathways, too. From its bumpy beginnings to its mother-daughter leadership today, the company and its employees have found a solid direction through hard work and building good relationships. read more...
More than 30 years ago, communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe collapsed, providing the opportunity for millions of families to rebuild and pursue a new way of life. Those years of change motivated many people in Poland to make their way to the United States. Thus began the third major wave of Polish immigration to the United States—a time when job opportunities for Polish skilled labor were abundant. During these years, Polish workers pursued their livelihood and independence, while maintaining close ties with their community in a new country they now called home. read more...
When CEO Steve Gagnon walks through his office doors each morning, he has another opportunity to win customers for Allstar Asphalt, Inc. and continue his life’s passion of building parking lots. The paving company, based in Wheeling, Illinois, was purchased by Steve and his father, John Gagnon, in 1987. read more...
Unified Construction Group (UCG) was formed in late 2008 by a pair of former colleagues, Nathan Ries, who was a project manager at the time and Noel Valenti, who was a superintendent. The two first worked together during the high-rise condominium boom in Chicago in the late 1990s and early 2000s. read more...
Janice Reading grew up watching her father build sewer repair and septic businesses in the southern suburbs of Chicago. Today, she’s applying the same sense of urgency in responding to customers’ needs to continue his legacy and build her own successful company: M & J Underground Inc. (M & J), a thriving business offering a complete range of utility services. read more...
Meyer’s Heating & Cooling was established by Harvey Cleland in 1951. He ran the Northwest Indiana-based heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical contracting business for five decades. read more...
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