Award-Winning Projects


2005 AGC Build America Award & 2004 Build Michigan Award

St. Mary & St. Joseph Church
Iron Mountain, Michigan

On March 17, 2005, the Association of General Contractors of America (AGC) presented Gundlach Champion, Inc. the 2005 Build America Award for the St. Mary & St. Joseph Parish Rebuild project
(Iron Mountain, MI) at the AGC’s 86th Annual Convention Awards Dinner, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Each year, the AGC honors the “best of the best” for construction projects completed in the previous year.  Boasted as the construction industry’s “Oscars”, the Build America Award symbolizes excellence in construction and ultimately promotes quality, uniqueness and innovation within individual projects.

Gundlach Champion Inc. (GCI) was first awarded the 2004 Build Michigan Award for the St. Mary & St. Joseph Parish Rebuild project in November 2004, which qualified GCI to compete for the national award.

For the 2005 Build America Award, the project had to be completed between December 2003 and November 2004.  Of the 81 excellent projects nominated for the Build America Award, only 16 projects were chosen.  The St. Mary & St. Joseph Parish Rebuild was classified as a Design-Build/Renovation project.  The St. Mary & St. Joseph Church, a beautiful and historic structure, was nearly razed by fire on January 5, 2003.  Reconstruction efforts began immediately after the fire, followed by 17 months of hard work and tremendous coordination to construct a “breath-taking, elegant” finished product.

2002 Steel Systems Excellence Award


Michigan Technological University
Rozsa Performing Arts Center
Houghton, Michigan

Gundlach Champion provided construction services for the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts at Michigan Technological University. This facility was honored with the 2002 Steel Systems Excellence Award in the medium-sized building category during the annual meeting of the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers.

Visit the Michigan Society for Professional Engineers at www.michiganspe.org

2001 AGC Marvin M Black Excellence in Partnering Award


Peter White Public Library
Marquette, Michigan

Gundlach Champion, Inc. was the proud recipient of the 2001 Association of General Contractors (AGC) Marvin Black Excellence in Partnering Award. The merits of the award are teambuilding, improved communication, conflict resolution and delivery of quality to the job site.

Visit the AGC at www.agc.org

1999 AIA Detroit Honor Award


Michigan Technological University
Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building
Houghton, Michigan

Gundlach Champion provided construction services for this complex project which received the 1999 American Institute of Architects Detroit Honor Award.

Visit the AIA at www.aia.org

American Society for Interior Designers Bronze Award


Pine Grove Country Club
Iron Mountain, Michigan

This very beautiful facility received a Bronze Award in the Category of Recreation/Hospitality from the Wisconsin Chapter of American Society of Interior Designers.

Visit the American Society for Interior Designers at www.asid.org

 

29th Annual WRMCA Concrete Design Award

Bay College West Campus
Iron Mountain, Michigan

This award is given to companies that show excellence in the use of Ready-Mixed Concrete in Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Gundlach Champion received this award in the ICF category for their work at Bay College West Campus.

 

2006 AGC Summer Work Program Award

Northern Michigan University
New Student Apartments Project
Marquette, Michigan

This honor was awarded to Gundlach Champion for providing guidance and experience to students who are preparing to practice in this industry.

   

Safety Excellence Awards and Safety Honor Roll


Companies receive safety awards from the Associated General Contractors based on the size of the company's work force and their safe job performance for the reporting year.

Gundlach Champion is proud to have been awarded Safety Excellence Awards for the years 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000 and the Safety Honor Roll for 2001 and 2005.

   

28th  Annual Concrete Design Award

Gundlach Champion New Office Facility
Iron Mountain, Michigan


In March 2007 American Concrete International (ACI) presented Gundlach Champion, Inc. the 2006 Concrete Design Award for the new Gundlach Champion Building & Parking Lot (Iron Mountain, MI). This was presented by ACI in conjunction with the Wisconsin Ready Mixed Concrete Association.

Michigan Construction Hall of Fame

Herman Gundlach Jr.
Ferris State University

Born and raised in Houghton, Herman Gundlach Jr. often worked at Gundlach Inc., the construction company founded by his father in 1898. After a successful football career at Houghton High School, Worcester Academy and Harvard University and a stint in the armed services, including service in World War II, Herman returned to the Upper Peninsula to take over the family business.

Under his watch, the Gundlach construction company developed innovative building techniques including pioneering the idea of winter construction, which involved work sites covered with canvas. The firm also specialized in reinforced concrete construction. The company continued to grow and did most of its own work instead of subcontracting. At its busiest times, the Gundlach Company had almost 500 employees, making it one of the largest construction employers in the state.

Gundlach helped build Copper County. His company s buildings range from many buildings at Michigan Tech, St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in Houghton, the Reverbatory Furnace at the White Pine Copper Company in White Pine, the J.H. Warden Generating Plant in L Anse, D&N Bank Building in Hancock, and Finlandia University buildings in Hancock. The company built its reputation on impeccable honesty, integrity and fairness and its quality workmanship, responsibility and meeting construction schedules with projects throughout Michigan and Wisconsin.

Herman has won numerous awards from his peers and for community involvement. He was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 1973 and won the Highest Honor Award from Suomi College. He was the recipient of the Boy Scouts of America Special Achievement Award and the Distinguished Service Award from Michigan Tech. He was awarded charter membership in the MTU Hubbell Society and the Honorable Alumni Award from Michigan Tech and honorary Ph.D. from Suomi College.

Herman was a member of the Houghton Rotary, the American League, Veterans of Foreign Wars and trustee with Goodwill Farm. He was the director, chairman and donor with the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home for Abused Women and Director of the Oak House Inc. for the mentally handicapped. He also served as chairman of the Houghton National Bank Board and president of the Michigan chapter of Associated General Contractors. He was inducted into the Michigan Construction Hall of Fame at Ferris State University on October 21, 2004.

   


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