Education Experience

Gundlach Champion has been involved in constructing university projects for over 100 years, when our founder (Herman Gundlach, Sr.) was building his business back in the early 1900s. It was then that our earliest university work began, starting with Michigan Technological University with the construction of the Chemistry building (1902), Civil/Mining/Engineering building (1902), the Metallurgy building (1903), the Sigma Rho Fraternity house (1906), and the Library and Museum (1907).

Gundlach’s reputation for excellence earned him early projects at Northern Michigan University and Finlandia University as well. In 1913, he constructed the NMU Administration Building and the Assembly House & Gym. At Finlandia, Gundlach along with Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen erected Nikander Hall.

In 1945, Herman Gundlach, Sr.’s son, “Winks” became president of the firm and continued his father’s work constructing university buildings until his death in 2005. Today, our firm continues the tradition of providing project excellence to these same universities and many others.

Gundlach Champion has been part of educational communities for nearly a century. Our planning, design, and construction of these facilities go across the board from private schools and elementary schools, to secondary schools and universities. We are honored to be involved in the construction of facilities that strengthen the future of any community. A list of completed projects is located in the table below.

We’ve earned our degree in building successful projects

Because GCI has worked with many school districts, we understand the politics involved with getting construction projects approved. We will provide all necessary information, attend meetings, and if necessary, schedule special meetings with the key people to assure everyone understands the process and the expected deliverables throughout the project. From the very beginning of a project, we can help you select the best project delivery system, choose an engineering firm, work with the team through the design phase, bid the project out, and ultimately build it. We spend the time needed to learn about the goals of your project and your institution. The insight we gain during this programming and design phase means your building will meet your exact needs and have a positive impact on your students, faculty, staff, and community.

We have employees located in nearly every county in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Our professional network of skilled, local subcontractors is nearby should there be any issues. Through our extensive history in the Northern Great Lakes region, we have established relationships with many trusted subcontractors and suppliers to get a quality job done safely, on time, and within budget.

The Great Lakes region presents unique challenges when providing construction services. We have the experience and expertise to complete our construction projects in the most extreme weather conditions, safely and on time. We flexible scheduling to meet tight schedules. To accommodate your class schedule or adverse weather, we will work overtime or multiple shifts. 

Escalating budgets or change orders can be frustrating on a construction project and we use all of our skills to assure that does not occur. If a change order is needed during the various phases of the project, we will work with the project designers and owners to identify solutions that minimize cost.

We have experience in a wide range of educational construction projects including the following types of projects:

  • University Buildings
  • Student Dormitories and Apartments
  • K-12 Buildings
  • Bond Improvements

Gundlach Champion’s Educational Services

  • Preconstruction Services
  • Bond Services
  • Fast-track Scheduling
  • Extensive Project Experience
  • Strict Budget and Schedule Adherence

Gundlach Champion provides quality education construction services throughout the Northern Great Lakes Region. If you have a construction project you would like to discuss, please contact us.