KA Madison at 20

Kraus-Anderson has been serving Wisconsin communities for generations. From WWII-era projects at Camp McCoy to schools, healthcare facilities, retail, office, and manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin’s urban, suburban, and rural communities, there’s hardly a corner of the state that KA hasn’t touched.

When the company looked to expand its offices roughly two decades ago, Minnesota’s neighbor to the east – more specifically, its Capital city – rendered itself the perfect place to make the the organization’s presence more formally known.

In the wake of expanding KA’s footprint in the adjacent state with a Milwaukee office and in commemoration for the Madison office’s recent 20^th anniversary, Tom Roepke (Vice President, Director of Operations), Mike Hinderman (Senior Project Manager), and Megan Geiser (Project Manager I) share their myriad of experience and perspectives.

How does the Madison team leverage KA’s range of services to help clients?

GEISER: We have a wide variety of resources available to us from Minneapolis. I’ve done quite a bit of work with the BIM group lately – using our modeling software to work through clash detection and coordination on one of my projects … We are able to fix things in the model long before they become problems in the field. … Every client starts at a different point in the construction process … Kraus-Anderson has a ton of tools in the toolbox [to be able to help], but if you don’t take the time to understand what is going to be valuable to the client with where they are in the process, then they are just tools.

KA Madison has worked with several longtime clients across the state of Wisconsin, and beyond. Any highlights you’d like to share?

ROEPKE: From the healthcare providers we serve, to our strong, long-standing relationships with retail, municipal and education clients, our KA Wisconsin team can easily travel the state and know that their combined efforts have left a positive and lasting impact on many communities – often hearing the stories or comments from local people throughout the state when they mention the services, opportunities, learning, and memories our clients’ projects have afforded to them.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#CC0202″ class=”” size=””]“…our KA Wisconsin team can easily travel the state and know that their combined efforts have left a positive and lasting impact on many communities…” [/perfectpullquote]

HINDERMAN: I joined Kraus Anderson in 2008 and was fortunate enough to immediately work with clients, such as Cabela’s and SCHEELS. My focus was to maintain the previously-established relationships and continue great service. It is refreshing to collaborate as a true project team – with owners, architects, and engineers. Everyone keeps the project’s best interest in mind and carries the lessons-learned onto the next one … Clients have taken me all over the nation, from Massachusetts to Arizona and a lot of locations in between.

KA is continuing to expand its reach in Wisconsin by opening a Milwaukee office. Can you talk about the strategy behind that decision?

ROEPKE: Since opening our Wisconsin Office 20 years ago, we have completed projects in Milwaukee and its surrounding communities on an annual basis. Over time, we have been fortunate to build both a strong client and subcontracting base and complete multiple projects for almost every client we serve in the market. Milwaukee is one of the largest population centers in the Midwest which provides us with the opportunity to build on past success and assemble a team of local professionals who live, work, and are invested in the community.

Are there trends in any of the industries we serve that you see as being particularly promising opportunities for KA?

HINDERMAN: Multi-family Housing is busy in all facets. I recently spoke with a developer/friend who told me that they have more funded projects than they do contractors to do the work. I’m guessing we will see more opportunities to team up with developers this year.

What KA “superpower” do you want more people to know about?

ROEPKE: Our pre-construction services provide a wealth of information to help owners prioritize their investments in their physical plants. Our facilities assessment team, building science team, MEP expertise, and a host of technology tools provide KA clients with the very best guidance and lead to successful outcomes.

GEISER: We have this great ability to figure things out. Whatever [obstacle or challenge] someone runs across, whether it’s on a project or just general life, there is always someone who has seen your problem or situation before. Everyone is always willing to help out!