Last updated on July 18th, 2024 at 05:07 am
Des Moines is the city capital of Iowa, as well as its most populous city. It is a business hub centered around the country’s insurance industry. It also has a substantial amount of financial services and publishing businesses. The city ranked third as the largest insurance capital in the world while ranking first in the U.S., as per Business Wire. Other corporations, such as Wells Fargo, Microsoft, and Hewlett-Packard, have also set up in the area. With a great economic standing and the abundant amount of opportunities, various business owners flock to the city in the hopes of solidifying their institutions. Listed here are some of Des Moines’ best commercial contractors. These firms have helped companies to launch and expand in the area. They were selected based on their expertise, experience, projects, and stellar reputation.
Weitz
420 Watson Powell Jr. Way #100, Des Moines, IA 50309
General contracting firm Weitz has seven decades of experience building commercial properties. It mainly serves Des Moines, Davenport, and Cedar Rapids, as well as the states of Nebraska, Minnesota, Colorado, Florida, Washington, Missouri, Hawaii, and Virginia. Initially started as a small carpenter shop in 1855, the firm expanded in 1955, venturing into commercial building. By the middle of the 2000s, it had more than 300 employees and a revenue increase from $250 million to $1 billion. It is presently owned by Orascom Construction PLC, a leading global engineer and construction company, which will aid in the company’s ongoing development and create new opportunities on a national and international level.
The firm rose to greater prominence in the industry under Kevin McClain’s direction. Various journals highlighted it, such as The Des Moines Register, Business Record, and The Albania Newspaper. The firm has also received numerous honors, the most recent of which were given by Engineering News-Record (ENR). This included the following rankings: 80th in the Top 400 Contractors, 64th in the Top 100 Contractors by New Contracts, 30th in the Top 50 Contractors Working Abroad, and 15th in the Top 20 Contractors for Telecommunication.
Weitz recently completed the Hilton Des Moines Downtown, making it a new centerpiece in the area’s hospitality market. The 322,000-square-foot hotel was constructed through an innovative, purpose-build approach centered around 12 modular build components. About $101 million was spent to complete the project consisting of 330 guest rooms, a full-service kitchen, a restaurant with outdoor seating, a lobby with bar, a tech lounge, a swimming pool, and a fitness center. The team also built a 10,000-square-foot ballroom function hall with outdoor terraces and 4,000 square feet of breakout meeting rooms.
Dean Snyder Construction
5151 SE Rio Ct. Ankeny, IA 50021
Dean Snyder Construction has served the Midwestern region with its building needs since 1958. The firm mainly serves the food and beverage, health care, industrial, education, religious, agricultural, multifamily, office, and retail industries. Through its subsidiary company, ATURA Architecture, it also operates as a one-stop general contracting company, providing design and architectural services. Over 230 dedicated and diligent people make up the Dean Snyder team, which is overseen by president Don Snyder. Its extensive list of prominent clients, award-winning projects, and many publication features bear witness to its commitment to excellence. The firm’s recognitions over the years include features from Global Gazette, Clear Lake Mirror Reporter, and the Ames Tribune. The awards it has collected include Education Partner of the Year from the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, Excellence in Concrete Award from the Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Association, and the Safety Professional of the Year from the Master Builders of Iowa.
The firm has served various companies, including Kraft Heinz, Royal Canin, and Fareway Stores. It also built the Hampton Inn & Suites for the Kinseth Hospitality Companies. The team developed a dual-branded Hilton campus covering over 65,745 square feet of space. It comprises 102 units for Hampton Inn, 100 units for Homewood Suites, and amenities for leisure and business. Both hotels were constructed with wood frames and are five stories tall.
Koester Construction
3050 SE Enterprise Dr. B, Grimes, IA 50111
Koester Construction is a family-run general contracting firm that was formed in 1985. Its portfolio includes projects in the multifamily, senior living, restaurant, historical work, health care, education, religious, and office sectors. The team aims to make clients’ project-building experiences successful and pleasurable. Numerous repeat customers, including fast food giants Burger King and Taco Bell, have been impressed by the firm’s exceptional customer service. Des Moines Business Record, The Iowa Torch, and The Des Moines Register were also fascinated and featured its work in their publications.
The firm has produced a myriad of outstanding projects over the years. One of those is the Mercedes-Benz of Des Moines. The Koester team renovated the dealership’s exterior and interior spaces. Exterior works include a new stunning glass storefront in the entrance, new exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS), and a fresh paint job. The interior, on the other hand, was constructed with an expanded and refurbished showroom, new sales offices, and new restrooms.
Breiholz Construction
1527 Maine St. Des Moines, IA 50314
Breiholz Construction is known as one of the greatest contributors to the growth of Central Iowa. It was founded by German toy and cabinet maker William H. Breiholz in 1946. The firm is currently in its fourth-generation ownership and is led by Steve Furguson. With 100 years of combined industry experience, its management staff is highly qualified to manage every stage of the process, from design to warranty. The firm strives to excel in its field and preserve lasting relationships with everyone it works with. Chrysler, Cadillac, and Holiday Inn are among the clients it has established connections with. It was also commended by the Times Republican, Indianola Independent Advocate, and KCCI for its outstanding work for the office, retail, financial, educational, religious, and historical spaces.
