Kraus-Anderson’s 2023 Outstate Odyssey

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Written by Brenden Nickels, senior office assistant 

While KA’s headquarters are in Minneapolis, MN, we’ve been serving clients and communities across the United States. As we welcome in the new year our regional office DOO’s look back on the year to give us just a few of their office’s highlights from 2023.

Bemidji Regional Update

From Bob Fitzgerald, Bemidji director of operations

Kraus-Anderson’s Bemidji office has been busy with several education and healthcare jobs. KA Bemidji completed Roseau Community Schools last August, and currently is working two jobs for Marshall County Central Schools, both addition and renovation to Newfolden High and Viking Elementary Schools.

The team has also been actively working on a handful of healthcare projects this year. Including the expansion of the Windom Area Health MOB. And we were excited to start our 27^th project for Riverwood Health Care, who have been partnering with since 2008!

Our team continues to work with United Way on endeavors within our communities while also working with other important organizations in our area. Some of these include: Take a Kid Fishing, Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic, Rotary, Beltrami County Historical Society, Bemidji State University Construction Advisory Board, Bemidji Area Arts Endowment, Northwoods Battered Women’s Shelter, and many more.

And lastly, I would of be remiss if I didn’t mention that our office hit a BIG milestone in 2023, receiving its 1000^th project award![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”31518,31519,31516,31517″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Duluth Regional Update

From Dan Markham, Duluth director of operations

We had a great 2023, but are looking forward to 2024 as we’ll be celebrating our 25^th anniversary with a move into our new office in the Lincoln Park neighborhood!

We’ve been busy with a variety of projects across our market sectors.We completed a new office in Duluth for one of our long time trade partners, Veit. We completed an addition and substantial site improvements for Louisiana Pacific in Two Harbors.   Another significant project was completion of the Cirrus Innovation Center, which was a renovation of the old Northwest Airlines maintenance base originally constructed by KA in the 1990s.We always look forward to stepping foot into the beautiful, historic Glensheen Mansion, for renovations and updates for safety and accessibility. are also working on renovations and an addition at Lake Superior College and wrapping up the conversion of Historic Old Central High School into the Zenith Apartments! We also welcomed the communities of Eveleth, Gilbert, and Virginia to their amazing new Rock Ridge High School.

Future projects include our beloved Spirit Mountain, where we will be renovating the chalet for an enhanced visitor experience. We are also staying involved in the hockey community as well, building a new arena for the City of Hermantown and the area hockey association. , In the future we’ll be doing significant projects for the University of Wisconsin-Superior, including a new field house and renovations to Wessman Arena.

As our commitment to community support remains steadfast, we are proud to highlight our ongoing partnerships with a diverse arrayand non-profit organizations, including the Duluth Playhouse, the United Way, the Boys and Girls Club of Duluth and the Courage Center Duluth, to name just a few. But more recently we were excited to announce that Morgan Seopa was recently appointed as Vice President for NAWIC Twin Ports/Iron Range! We will continue to serve our community through volunteerism and sitting on local and industry boards.

Looking ahead, we are unwavering in our dedication to serving the community. Whether through active volunteerism or by contributing our expertise to local and industry boards, we are enthusiastic about continuing our journey of making a positive impact![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”31299,31298,31520,31522,31523″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]Madison Regional Update

From Jason Peterson, Madison director of operations

In April of this year, we were awarded and broke ground on Ladysmith Schools, our largest K12 project ever and first design-build contract! Ladysmith is scheduled to wrap-up in May 2024. We are also staying active in the healthcare market, completing a new Hospital and Clinic facility for Gundersen Tri-County Hospital in White Hall. Demolition of the old facility, installation of a new parking lot and solar power system are all expected to be completed in the first half of 2024. Additionally, our team broke ground in June on a preplacement Hospital and Clinic for Memorial Hospital of Lafeyette County. Our Office continues to partner with Verizon and is anticipating completion of a Data Center at their Hickory Hills, IL facility this month. We also added two new clients in 2023; Kalahari Resorts for a new 237 room hotel at the Wisconsin Dells and we are also working as the Owners Rep for the City of Janesville, WI on their Woodman’s Sports and Convention Center project.

The team remains dedicated to community outreach partnering with charities such as: the Rotary Club, the Girl Scouts, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Second Harvest Food Bank, as well as supporting our partners in fundraising or volunteering.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_images_carousel images=”31630,31456,31632,31631″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Milwaukee Regional Update

From Mike Timmers, Milwaukee Director of Operations.

Our Milwaukee office has come a long way since 2022. Opening our doors with just one employee (me) in 2021! The team and grown exponentially adding four more hires to the team: Project Coordinator Rachel Orta, Project Manager Jordan Guth, and Superintendents Tommy Cummings and Ray Zauner. So far, our largest project, for Menasha Packing Corp, is being built in Pelahatchie, MS and will wrap up in March of ’23.  We’ve also completed our first project of a repeat client, WITI FOX 6, the FOX owned and operated television station, for remodeling their lobby. We’ve had the privilege to work on the Olympia Fields VA Clinic that will support our veterans and offer them and their families the care they need.  Lastly, we are starting construction of a new Corporate Headquarters project in downtown Milwaukee starting in January 2024.

We remain active in our community supporting the Ronald McDonald House Charities and other great organizations in Southeast WI.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”31633,31634,31635″ img_size=”Large”][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]North Dakota Regional Update

From Ross Wilmes, North Dakota director of operations

Over in North Dakota, KA Bismarck has worked on multiple jobs for North Dakota State University, such as the Nodak Insurance Football Performance Complex, a practice facility for the football team and other athletic teams, and the Peltier Complex, classrooms and offices for the agricultural department of the university. Other projects for KA North Dakota include a new building for the Bismarck Burleigh Public Health Department, Magic City Discovery Center, Mobridge Regional Hospital, Bismarck Public Works and the new West Fargo Fire Headquarters building. We are of course also excited about the completed renovation of our Bismarck office.

Mike Barsness got to fulfill his dreams of playing “captain” during the annual On the Water take a Veteran Fishing event this summer. We also continue our support of The Banquet serving meals to our community. We also look forward to supporting the Bismarck Larks, each summer as we gather with clients and business partners.

We are excited to announce that we will be starting our seventh project with NDSU on an Agriculture Field Lab Building. And lastly, will be officially opening an office in Fargo, ND.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”31636,31637,31638,31460,31639,31642,31640,31641,31643″ img_size=”Medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Rochester Regional Update

From Shawn Lortscher, Rochester director of operations

Currently, KA Rochester is mainly working on schools, in Winona, they are building two elementary schools: Washington Kosciusko and Jefferson, in Blooming Prairie, both will wrap up in 2023. Meanwhile, Cannon Falls School began its construction last October, but it will not open until next November. While schools are the primary focus right now at KA Rochester, we are active in other markets as well. We are working on the second location for Ruth’s Chris Steak House which will be located in downtown Rochester, inside the Kahler Hotel.

Like the other offices, KA Rochester has been giving back by serving at Channel One Regional Food Bank helping package food, assisting Gift of Life Transplant House with their fall landscaping cleanup, and earlier this summer partnered with CRW Architecture and Design Group to build a playhouse to be raffled off, supporting Family Service Rochester.[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”31645,31644,31646,31647,31648,31649,31448″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Happy 2024!

Whether it’s in the metro area or even out of state, Kraus-Anderson continues to make an impact both on the jobsite and in the community. No matter what the year may bring or how action packed our schedules may be, our core values and mission of “building strong communities and enduring relationships” will always endure.

Wishing you all a very happy 2024![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]