Our Annual Safety Stand Down to Honor Brian Cotter
August 13, 2024
Safety is the cornerstone of everything we do at Executive Construction. Last week, we held our fourth annual Cotter Safety Stand Down, honoring the memory of Brian Cotter, a skilled craftsman and cousin of our Senior Superintendent, Tom Thies. Brian’s tragic passing in a construction-related incident in 2021, though not on one of our sites, continues to resonate deeply within our team.
As Tom prepared our teams for Friday’s stand-downs, he shared a heartfelt reflection: “Cotter was someone I looked up to my whole life, and he’s pretty much the reason I ended up in construction. To see something like that happen to someone so close and in the same industry is shocking. He was so sure, so capable, but still vulnerable. That’s the takeaway.”
In tribute to Brian, our teams received cotter pin hard hat stickers—a symbol of security and unity—serving as a daily reminder of our unwavering commitment to safety on every jobsite.
The newly opened Consumers Credit Union at Rand Road and Jane Avenue was recently awarded the 2023 Alan F. Bombick Excellence in Design Award by the Village of Arlington Heights Design Commission. The state-of-the-art branch features four interactive teller machines (ITMs); mobile and text banking capabilities; and drive-up access.
This 3,500-sf core-and-shell build consists of a combination steel and concrete masonry unit (CMU) structure with stone, brick, and metal panel exterior cladding; two AC roof-top units; and a sloped precast concrete roof with a single-ply TPO roof system membrane.
With structural steel and masonry walls in place, our team successfully placed nearly 40 precast roof panels via crane pick. Delivery of the panels required 12 flat-bed trucks, with the largest plank measuring 40 feet in length. Executive Construction coordinated this complex operation safely and without incident.
The branch offers a welcoming lobby with greeter station, teller desk, ITMs, and a modern tech bar with coffee stations. To provide swift customer service and privacy, flexible office workspaces and collaboration areas are included, with private management offices, workroom, and breakroom for staff. Additional features include state-of the-art security systems with video capabilities; coin counter; restrooms for both patrons and staff; and a vestibule with a walk-up automatic teller machine (ATM). Notable branding elements are featured throughout the branch.
Coming Soon! Our New Spec Suite Project at 500 N. Dearborn
September 11, 2023
Executive Construction is excited to partner with Friedman Properties, geniant+Eastlake Studio, and Advanced Consulting Group, to build out a new spec suite—Suite 600—at 500 North Dearborn.
Located in River North, the building designed by Daniel Burnham is immersed in rich Chicago history and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This twelve-story building was built in 1923, and was commissioned by famous publisher and entrepreneur William D. Boyce as the headquarters for the W.D. Boyce Publishing Company. Fun fact, Boyce even used the building’s penthouse as his home!
Stay tuned to see how this space transforms into the incredible tenant-ready office space shown in the renderings! For leasing inquiries, please reach out to Brian Chernett (bchernett@friedmanproperties.com).
School is officially in session! The classroom addition for Timothy Christian Schools is wrapping up, so let’s look back at a pivotal moment in the project when we set the structural steel beams!
We’re grateful for our continued partnership with TCS, and can’t wait for their students and faculty to enjoy this new educational space… perfect for the upcoming 2023 school year!
Our Annual Safety Stand-down to Honor Brian Cotter
August 15, 2023
At Executive Construction, the safety of our team members, partners, and jobsites is top priority, always. On Friday, we held our third annual Cotter Safety Standown across every one of our sites in memory of Brian Cotter, a well-respected craftsman and cousin of our Senior Superintendent Tom Thies. In 2021, Brian passed away in a construction-related incident, and though it wasn’t our project, it heavily impacted our team.
As shown in the video below, field leaders—including Tom, the driving force of this tradition—shared the story and presented teams with a cotter pin hard hat sticker. The cotter pin connects pieces together and symbolizes security because once it’s in place, everything is safer and stronger. In line with our Journey to Zero, these pins are a daily reminder to keep safety front-of-mind.
We’re humbled to continue to honor Brian, and reinforce the importance of the commitment, collaboration, and coaching it takes to ensure everyone gets home safe.
We Had a Blast At AFCOM’s Third Annual Golf Outing
July 18, 2023
It was the perfect sunny day to golf, connect with mission critical partners, and sponsor the “Longest Launch” hole! A special shoutout to Golf Invite Inc., and Launch Specialist Dan, for the event support and bringing some fun. We’re already looking forward to next year!
Making A Splash For Charity at Our Parking Lot Party
July 7, 2023
Last week, we threw back to the decades at our Parking Lot Party—an annual team-building event and dunk tank fundraiser to raise money for an important non-profit! This year, we made a splash and raised over $2,500 for Gift from the Heart Foundation in honor of our recently passed field team member, Janek. This non-profit provides assistance to children with special needs in receiving medical care.
Clear communication and operational excellence leads to… continued relationships with our amazing clients! Building on a 14-year partnership, we worked with this client to deliver their 27,000-sf breathtaking office in the #ChicagoLoop.
From an open office space with trading desks and a stunning interconnecting stair, to a library and high-end cafe that features booth seating, this space was designed to promote team synergy and efficiency. We’re so proud to have been a part of it!
Welcome to our 2023 Intern class! From hands-on project assignments; shop tours; and team-building events, these young professionals are armed with bring-it-on attitudes to learn the ins-and-outs of the construction industry!
We’re ready for a fun and educational summer—stay tuned to see more exciting highlights of our internship program!
A 310,000-sf Dynamic Build in Chicago’s Old Post Office
June 15, 2023
We love to see our clients thrive in their spaces! This 310,000-sf Chicago Talent Hub in the Old Post Office features 200+ conference rooms, a full cafeteria, and a Grand Hall—a perfect balance between collaboration and efficiency. An incredible partnership between all involved, this build required close coordination with the client, design team, and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to integrate the building’s historic elements with unique branding—check out the communicating stair designed to resemble the historic mail chutes!
This rewarding project led us to receive GCFD’s Interior Contractor of the Year award in 2021—thanks to our incredible partners that made this project possible: CBRE, Gensler, WSP, and McGuire Engineers!