The Willis Automotive Group is one of Breiholz Construction’s long-standing clients. They first collaborated in the late 1980s when Willis needed the firm to construct Bett’s Cadillac in Downtown Des Moines. Their mutual trust has remained intact for more than four decades. Willis regularly recruited the company to build its different showrooms, including Mini Cooper, Infinite, Lexus, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo.
Edge Commercial
3155 SE Miehe Dr. Grimes, IA 50111
Ward Phifer, Jason Ceretti, DJ Opdahl, and Dean Armantrout created Edge Commercial in 2008 and have driven it to become one of the industry leaders in the Midwest. It is one of the stand-alone divisions under the Edge Company umbrella, along with Edge Healthcare and Edge Industrial. As a separate department, the firm can fulfill the commercial industry’s demand with a unique process and specific staff. Testament to this tailored approach is the firm’s annual construction volume, of which 70% of this came from repeat clients. The firm’s continuous success also came from its sister company, DML Construction Services, which provided Edge with the workforce it needed for every project. This also brought flexibility to the firm to use a wide array of labor and staffing options.
The firm has generated a long list of accolades because of its impressive works, such as the Master Builder Award for Best of Large Manufacturing from Star Building System and the Masters Award from Master Builders of Iowa. Among these is the Wild Rose Casino in Jefferson. The Edge team constructed a 71,000-square-foot casino located on the northwest corner of U.S. Highway 30 and Iowa Highway 4. Aside from its gaming and entertainment area, the $40 million facility also features an event center, a sports bar, a restaurant, and 71 hotel rooms.
Neumann Brothers
1435 Ohio St. Des Moines, IA 50314
Since 1912, Neumann Brothers’ builds have highlighted the project area’s history while improving its future. The firm strives to be a standard of excellence in the industry by upholding its values: genuine care, exceptional service, steadfast commitment, uncompromising technology, accountability for excellence, and value for people. Aside from these principles, its state-of-the-art construction process allowed the team, led by Mike Simpson, to deliver outstanding projects for the civic and government, office, mixed-use, education, cultural and entertainment, hospitality, and industrial markets.
Several publications have featured Neumann Brothers’ builds, including Business Record, The Des Moines Register, and Messenger News. One of the firm’s notable projects, Missouri Valley JATC, is a 49,000-square-foot training facility. It houses many classrooms, training labs, office spaces, and an indoor pole climbing facility. The Neumann team combined pre-engineered metal buildings with structural masonry, precast, and structural stud framing to form these structures. It installed corten columns in the facade to create an illusion of wooden power line poles supporting the building’s canopy. The industrial concept of the inside is defined by exposed decking, sealed concrete flooring, and over-exposed beam rough-ins.
Henkel Construction
2500 Ford St. Ames, IA 50010
The oldest company on this list, Henkel Construction, has established itself as a driving force in the commercial construction industry. The company has 130 years of expertise and is regarded as a leader in general construction, design-build, and construction management. It continues to be at the top as it utilizes cutting-edge technology while upholding its principles and high standards of artistic excellence. The Northwest Bank, First Citizens Bank, and Kingland Systems Corporation are just a few of the well-known clientele it has attracted because of its professionalism and sterling performance. To ensure that the clients’ experience is seamless and efficient in terms of time and money, the company also collaborates with its subsidiary Accord Architecture.
The firm improves the community through meaningful structures. One of its pieces that emphasizes this is the Des Moines Water Works Park Amphitheater. The Lauridsen Amphitheater, a series of walking trails, and other supplementary amenities at the Des Moines Water Works Park were built by the Henkel team. The project’s goal is to utilize the 30-acre space and create a floor-resistant facility. The central element of the urban park is the two-sided amphitheater. It can accommodate high-profile events, shop and food stalls, and serve as a strolling area for the public.
Graphite Construction Group
1955 NE 58th Ave. Ste. 100, Des Moines, IA 50313
Graphite Construction Group has produced structures that improve the community since 2000. It specializes in commercial construction, with an emphasis on projects related to civic, religious, educational, retail, office, healthcare, multifamily, and recreational facilities. The leadership group at Graphite has 109 years of combined expertise and is dedicated to giving the next generation a better quality of life. It believes a solid, long-lasting relationship with customers and the business community is essential. These connections made it possible for the firm to submit inexpensive bids with precise cost predictions. In fact, 64% of the firm’s proposals were accepted. This also helped Graphite flourish, making it one of Central Iowa’s fastest-growing construction firms.
Calvin Square was built in collaboration between Graphite and architectural firm Wells + Associates. The 80,000-square-foot mixed-use structure is located in Beaverdale, one of Des Moines’ iconic neighborhoods. It features four floors and an underground parking garage. The first floor of the structure is occupied by a medical clinic, and floors two through four of the building are dedicated to luxury apartments. The total cost to construct this project was around $9 million.
