Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News, Industry News

Spring is Coming – Time to Plan Your Projects!

The groundhog did not see his shadow – that means an early Spring!

We’ve had a mild Winter, especially compared to last year when we had record snow amounts, and it felt like it would never end! But we have already experienced mild temps, making us think that Spring is just around the corner.

If you are considering a construction project for this Spring or Summer, don’t put off planning – Spring will in fact be here before you know it! Everyone wants to take advantage of nicer weather and plan projects for the Spring and Summer, and schedules fill up quickly – so don’t put off planning your projects!

The Prairie Construction team has some tips to consider when choosing the right construction company, no matter how big or small your project is:

  • Choose a company that has experience with projects similar to yours
  • Make sure the company is reliable and has a good rating with the Better Business Bureau
  • Referrals matter, so ask trusted sources for recommendations
  • Work with a company that has a good understanding of architectural design
  • A good construction company will manage the project from start to finish, eliminating the need for you to find subcontractors
  • Trust your gut – you should feel good about the project manager you are working with!

The Prairie Construction is looking forward to the end of Winter and a busy construction season!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News

Progress on Our Office Renovation

Last week we showed you an update of our office renovation project – the demolition!

This week, we have another update – the progress!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drywall is going up, lighting is being installed, and soon glass walls and fixtures will be put into place, followed by paint and the finishing touches!

We have learned a lot being on this end of a renovation project – and we have a whole new appreciation for our clients as you attempt to maintain operations throughout a construction project!

As many of our clients do, we made the decision to continue working in our office throughout the renovation. Construction projects are messy and loud and disruptive, and our staff has displayed amazing patience and dedication throughout the project. We appreciate their commitment to maintaining operations throughout this process.

We can’t wait to show you the finished project in a few weeks!

 

Posted on By JM Online Categories Company News

Happy Holidays from the Prairie Construction Team

All of us at Prairie Construction want to wish each of you the very best of the holiday season, and thank you for a wonderful 2019!

We appreciate all of the subcontractors and partners that we are fortunate to work with every day. Thank you for your shared commitment to providing excellent service to each of our clients.

Thank you to our amazing team of dedicated professionals. We appreciate your dedication and loyalty, and your commitment to serving our clients with professionalism and excellence.

And a huge thank you to each of our clients. Thank you for trusting our team with your construction needs. Your referrals mean so much to us, and it is our pleasure to serve you and help you make your construction dreams a reality.

2020 is going to be a great year for us. We will welcome a newly renovated space, begin many exciting projects, and continue to serve our loyal customers with the highest quality service.

We wish you warmth and joy in this Holiday season, and health, happiness and prosperity in the New Year. Happy Holidays from all of us at Prairie Construction!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News

A Renovation of Our Own at Prairie Construction

The Prairie Construction team is excited to announce the launch one of our most exciting projects of the year – our own!

Prairie Construction was founded in 1989 and we are celebrating our 30th anniversary this year. What better way to mark the occasion than by treating ourselves as the client and launching a major office renovation!

Our offices are located near 133rd & B St. in southwest Omaha. Over the years, styles and trends have changed. We have helped design and build attractive, efficient spaces to meet our clients needs, and now it is time to do it for our own company!

The project will include a complete update and renovation of our existing office space. The front entryway will be modern and inviting. The offices and conference room space will be redesigned with collaboration and efficiency in mind, and will be a reflection of our style and craftsmanship. Our overall look and color scheme will be updated to reflect our progressive and innovative style.

This project gives us an opportunity to work with many of the partners we typically collaborate with on projects, but this time as the client. For example, Signworks of Omaha will create new exterior signage for the updated storefront.

Demolition has already begun and we expect the project to be completed at the end of January. We will share updates throughout the project to showing you the finished project soon!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News, Industry News

Dedication of the Westside Welding Lab

Westside students have already been busy learning in the new welding lab, which was officially dedicated on Thursday, October 3, 2019.

Governor Pete Ricketts, a 1983 graduate of Westside High School was on hand to officially dedicate the lab.

We could not be more excited about Westside School District’s dedication to teaching trades and crafts to students, and we are extremely proud to be trusted with this important project. The lab is state-of-the-art and amazing!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News

Happy Anniversary Cindy!

What is a DOA? It’s a Director of Awesomeness – and anyone who has called or visited our office knows it’s the perfect title for Cindy Wollenburg, our office administrator! We wouldn’t be who we are without her!

Cindy joined the Prairie Construction team in 2004 after a career in the grocery industry. As the front desk receptionist, she is the face and voice of Prairie Construction, greeting visitors, contractors and clients.

