The Korte Company has reached another milestone this year as the company turns 50. In 1958, Ralph Korte founded the company without much more than an electric saw and a truck. Building projects for neighbors and friends, the company’s humble start began to pay off in the following years as the company took on larger projects in the area including a printing facility for The Wall Street Journal and a factory and warehousing complex for Nabisco Foods.
The Korte Company was one of the first companies to implement a Design-Build delivery method, twenty years before it was recognized by the rest of the industry. By offering architectural and general contracting services under one roof, The Korte Company was able to deliver projects more efficiently, which translated into cost savings for the client. Today, Design-Build is used by more than 45 percent of the industry.
By 1990, The Korte Company had grown substantially, completing projects not only in the Midwest, but also across the country. Growth continued into the next decade and included projects for the Armed Services, United States Postal Service, Hard Rock Café, Hershey’s, The Walgreens Company and NASA.
Currently, The Korte Company has completed projects in 38 states and averages $270 million annually in construction volume. With offices in Highland, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri and Las Vegas, Nevada, The Korte Company has grown into a leading Design-Build construction firm.
From design to completion, The Korte Company prides itself on implementing early planning and open communications to provide clients with seamless project delivery. As a result of this complete customer focus, The Korte Company has earned one of the highest customer loyalty ratios in the business with more than 80 percent of its new projects coming from previous customers.
“Throughout our 50 years, we’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the best and brightest people in the industry. Our clients have become friends, and our employees have become family. The foundations that Ralph Korte laid down when he started the company still hold true, and it’s helped shape how we operate today.” stated Todd Korte, president and CEO of The Korte Company.
