Category: Fort Wayne News

Invest in the Future of Construction!

Posted on June 19, 2023

Meet our 2023 Class of Summer Interns!

Earlier last month, our 2023 class of summer interns had their orientation day! They met with the CEO, President, and the Safety Department to get an insider’s look at our company and our values. They also got to have some fun at a Fort Wayne TinCaps game at Parkview Field!

With interns placed in our business development, preconstruction, project management, and field ops divisions, they’re covering a wide swathe of our company’s everyday operations across many of our departments.

These 18 students will be working, learning, and receiving hands-on guidance on our jobsites and offices throughout the Midwest. Our team is excited to pour into this group, and we can’t wait to see where the next few months take them in their learning journeys!

“I look forward to working with these young men and women this summer as they create a solid foundation for their professional careers!”
Nick Craghead, Staffing Coordinator

Two Eye-Opening Projects Score Wins at the BCA Awards

Posted on March 30, 2023

Two Award-Winning Projects

The results are in! We have two projects that have been awarded by the Building Contractors Assocation of Northeast Indiana. After careful consideration and reviewing the square footage, pricing, building process, functionality, and overall features of our jobs, the BCA has selected us as winners in two different categories:

Electric Works took the “Over $12 Million” Division.
Parkview Physicians Group Electric Works Clinic was chosen in the “$1 Million to $5 Million” Division.

This marks the 20^th year that the BCA Annual Awards Program has highlighted standout construction projects in the Northeast Indiana Region. Electric Works, PPG Electric Works Clinic, Project Owners, and Weigand will be officially recognized during the Spring Membership Dinner & Awards Banquet on April 20^th.

A Team Effort

We’re proud of what our team has accomplished across all our projects in 2022. It’s the dedication to quality, doing what we say we’re going to do, and our commitment to the client that guides us in each and every job we take on. That being said, those values mean little in the grand scheme if they’re not upheld by individuals, crews, and project teams that believe in their significance too. We’re lucky to have a group that’s devoted to integrity at every level of leadership. From workers to project executives, it’s our mentality to go there together that has helped us succeed time and again throughout the years.

How to Set Vision for the New Year

Posted on March 30, 2023

It feels as though the year has just begun, and yet we’re just about to dip into the second quarter! This is a perfect time to check-in on yearly goals and see how they’re coming along.

For me, as I review both personal and team goals, my focus is always on the team first. For South Bend, my goal continues to be growing the Weigand “brand”. With not having a 116-year history like Fort Wayne, and not being as recognized regionally, I’m constantly looking for ways to increase awareness of our name. Some of these initiatives are strategic social media posts, community service days with a local not-for-profit, and using our new K-12 Scholarship Program in partnering with local school corporations.

On a personal level, I remind myself to look at the larger picture. Each Weigand team member is busy dealing with the day-to-day whirlwind that we all live in. I can often get sucked into daily tasks requiring my full attention, and before I know it, a month or two has gone by and I’ve lost perspective. It’s important that I step back from time to time and remember the bigger goal.

What about you? What’s important for you to keep in mind when you’re on the clock? Make time to gain context with your goals this year; it can help you reach them more consistently!

Mike Miller

Business Development Associate

Exciting Ministry Unleashes Hope for Community

Posted on March 21, 2023

Raising Shovels for Hope

Bridge of Grace leadership, donors, and committee members gleefully tossed soil with shovels in hand, officially breaking ground for the ministry’s new Early Childhood Development Center and Comprehensive Health Clinic this March. A piece to a bigger puzzle, the project is part of their “Hope Unleashed” Capital Campaign. The 30,000 square foot building will serve the Mount-Vernon Park and Pettit-Rudisill neighborhoods in Southeast Fort Wayne. Desiring to aide an overlooked section of Fort Wayne, groups from across the city joined forces and make this happen.

“We are just so excited. This is a monumental step to be able to have an early learning center provide quality of care for children; it’s just incredible. People here not only need these services, but also, they deserve it.”
Javier Mondragon, CEO and Founder of Bridge of Grace

First Step of Many

“Hope Unleashed” currently raises funds in multiple categories such as housing, opportunity, progress, and education. As a result of the tremendous support shown for the community, the campaign garnered over $13 million in funding with a goal to reach $15 million by the end. In addition to the new facility, the donations cover home ownership programs, local business growth, park renovations, and more.