“There is very little that happens here that Cindy doesn’t have a hand in,” said Matt Schuman, owner of Prairie Construction.

Steve Rease, co-owner, summed up Cindy like this: “Cindy is the DOA! She makes sure we get things done and meet our deadlines, and you can’t help but like her!”

There is no typical day at Prairie Construction, but on any given day Cindy helps with accounting, insurance certificates, and contractor registrations. She balances invoices and supports contractors and subcontractors, and helps keep all the moving parts on schedule so we can complete our projects on deadline.

“I love being part of the Prairie Construction team,” said Cindy. “I appreciate the small, family atmosphere, and I really feel like I’m part of a great team here.”

Cindy is an important part of What Makes Us Work at Prairie Construction. We appreciate her every day. Congratulations on your 15th anniversary, Cindy, and THANK YOU for your loyalty and dedication to Prairie construction!

 

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News

Holiday Greetings from the Prairie Construction Team

As 2018 comes to an end, the Prairie Construction team is taking time to pause and reflect on the successes of the last year.

We appreciate the many subcontractors and partners that we are fortunate to work with every day. We value your continued support of Prairie Construction and your commitment to helping us provide excellent service to each of our clients.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve each of our clients. Thank you for your referrals and your trust in our team. It is our pleasure to serve you and help you make your construction dreams a reality.

We owe a huge part of our success to our team of dedicated professionals. We are grateful for each member of our team and we appreciate your dedication and loyalty. Thank you for your commitment to providing excellent service to our customers.

We wish you warmth and joy in this Holiday season, and health, happiness and prosperity in the New Year. Happy Holidays from all of us at Prairie Construction!

 

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News, Current Projects

On Track for Gretna Public Works Project – Despite the Rainfall

When it comes to meeting construction deadlines there are many contributing factors – sub contractors, budget, adjustments to the original plans, and weather – and the hardest to account for is weather.

Construction companies need to get creative in order to meet deadlines when we’ve had as much rainfall as we have the last few weeks in Omaha.

Several weeks ago we told you progress on the Gretna Public Works facility. By mid-August, the foundation and paving were being laid, and the steel erection had begun. Since then, we have laid the foundation, erected the building and completed the paving and retaining walls.

Rainfall and new concrete are a hard mix, but we have managed to take advantage of dry days – regardless of when they call – to keep the project on track to meet our deadlines. Our teams have been long hours on dry days, even when they fall on weekends.

We hope you will continue to check back on the progress of this project!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News

Steve Rease Speaks to Omaha Executives Association

Steve Rease, executive vice president of Prairie Construction, spoke recently at an Omaha Executives Association (OEA) meeting. The presentation included a history of Prairie Construction, tips for choosing the right contractor, and highlights from some recent projects.

OEA was formed in Omaha in 1924 as a networking group for business owners and executives. Members exchange business information, networking and leads during weekly meetings. A current OEA members presents a craft talk – an informative presentation about their business – at each meeting.

Steve’s craft talk included an overview of Prairie Construction and the services we provide. Steve provided an overview of the process of hiring a contractor for a project, including the initial project design and the bid process, and finishing with the build!

He provided a brief over view of some recent projects that Prairie Construction completed, including the St. Patrick’s activity center, recent Creighton University projects, the Excel Physical Therapy expansion, the Lockbox Storage facility in Bennington, and some recent school projects. Steve highlighted unique features of each project and showed photos during construction and the finished build.

We have been fortunate to help several OEA members expand and grow their businesses through renovation or new construction projects. We enjoy the opportunity to talk about the things that make Prairie Construction different from other construction companies in Omaha. We hope you will think of Prairie Construction!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News, Current Projects

Bennington Storage Facility

We recently completed the construction of a new storage facility in Bennington, NE for Lock Box Storage. The 60,000 square-foot climate-controlled building includes a variety of sizes of storage units inside, as well as outdoor storage space.

Self-storage is a rapidly growing industry in the US. According to The SpareFoot Storage Beat, there are more than 2.3 billion square feet of rentable self-storage space in the United States. That’s an average of 7.06 square feet of self-storage space for every American. The Prairie Construction team has been involved with the construction of numerous storage facilities for McGregor Interests in the Omaha and Des Moines areas, and we are proud of the quality construction of each of them.

Every project we complete has unique requirements and specifications. Climate control is crucial with storage units and the team at Prairie Construction has the experience and expertise to give you peace of mind that our facilities are safe and reliable. Learn more about the Bennington Lock Box storage facility here.