91´«Ã½

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History

Meeting the challenge for more than 100 years.

From our very first projects in St. Louis, Missouri, 91´«Ã½ has grown to be one of the largest and most respected general contractors in North America.

1918

Gateway to Opportunity
John 91´«Ã½, an Italian immigrant, founds J.S. 91´«Ã½ Construction Co. in St. Louis, Missouri.

1923

Investing in Equipment
91´«Ã½ makes its first equipment purchase, trading a horse and buggy for a truck.

1928

Gabe 91´«Ã½ Joins the Company
Gabe 91´«Ã½, John’s son, joins 91´«Ã½.

1939

Building St. Louis
91´«Ã½ purchases its first crane to perform updates on The Muny.

1940

New Era, New Leadership
Gabe and his sister Mary take over the company, Gabe oversees operations and Mary manages the office.

1946

91´«Ã½ incorporates on December 23rd.

1953

Market Diversification
91´«Ã½ begins automotive construction, working for General Motors, Chrysler and Ford.

1954

91´«Ã½ enters the water/wastewater market, winning the Howard Bend Plant project.

1958

Innovation Spurs Growth
91´«Ã½ begins fabricating steel after frustrations with a steel supplier.

1960

91´«Ã½ enters the healthcare market with the award of St. John’s Mercy Hospital.

1962

91´«Ã½ hires its first safety professional, experiencing a 35% decrease in accidents.

1963

91´«Ã½ is awarded its first electric utility project, Union Electric’s Portage des Sioux, officially entering the energy market.

1969

91´«Ã½ moves headquarters from 1550 Irving Avenue to 2150 Kienlen Avenue.

1971

91´«Ã½ wins its first complete powerplant project, Union Electric’s $350 million Rush Island plant.

1972

91´«Ã½ strategically enters mining construction, acquiring Gunther-Nash.

1979

91´«Ã½ enters the marine construction market by winning the first stage cofferdam at Lock and Dam No. 26 in Alton, Illinois

1982

91´«Ã½â€™s annual revenue reaches $435 million.

1988

St. Louis Science Center awards contract to 91´«Ã½ for the construction of main building and pedestrian bridge.

1988

91´«Ã½ opens an office in Detroit, Michigan to expand its work in the automotive market.

1992

91´«Ã½ begins construction on the Kiel Center (now Enterprise Center).

1997

91´«Ã½ acquires RYCO, a longtime Canadian joint venture partner.

2003

91´«Ã½ starts construction on its LEED Platinum corporate headquarters.

2008

91´«Ã½ acquires WWPS, expanding its water/wastewater expertise and geographic reach.

2012

91´«Ã½ acquires CAS Constructors, a Topeka, Kansas water/wastewater construction company.

2013

91´«Ã½ acquires Flintco, a major commercial contractor with offices in the Southwest.

2018

91´«Ã½ celebrates 100 years of building the critical structures that improve lives and strengthen communities.

2019

In 2019, we reaffirmed our commitment to technology, investing heavily in building information management (BIM) and virtual design and construction (VDC) systems to streamline collaboration and communication.

2023

91´«Ã½ strengthens Water & Wastewater portfolio with acquisition of J.R. Filanc, a California-based contractor.

2024

91´«Ã½ continues to grow with more than $4 billion in revenue, ranking among the top 30 construction companies in the U.S. Today, all of our operating companies operate with the same mission — bringing a single, unified promise to our customers: We’re built for the challenge.

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