Bright Future Ahead

Weigand is proud to partner with Bridge of Grace on this project. It’s an honor to be part of such an important job. Although this is just the beginning, we look forward to seeing the profound impact this has on Southeast Fort Wayne!

Ad Firm Finds New Home at EW

Posted on January 5, 2023

A Fresh New Look

Ferguson is enjoying their second-story view from Building 20! The marketing firm moved their central operations from their old location on West Berry Street to Electric Works at the beginning of 2023. As with the rest of campus, Weigand was responsible for the renovations needed to prepare the Ferguson’s space for a new era of innovation and forward thinking. After experiencing sizeable growth, which has led to three times the staff size, and serving the team at Electric Works as a client, the leadership at Ferguson made the decision to relocate. They’re at the center of all the exciting things happening in The Fort with some extra legroom to boot!

What’s There

This 10,777 square foot restoration job features a sprawling, comfy space including:

Open Office Layout
Cubicles
Convertible Meeting Room with Garage-Style Door
Open Seating/Collaborative Spaces
Separate Rooms with Additional Offices and Meeting Areas

Warmly lit, industrial look paired with a touch of modern design.

Making a New Home

Our crews dedicated a balance of preservation and restoration with this project. Because Electric Works is on the national registry of historical places, particular elements of the structure had to stay the same as they were when the original building was put together. Some ways our team approached this were by installing the exact same windows that were used when General Electric was operating decades ago and keeping the warehouse overhead cranes. All the old materials were stripped out of the structure besides the supports, brickwork, and masonry. From here, any damaged or worn-down sections of the building were repaired, outfitted with new lighting, new access points, updated casework, and utilities. These processes created a new home for Ferguson Advertising to continue working with their clients for years to come!

CARR Workplaces Opens at Electric Works

Posted on December 13, 2022

Grow your business at your own pace with coworking spaces, executive suites, and conference spaces featuring a flexible lease concept

Just Arrived

With locations represented in major cities across the country like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, D.C., San Fransico, and more, CARR Workplaces has now touched down in Fort Wayne! They’ve brought their innovative office spaces to Electric Works, with Weigand acting as the construction manager for renovations! They provide a plethora of affordable, flexible options that meet the needs of business individuals on the go!

From Old to New

Our construction teams worked around the clock to remove old material from the structure. They installed new metal paneling, drywall, interior and exterior storefronts, polished concrete floors, and a fresh coat of overhead paint to restore the space to its former glory! This once dilapidated building is ready to host visitors and locals alike for decades to come!

The Office Perks

At Electric Works, CARR maintains 32,000 square feet, 85 offices, and 3 meeting rooms. These rooms share the main floor and basement of The Forum. You will notice them as you walk through the entrance to access the rest of the campus. It is the perfect spot for any remote worker or self-starter who is looking for a change of scenery!

Visit the campus and see for yourself!

A Year-Round Street Market Comes to Downtown Fort Wayne

Posted on December 13, 2022

Fresh Market Goods

The Union Street Market is the spot for fresh, local food and more at Electric Works! With Weigand heading up restorations in this building, there are dozens of different merchants to choose from and plenty of options to try and love. Located in Buildings 20, 20A, and 22, Union Street Market is also the new home of the Fort Wayne Farmer’s Market. You can enjoy artisan meals during the week and get fresh picks of produce on the weekends! Vendors are being added all the time, so be sure to visit and see what’s new!

Looking Back

Long before they were the site of the street market, Buildings 20, 20A, and 22 were the headquarters for maintenance, the phone department, the carpenter shop, and 10,000 IEUA transformer production. Each of these structures houses decades of history:

Building 20 was raised in 1907
Building 20A came in 1941
Building 22 first opened in 1917

This combination of shops, assembly lines, and storage space adds together a total of 44,328 square feet! That’s bigger than nine basketball courts grouped together!

