Zignego goes the extra mile

Published: November 1, 2009

Dan Zignego Jr. (left) and Dan Zignego Sr. Photo by Ray Guansing

By Melissa Rigney Baxter

Those roadworkers on the highways between Madison and Racine are more likely than not employees of Zignego Co. Inc., the big winner in road construction contracts this year.

Zignego Co. Inc. completed street work last year on Highway 32 through downtown Port Washington. Photo submitted by Zignego Co. Inc.

Despite the challenging economic climate and stiff competition for stimulus money among road builders, Zignego landed, among other projects, a $43 million contract for Interstate 94 improvements in Dane County and another $19.63 million contract for interstate work in Racine County.

“They take great pride in their work and workmanship,” said Tom Schmidt, a consultant with Milwaukee-based Kapur & Associates Inc. who worked with Zignego on the reconstruction of the Highway G bridge at I-94 in Racine County for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Competitive bidding has helped Zignego lead the pack of Wisconsin companies that won contracts paid for through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The family-owned company has been in business for more than five decades and is known for going the extra mile, Schmidt said.

Zignego demonstrated its knack for competitive bidding in April when it landed the nearly $20 million contract for interstate work in Racine County. The firm worked hard to fine-tune its bid and submitted it five minutes before the deadline. The extra work paid off when the contract was awarded with Zignego the low bidder by $70,000, a fraction of the total cost.

“Their focus is obvious in the quality of their project and when dealing with concrete, paving and the whole operation,” Schmidt said. “It’s a very well-run business, and when it comes down to it, everyone is judged by their finished product and they work to make sure they get it right.”

Zignego’s smooth operations include managing its own concrete plant and all phases of road construction, said Fred Moeller, project engineer with consulting firm Daar Engineering Inc., Milwaukee. The company is well organized and handles multiple projects well, he said.

Moeller has worked with Zignego many times on state projects, including one last year at North 76th Street in Milwaukee. The complicated project involved juggling the concerns of neighbors and business owners, he said.

“People were concerned about their driveways and access, and Zignego was very responsive,” he said. “That’s a huge plus on an urban project. They were sensitive to the concerns of the neighborhood.”