Category: Uncategorized

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

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!

Concord Unveils New Trades Building

Posted on December 14, 2022

Larger Learning Environment

Planned in lieu of the rising influx of students enrolling in trade programs, Concord Community School’s employed Weigand’s Construction Management services to build a brand-new trade school facility. This $3.9 million, 10,400 square foot education center houses more students, more resources, and more space for each trade discipline offering.

The Structure

The complex features various spaces designed to support classes such as:

Civil Engineering
Architectural Engineering
Manufacturing
Robotics
Design and Innovation
Construction Trades

These subjects are enhanced through learning areas equipped with the latest technology and training instruments so that students can get a hands-on education with real-world applications.

For the Future

“We are proud to support this investment that will have a direct impact on our students and their ability to increase their industry-ready skills while still in high school…In conversations with local industry leaders, it is clear that having this facility in place to support student learning will set them on a path to success in whatever career path they choose.” – Dan Funston, Superintendent, Concord Community Schools

With the mounting need for people well-versed in trades of all types across the nation, the Engineering and Construction Center will not only benefit the individual careers of students that pass through its halls but will also create value for all kinds of industries that require the skill and expertise of well-educated workers. This will have a lasting impact on learners’ careers, the community, and the economy as a whole.

Concord Engineering and Construction Center

Do It Best Moves Out

Posted on December 5, 2022

Moving Day

With roots in northeast Indiana that go back more than 75 years, Do It Best continues its legacy of service, growth, and long-term improvement at its new world headquarters at the Electric Works campus in Fort Wayne, IN. Weigand served as the construction manager on this restoration project, renovating more than 200,000 square feet of the facilities to make room for Do It Best’s base of operations. The corporation is the anchor tenant of the EW campus, but it is only one of many different businesses that are transitioning offices to the Fort’s downtown district.

Amenities for Better Collaboration

Do It Best employees have access to the on-site parking garage that serves workers, residents, and campus visitors. Not only that, but they can walk right next door to the Union Street Market, filled with local vendors and restaurants, to grab meals, drinks, and more. The headquarters occupies three floors, featuring:

Large Conference Hall.
Class spaces with walls that can be converted into additional rooms.
Modern office layout.
Large windows that match the original buildout and create natural lighting.
Open-concept collaboration areas.
Flexible workspaces.

Do It Best staff are also able to go up to their own personal rooftop space, complete with gardens and a beautiful view of the Fort Wayne skyline.

Continued Growth and Development

The move was brought on by a desire to look to the future of the company and the region. By relocating their team to the heart of Fort Wayne’s innovation, the leadership sees opportunity to strengthen themselves for the years ahead.

“Being at Electric Works will help us be an employer of first choice, retaining and attracting top multi-generational talent not only from here in Fort Wayne, but also on a broader scale. It enables us to keep our roots in the community we’ve called home for 75 years, while at the same time positioning us for a bright future.” – Dan Starr, CEO, Do It Best Corp.