How it all Came Together

Our construction teams took special care to ensure that everything was ready for opening day. Here are a few of the restorations that they made:

Installed new flights of stairs
Secured corrugated metal paneling
Built out restrooms and other amenities
Poured and polished new concrete flooring
Assembled new kitchens, storefronts, and countertops

By taking these steps, our crews completed renovation of the three buildings right on schedule! They took a section of structures over one hundred years old and turned it into a new place for the community to gather and thrive!

1 Thing to Do When You Visit EW

Posted on December 13, 2022

The Campus Hub

One of the first sights that welcomes you as you walk through the entrance of Electric Works is a vast, open space with dedicated offices, meeting rooms, a coffee shop, a taproom, and much more! Weigand Construction was responsible for revitalizing this space for future use! In short, this atrium is known as The Forum. From here, you can access all the various shops, markets, restaurants, boutiques, and other outlets that Electric Works has to offer! It’s located just north of the visitor parking lot, sitting behind the Amp Lab STEAM School and the GE Club.

Where Do I Go from Here?

If you go through the second set of doors towards the back of the Forum, you will step right onto the center of Dynamo Alley. This is, in fact, the main walkway connecting you to the rest of the campus! Perhaps you want to get some lunch at one of the many eateries. In addition, maybe you need to pick up some local produce at the farmer’s market. Which band is playing at the live music venue this week? What about going on a nice stroll through the beautiful gardens on display, afterwards?

Up to You

Whether you go left or right, you’ll have access to all kinds of goods and services, both local and national! After all, just depends on which way you turn. Come explore and discover what’s here for yourself!

A Landmark Built to Serve Generations – Electric Works Opens to the Public

Posted on December 13, 2022

An Excerpt from Our December 2022 Newsletter

As we have secured our Certificate of Occupancy permits for over 700,000 square-feet of core and shell construction and are starting to move-in tenants like Do It Best, Medical Informatics, BSW Work Ready, Parkview, Carr Co-working, and Ferguson Advertising at Electric Works, I can’t help but think about the tremendous impact that this project has already had on our company, our community, and how it will affect the region well into the future.

Through historic preservation, a mix of uses, and full-time active program management, Electric Works created an atmosphere where talent and businesses want to locate, stay, and grow. This environment, unique in the Midwest and the nation, is why EW is projecting over 1600 new and retained jobs in the first two phases.

I am proud to say that over 90% of this project was performed by specialty contractors, vendors, suppliers, architects, engineers, consultants, and of course the hardworking tradesmen and tradeswomen from our Fort Wayne and surrounding communities. This represented 3,637 jobs during construction and the payroll to go along with it. The direct and indirect financial impact was $463 Million during construction and will be $548 Million annually. It is such a win for us locally knowing all these dollars stayed in our community and will be reinvested in some way.

The campus will be a vibrant part of our downtown with innovation space, office space, retail, Union Street Market with over twenty-five food vendors, restaurants/brewery, live entertainment and much more. I am so proud that our company was an integral part of the success of this redevelopment project because it is truly a “Landmark that will impact the lives and communities we serve.”

Larry Weigand
Owner and CEO

Medical Informatics Engineering Brings State of the Art Technology to EW

Posted on December 13, 2022

Making the Move

A tenant that has a history in Fort Wayne going back to 1995, Medical Informatics Engineering (MIE) has been a resource for healthcare information technology for years. They were one of the first developers to create software that could store and deliver patient information in the cloud. With a new location on the 5^th floor of Building 19, MIE now provides state-of-the-art solutions in medical data management on the Electric Works campus! Their new section in Building 19 features office space, and a Virtual Presence Training Center. This area is dedicated to collecting data and developing software for future projects.

Room Renovation

Our teams performed several updates to the new office area:

Added Overhead Roughs
Built-in new Framing
Installed Drywall
Primed and Painted walls
Put together Ceiling Assemblies

These additions made the space feel fresh and new! It was completed just in time for MIE to set up their offices, move in furniture, and prepare their Virtual Presence Training Center for opening day. We can’t wait to see how MIE pushes more boundaries in the world of tech!