Case Studies Region: Midwest

Uprooting a brick house that is a campus landmark was not in his plans when Steven Pecic arrived at Detroit’s Wayne State University in 2006. Then again, neither was overseeing the entire facility’s operational portfolio and maintenance of the campus, or participating in the construction of the $65 million project that takes the place of […]

It might’ve been the chancellor’s house at one point, but don’t quote him on that. All Keith Stewart knows for sure is it was built sometime in the 1950s—not surprising, given the modified ranch’s dated look and spartan features—and that it became the University of Illinois Springfield’s on-campus childcare center purely by default. Over time, […]

Word of mouth goes a long way for Rieber Contracting, but social media may go even further in keeping the Council Bluffs, Iowa, siding company ahead of its competition. Working jobs throughout the Midwest, Southwest, and Pacific Northwest, CEO Jalon Rieber and Regional Sales Manager Bill Heydenreich say the company relies on its completed jobs […]

To a first-time customer, it probably felt more like a doctor’s office than a community bank: giant pearl white reception desk, white wood paneled walls awash in harsh fluorescent lighting, old brown carpeting and outdated curtains—the list goes on. So when Home Savings Bank (HSB) launched an organization-wide rebrand in 2017, redesigning the bank’s third-busiest […]

If location-location-location indeed are the three most important factors in real estate, the Twin Cities-based Bremer Bank would seem to be doing well as it extends its reach across the fruited plains of the Upper Midwest. Bremer boasts several dozen offices, branches and locations across Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota, many in small rural communities […]

Craig Carpenter says he is not the jack-of-all-trades, he’s the master of one—and that suits him just fine. On the cusp of celebrating a 30-year anniversary in the home remodeling business, Carpenter remembers starting up Custom Remodelers in Lino Lakes with brothers Kevin and Chad and older sister Corinne. Back in the early days, growing […]

There aren’t many such enterprises still in existence, not when the competition is the big-box store. But here in and around central Michigan, the Self Serve Lumber & Home Center chain isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving—seemingly unfazed by the ubiquitous Home Depots and Walmarts. Then again, it preceded the gargantuan retailers by decades. It also […]

If you’ve ever wondered why the parking lots of America’s convenience stores and gas stations aren’t constantly jammed with delivery trucks—one for each of the hundreds of brands that line the shelves inside—Core-Mark International’s Henderson Distribution Center is one of the big reasons why. Located on the southwest outskirts of Las Vegas, the sprawling complex […]

It’s gratifying when the company one’s been affiliated with for over four decades can, in a matter of speaking, go with the flow when it comes to efficient treatment of water and wastewater. So says Mark Gasvoda, the long-time chairman and former owner of B.L. Anderson, an industrial manufacturer’s representative of all things water and […]

Three major casinos abound in the greater Tulsa, Oklahoma, area, means a high-stakes arms race among them, and the need for each to adapt in an ever-evolving gaming business. This past fall, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa ascertained it’s in the game for the long haul. Completing an extensive remodeling of rooms, some of […]