Bemidji at 30: A look at Kraus-Anderson’s Bemidji office as it celebrates its 30th anniversary

Written by Senior Office Assistant, Brenden Nickels

2022 is a very special year for Kraus-Anderson, and one of the reasons is because the company will be celebrating 30 years of doing business in Bemidji. “Kraus-Anderson Bemidji has grown through a philosophy of “being better, not just bigger,” said Bemidji Vice President and Director of Operations Bob Fitzgerald. “I believe this allowed us to establish ourselves as a trusted partner and resources for clients across the region, and has also helped us attract top-end talent to join our team. The community of Bemidji has gone from a sleepy little lake community into Minnesota’s Emerging Regional Center….with an economy that is outpacing other regional centers across the state.”

A Walk Through KA Bemidji’s Project Highlights

During its time in Bemidji, KA has worked on many different projects for the area, which include the Sanford Health Campus, the DNR Office Building in Glenwood, Super Walmart in Bemidji, and the Iron Trail Motor Event and Convention Center, to name a few. Fitzgerald said that KABJ plans to receive its 1,000^th project award in 2022. “They (the projects) are all significant, because each one represents a part of or the realization of someone’s dreams and visions for their company or organization.”

As someone who’s been working at the KA Bemidji office for the whole 30 years, lead superintendent Gary Francisco has seen many changes during then. “We started with four superintendents, a couple Project Managers, a Project Coordinator, Office Manager, an accountant, and a Director of Operations. A lot of people have come and gone. I used to be the youngest guy on the job and now it’s hard to find someone older than me. But I still do! I have seen the field and office personnel grow and mature to become leaders over the years.”

Remaining Dedicated to Community Development

Throughout these past 30 years, KABJ has held on Kraus-Anderson’s commitment to be involved in the community that it serves. For many summers, Kraus-Anderson Bemidji held the KA Walleye Classic, which was a fishing tournament at Lake Bemidji that donated its proceeds to charities around the Bemidji area. When Hockey Day Minnesota was held in Bemidji in 2019, Kraus-Anderson wasn’t just a sponsor, they got directly involved, lending four of its office trailers to house players, officials, broadcasters, cheerleaders, tournament employees, and ice crew.

“Our team has volunteered for an incredible variety of events and causes throughout our community.” said KABJ Office Manager Chelsea Oldham. “We have sorted coats, cleaned fish, provided headcounts on field trips, provided color announcement at Hockey games, sorted Legos, made and packaged meals, built a playground, served on advisory boards for a myriad of community, and professional, organizations, etc. We are always looking to help make our community thrive.”

A Cultural Destination

As Bemidji-area residents themselves, the employees of the Bemidji office have seen the city transform into a cultural destination. “American Indians to Scandinavians. Scholars to lumberjacks. Artisans to outdoor enthusiasts. It is this diversity of interests and cultures growing together in our north woods that make Bemidji such an amazing place.” said Fitzgerald. “Our community has all the regional center amenities to support a growing economy, while maintaining the small town beauty and character that make this place “home”. It is a balance that no other regional center has mastered. Make no mistake, Bemidji isn’t a sleepy, rural, up north tourist town. The region has one of the state’s fastest growing and most vibrant economies.” Francisco also added, “The thing that I love the most about my work is seeing the end use of the buildings I build. Being able to use the building for which it was intended. I love seeing the kids laughing and playing in a school, skating in an arena that I helped build, things like that. I even built the church that I got married in!”

Yes, things have changed in these past 30 years. A landline, fax machine, and pager have been replaced by computers, scanners, and iPads. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the Core Values that the office shares with the others. “While Bemidji aligns with the basic Core Purpose and Core Values of KA. We have truly carved out an identity as a strong “community contractor” that provides the personal touch and community spirit of a regional contractor combined with the horsepower and resources of a national construction industry leader.” said Fitzgerald. “While I assuredly will not be here, I look forward to what the next 30 years brings for the Bemidji team!”