At Prairie Construction, our strength comes from our people. Today, we’re sending off a true legend as Project Superintendent Steve Vencil officially enters retirement! Steve joined us in the early days when co-founders Paul and Frank were just starting Prairie Construction. Bringing background as a stockbroker, an ironworker, and a skilled tradesman, Steve quickly became a cornerstone of our team. […]
Prairie Construction Proudly Sponsored Elkhorn Youth Baseball
Prairie Construction Company was proud to serve as an official sponsor of the Elkhorn 13U/14U youth baseball team for their season. Supporting local athletics is a core value at Prairie Construction. Beyond building quality commercial and educational facilities across Nebraska, we believe in investing in the next generation of leaders through sports, teamwork, and active community involvement. We want to […]
Prairie Construction Proudly Sponsored the Greeley Days Rodeo
Prairie Construction Company was honored to serve as an official sponsor of the Greeley Days Rodeo, which took place July 18th and 19th. Community involvement is a fundamental part of our mission at Prairie Construction. Beyond delivering quality commercial and industrial construction projects across the region, we are committed to supporting local traditions, regional events, and the communities where our […]
Growing to Build Better: Prairie Construction Expands Office and Shop Space
Prairie Construction Company is expanding its headquarters with a major facility expansion. To support rising commercial construction demand across the region, leadership, including President & CEO Matthew F. Schuman, PE, and Owner & COO Stephen S. Rease, is enlarging both shop and office spaces to increase operational capacity and speed up project delivery. […]
Did You Know? Renovating Part of a Commercial Building Can Trigger Accessibility Upgrades
Did you know that renovating one part of a commercial building can sometimes require accessibility upgrades to areas you didn’t plan on touching? Under federal ADA standards, alterations made to a building’s primary function area require the accessible path of travel to that area, including entrances, restrooms, and parking, to also be upgraded, up to a cost cap of 20 percent of the […]
Outgrowing Your Space? When It’s Time to Expand or Build New for Your Omaha Business
Every growing business eventually runs into the same wall. Maybe your staff has outgrown the floor plan, your warehouse inventory has spilled into the aisles, or your dining room is turning away customers at peak hours. Knowing you’ve outgrown your space is the easy part. Knowing whether to expand or build new is where the decision-making starts, and Omaha’s mid-summer conditions are worth factoring in either way. […]
Did You Know? Heat Is One of the Most Serious Hazards on a Commercial Job Site
Did you know that construction crews face a disproportionate risk from extreme heat compared to almost any other industry? Construction workers make up only about 6 percent of the U.S. workforce, but they’ve accounted for more than a third of all occupational heat-related deaths recorded between 1992 and 2016. More recently, OSHA investigated over a thousand heat-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities across U.S. workplaces between 2017 […]
Did You Know? Footing Depth Requirements Don’t Change With the Seasons
Did you know that even in the middle of a hot, humid Omaha summer, commercial foundations still have to go just as deep as they would in January? Omaha’s building code requires footings to extend at least 42 inches below the finished ground surface, per the city’s municipal code, the depth needed to get below the frost line that forms most winters. When moisture […]
Remodel or Build New? A Decision Guide for Omaha Business and Commercial Property Owners
Right now, in the middle of Nebraska’s peak storm season, a lot of commercial property owners are getting an unplanned reminder of where their building stands. Hail data going back to 1955 shows that May, June, and July account for roughly 70 percent of all hail events in Nebraska, which means this is exactly the stretch when roofs and building envelopes get […]
The Thomas Jefferson High School Auditorium Renovation
The curtains have officially risen at the newly renovated auditorium at Thomas Jefferson High School. As a key piece of the Council Bluffs Community School District’s Facility Master Plan, Prairie Construction has transformed this historic space into a state-of-the-art performance venue. Key Project Highlights Theatrical Excellence: We installed professional-grade lighting, rigging, curtains, and a high-fidelity sound system to give students a true “pro-stage” experience. […]