ÒùЦ½­ºþ

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History

Meeting the challenge for more than 100 years.

From our very first projects in St. Louis, Missouri, ÒùЦ½­ºþ has grown to be one of the largest and most respected general contractors in North America.

1918

Gateway to Opportunity
John ÒùЦ½­ºþ, an Italian immigrant, founds J.S. ÒùЦ½­ºþ Construction Co. in St. Louis, Missouri.

1923

Investing in Equipment
ÒùЦ½­ºþ makes its first equipment purchase, trading a horse and buggy for a truck.

1928

Gabe ÒùЦ½­ºþ Joins the Company
Gabe ÒùЦ½­ºþ, John’s son, joins ÒùЦ½­ºþ.

1939

Building St. Louis
ÒùЦ½­ºþ purchases its first crane to perform updates on The Muny.

1940

New Era, New Leadership
Gabe and his sister Mary take over the company, Gabe oversees operations and Mary manages the office.

1946

ÒùЦ½­ºþ incorporates on December 23rd.

1953

Market Diversification
ÒùЦ½­ºþ begins automotive construction, working for General Motors, Chrysler and Ford.

1954

ÒùЦ½­ºþ enters the water/wastewater market, winning the Howard Bend Plant project.

1958

Innovation Spurs Growth
ÒùЦ½­ºþ begins fabricating steel after frustrations with a steel supplier.

1960

ÒùЦ½­ºþ enters the healthcare market with the award of St. John’s Mercy Hospital.

1962

ÒùЦ½­ºþ hires its first safety professional, experiencing a 35% decrease in accidents.

1963

ÒùЦ½­ºþ is awarded its first electric utility project, Union Electric’s Portage des Sioux, officially entering the energy market.

1969

ÒùЦ½­ºþ moves headquarters from 1550 Irving Avenue to 2150 Kienlen Avenue.

1971

ÒùЦ½­ºþ wins its first complete powerplant project, Union Electric’s $350 million Rush Island plant.

1972

ÒùЦ½­ºþ strategically enters mining construction, acquiring Gunther-Nash.

1979

ÒùЦ½­ºþ enters the marine construction market by winning the first stage cofferdam at Alton Lock & Dam 26.

1982

ÒùЦ½­ºþ’s annual revenue reaches $435 million.

1988

St. Louis Science Center awards contract to ÒùЦ½­ºþ for the construction of main building and pedestrian bridge.

1988

ÒùЦ½­ºþ opens an office in Detroit, Michigan to expand its work in the automotive market.

1992

ÒùЦ½­ºþ begins construction on the Kiel Center (now Enterprise Center).

1997

ÒùЦ½­ºþ acquires RYCO, a longtime Canadian joint venture partner.

2003

ÒùЦ½­ºþ starts construction on its LEED Platinum corporate headquarters.

2008

ÒùЦ½­ºþ acquires WWPS, expanding its water/wastewater expertise and geographic reach.

2012

ÒùЦ½­ºþ acquires CAS Constructors, a Topeka, Kansas water/wastewater construction company.

2013

ÒùЦ½­ºþ acquires Flintco, a major commercial contractor with offices in the Southwest region.

2018

ÒùЦ½­ºþ celebrates 100 years of building the critical structures that improve lives and strengthen communities.

2019

In 2019, we reaffirmed our commitment to technology, investing heavily in building information management (BIM) and virtual design and construction (VDC) systems to streamline collaboration and communication.

2022

ÒùЦ½­ºþ continues to grow, ranking among the top 35 construction companies in the U.S. Today, all of our operating companies are under the same banner — bringing a single, unified promise to our customers: We’re built for the challenge.

See our latest projects.

2023

ÒùЦ½­ºþ Strengthens Water & Wastewater Portfolio with Acquisition of J.R. Filanc, a California-based contractor specializing in Water and Wastewater construction.

See how we can solve your biggest challenges.

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