Consolidated Builders, Inc.

Consolidated Builders, Inc. is a prominent American construction and general contractor firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1978 by Robert Langley, the company has grown into a major player in commercial construction, infrastructure, and sustainable design projects across the Midwestern United States and nationally. It is recognized for its large-scale public-private partnership ventures and its adoption of advanced Building Information Modeling technologies.

History

The company was established in Chicago in 1978 by Robert Langley, a former project manager with a background in civil engineering. Its early work focused on suburban office park developments and municipal projects throughout Cook County. A significant turning point came in the late 1980s when it secured a contract for the Midwest Convention Center annex, establishing its reputation for complex steel frame structures. Throughout the 1990s, the firm expanded its operations into the healthcare construction sector, completing several wings for the University of Chicago Medical Center. The 2008 financial crisis prompted a strategic diversification into federal government contracts and transportation infrastructure, including work for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Notable projects

The portfolio of the firm includes many landmark structures. In the public sector, key projects include the Echo Point Dam rehabilitation in Colorado and the Liberty Avenue Transit Hub in Pittsburgh, a major intermodal passenger transport facility. Significant private sector achievements comprise the Aurora Tower in Houston, a 60-story mixed-use development, and the Silicon Prairie corporate campus for TechNova Solutions outside Omaha. The company has also been active in cultural infrastructure, serving as the construction manager for the renovation of the Cleveland Museum of Art's modern wing. Internationally, it participated in a joint venture for a new terminal (airport) at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

Corporate structure

The firm operates through several specialized divisions, including Civil Group, Special Projects Division, and Sustainable Solutions Group. Its board of directors is chaired by founder Robert Langley, with day-to-day operations led by Chief Executive Officer Anya Petrova, formerly of Bechtel. Major institutional investors include the Vanguard Group and BlackRock. The company maintains regional offices in Denver, Atlanta, and Seattle, and its employee stock ownership plan covers approximately 30% of its workforce. Key subsidiary companies include Precision Mechanical Contractors and Atlas Steel Erection.

Industry recognition

The firm has received numerous awards for construction excellence and safety. It has been a repeated recipient of the Associated General Contractors of America's Build America Award, notably for the Liberty Avenue Transit Hub. Its commitment to green building has been recognized with multiple LEED Platinum certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council for projects like the BioSphere Research Center in Research Triangle Park. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has frequently awarded it its Voluntary Protection Programs STAR status. Engineering News-Record consistently ranks the company among the top contractors in its Top 400 Contractors list.

Legal and regulatory matters

The company has been involved in several high-profile legal proceedings. In 2015, it settled a whistleblower lawsuit brought under the False Claims Act related to subcontractor billing on a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital project. It faced a significant Occupational Safety and Health Administration fine in 2019 following an investigation into a crane collapse incident at the Aurora Tower site. The firm is currently a defendant in an ongoing antitrust class-action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois alleging bid rigging on Midwest public works projects. It maintains a corporate ethics compliance program developed in consultation with former United States Attorney Janet Carter.

Category:Construction and civil engineering companies of the United States Category:Companies based in Chicago Category:Companies established in 1978