Krupp General Contractors takes on a variety of projects, including multifamily residential, mixed-use, retail, office and senior housing.

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Wisconsin’s Krupp General Contractors describes itself as a full-service commercial construction firm focused on quality, integrity and accountability. The company takes on approximately 15 jobs per year, primarily in the Madison, Wis., area, and prides itself on bringing customers back for repeat projects.

“Our objective is to offer the highest quality at the best price, and by doing that, we retain clients,” President and CEO Paul Lenhart says. “The best way for us to do that is to have a stable field and office staff with longevity and people who are highly incentivized to get the job done.

“We don’t lose people – we hire them and keep them. For our clients, it’s critical that they be able to pick up the phone after five years and call the same person and that we deliver consistent performance.” The company employs 11 office staff members and 26 in the field. It focuses on cross training in the field to develop well-rounded employees.

“There are no specialists in concrete or trim – our guys can do everything really well,” Lenhart says. “It takes a lot more time and effort to get to that point, but we end up serving our customers with a better product.” The company self-performs 5 to 25 percent of its work, with projects ranging from $500,000 to $18 million.

He says the company also relies on a trusted group of subcontractors. “They all have to be pre-qualified at a performance level that we understand and that we have had experience with,” he adds. “If not, we simply can’t use them.”
 
Project Diversity
Krupp General Contractors takes on a variety of projects, including multifamily residential, mixed-use, retail, office and senior housing. Its Churchill Crossing project in Madison is underway now. The $12 million four building complex will include 116 high-end apartments and numerous common amenities and is scheduled to be completed in April 2009. Project amenities include underground parking, pool and manicured gardens, fitness area and great room with meeting space.

Sequoia Commons is a two-phase development on Madison’s near-west side. The $11 million first phase is the first floor of a four-story mixed-use building with 20,000 square feet dedicated to a city library and 8,000 square feet of retail space. The $13 million second phase includes 110 apartments and another 14,000 square feet of retail. Both buildings will share an underground parking facility with a terraced green roof. The first phase is expected to be completed in July and the second phase will begin in October.

“It’s a very attractive, interesting mixed-use building,” Lenhart says. “It’s unique having a library on the ground floor of residential condominiums. It will function well to attract the demographic for the housing units – young professionals and empty nesters.” Krupp General Contractors is working as the general contractor with developer Avante Properties.

The company is also working on a senior housing campus in Platteville, Wis., Park Place Senior Living. The project is on the seven-acre site of an old regional hospital, which will be renovated and surrounded by new buildings. Lenhart describes this project as a “prototype of a new type of senior housing,” incorporating 48 independent living units, a 17-unit dementia area, 26-unit frail area, and geriatric, psychological, and inpatient and outpatient facilities.

“These senior facilities are moving very much into a full-service model, basically where you check in and can remain there the rest of your life,” he explains.

The $11 million independent living section is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Krupp General Contractors is working as the general contractor and Elder Span Management is the developer.

Recently, the company completed Nolen Shore Condominiums, an 11-story tower on the shore of Lake Monona in Madison. It completed the interior build-outs and a row of town homes on one section of the property, which provides luxury downtown infill housing within two blocks of the state capital.

Wait and See
As the economy slows, Lenhart says the Krupp General Contractors must remain dedicated to high-quality work delivered on time and on budget. “We’ve got to be on time,” he says. “We cannot lose the schedule for any reason – the customer won’t forgive you for that.

“We’re not a contractor that low bids a project coming in and makes it up on change orders. We estimate based on what the plan shows us and show the customers what the plans don’t tell them so they know up front what it will cost in the end. Clients need a very predictable, understandable way to get through the construction process.”

He says the company doesn’t have a specific growth plan for the near future. “We don’t equate success with growth,” he explains. “We are confident with our position in the market right now, and further expansion over the next two years is not a priority,” he adds. “I want to see where the economy is, what the market conditions are in the next 18 months. I’m very happy with the projected revenue we have coming in for 2008, which is anticipated to be well within budget at about $32 million. We’re taking a wait-and-see attitude.”