Press Release

09/29/2009
For Immediate Release

Mortenson Construction Named Contractor of the Year by Midwest Construction Magazine

Midwest Construction Magazine has named Mortenson Construction, the firm that is building Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center's new 658,000-square-foot hospital, Contractor of the Year.

Soaring revenue amid a downward-spiraling economy may seem miraculous, especially in construction, but the Minneapolis-based Mortenson Construction has been able to pull it off by staying active in its niche: healthcare, stadiums, and municipal buildings, and by landing work in such new specialties as renewable energy and federal contracting.

Nationwide, Mortenson's annual revenue jumped to $2.825 billion in 2008 from $2.135 billion in 2007, according to a recent report from Engineering News Record. This moved the firm up to No. 22 on ENR's Top 400 Contractor's list for 2009, compared to No. 27 in 2008 and No. 38 in 2007.

"It's a combination of us being in the right place in the right markets with a strong business, a good reputation, and people that like working with us," said Mark Sherry, Vice President and General Manager of Mortenson's Milwaukee office.

Along with the construction of the new Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, one of the other biggest of its many healthcare projects is going up in downtown Chicago – the $632-million Lurie Children's Hospital scheduled for completion in 2012. The new Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center is scheduled to open later this year on December 14.

"One thing Mortenson brought to the table was their Midwest values," said Lori Skora, SJRMC's Vice President of Facilities Planning and Development. "They have a strong focus on safety and they have also followed the green guidelines for healthcare which includes recycling 80% of the construction debris on this project."

Other Mortenson projects throughout the Midwest include TCF Stadium – the recently opened new University of Minnesota Gophers football stadium; Target Field – the Minnesota Twins new ballpark; and a new basketball arena for the University of Louisville.