Building Boldt’s reputation

Published: November 1, 2009

The Boldt Co. team Pictured: (back row, left to right), Jeff Johnson, Tom Boldt, Oscar Boldt, Jim Lee and Bob DeKoch; (front row, left to right) John Lawson, Dale Von Behren, Jim Rossmeissl and John Hale Photo by Wm. Glasheen

By Melissa Rigney Baxter

Even though The Boldt Co. is one of Wisconsin’s largest builders, sometimes it’s the little things that land a project.

The Atrium in the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research in Madison is part of the first phase of a multistage project The Boldt Co. is constructing for the university. Construction began in 2005,and the first building opened in 2008. Photo by FotoGrafix

The Appleton-based company won a contract to build the $35 million Lawrence University Campus Center, completed this fall, due to Boldt’s previous experience building on a sloped site, said Jill Beck, president of Lawrence University. The Appleton site was scenic but a challenge, she said. The five-story building was constructed in a hillside that ends at the Fox River.

In addition to Boldt’s specific skill set for the project, Beck said, she was impressed with the company’s communication skills.

“They kept me up to speed so decision making was not slowed down,” she said. “They got the building done on time and on budget. They gave us the building we wanted without running up the cost.”

With 14 regional offices across the United States, Boldt is a master at parlaying its experience into new work. Concentrating on health care and higher education in the struggling economy has helped Boldt remain stable, and it has broken new ground as a leader in sustainable building, with more than 20 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design projects certified or seeking certification.

As of early October, the Lawrence University project was the only LEED silver-certified higher education building in Wisconsin, according to Boldt. And in the company’s ongoing work on the multimillion-dollar Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research in Madison, Boldt is seeking LEED silver designation or higher on the second phase of the multistage project.

“We’ve had a fantastic relationship over the years of the (WIMR) project,” said Mark Wells, assistant dean for facilities at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “When I look back at the project, it’s pretty easy to tell why we trusted Boldt to do the job. They have one of the best reputations in the industry.”

As with the multiyear, multistage work Boldt is completing in Madison on the WIMR project, the contractor has been on site at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa for more than 10 years, constructing everything from parking ramps to medical office buildings.

In the wake of all these projects, Boldt leaves behind strong relationships that could keep the company constructing for years to come.

“I built nine buildings in California, but I never had an experience like this,” Beck said of her work with Boldt. “I loved working with them.

They were amazingly competent and just as gracious.”