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“McHugh is looking at ways to work smarter and to make good things come from this tough time,” Meagher says. “We were one of the first contractors in Chicago to use BIM on high-rise buildings, like Trump Tower, and we’re now expanding our knowledge.”
To make up for fewer opportunities in high-rise construction, McHugh is pursuing more public work and more alternative-energy construction.
Hill Mechanical Group, Franklin Park, Ill., is yet another specialty firm that credits a tradition of conservative management for putting it in position to survive today’s difficult economy.
“Staying debt free lets you keep control over how you run your business,” says President Robert Krier. “I expect to see some highly leveraged companies have financial problems in the third and fourth quarters of 2010, when companies that owe them money can’t make payments.”
Krier says Hill Mechanical is strengthening is position by diversifying into new offerings, such as data-center construction and fire-protection systems. The company is also creating work by showing clients how to save utility costs by upgrading their buildings’ energy efficiency. “In 2009, we got $500,000 in energy incentives for customers,” he says.
Top Specialty Contractors Ranked by 2009 Revenue Midwest Construction’s 2010 list of the top Midwestern specialty contractors is ranked by reported revenue from 2009.
All contractors on the list have offices in Illinois, Indiana, eastern Missouri or Wisconsin and work principally in one or more construction specialties ranging from HVAC to electrical, plumbing, mechanical, roofing and more than a dozen more trades.
The charts on the following pages show the top specialty contractors overall, plus those who lead in each state and specialty.
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