Q&A with F.A. Wilhelm Construction
Community Justice Campus, Photo Credit: Studio 13
We take pride in the fact that GIPC Organizations are building a better Indianapolis for tomorrow. This month, we spoke with Member Representative Brittney Turner to talk about F.A. Wilhelm Construction’s 100th Year Anniversary. We wanted to learn more about the history of the organization and what current projects we will enjoy for years to come!
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How did F.A. Wilhelm Construction first come to be?
The company started in 1923 and grew from modest beginnings. With a formal eighth-grade education, a deep passion for helping others, and a need to support a growing family, founder Francis A. Wilhelm built a porch for his neighbor. That first project laid the foundation that supports Wilhelm 10 decades later. Over time, our client base grew exponentially as did the type of projects we built. While the company has grown, the core beliefs that Francis believed in – hard work, integrity, and innovation – remain in the fabric of Wilhelm’s culture today.
100 years is no small accomplishment! How will the Wilhelm team be celebrating the Anniversary?
To celebrate the 100th anniversary, Wilhelm is spotlighting legacy milestones of our clients and projects which have had a tremendous impact in and around our communities. Additionally, we are holding a large picnic celebration this summer to honor and thank employees and their families. Through a community giveback campaign and per recommendations from our employees, Wilhelm will also provide financial support to 100 charitable organizations in the communities that impact our clients, our employees, and the neighborhoods in which we live and work.
Wilhelm Construction has partnered with several GIPC Organizations for construction projects, from hotels to headquarters. What Wilhelm projects are the most iconic to downtown Indianapolis?
We are proud of all the projects that we have built downtown, but there are few that stand out including the renovation of Union Station, the Indiana State Museum, the NCAA Headquarters, Cummins DBU Headquarters, and the JW Marriott Hotel. An interesting project we are constructing now is the restoration of the facade on the Riley Towers Apartments.
What current projects are your team the most excited about?
There are several projects that we are involved with at the new Community Justice Campus in Twin Aire. This campus is located less than a mile from our office, and it is exciting to watch the re-development of the site and neighborhood. We are also very excited about the new Elanco Global Headquarters Building which is located on the former GM Stamping Plant as well as the new IU Health Downtown Indianpolis Hospital. There are a large list of others, but as a company with our headquarters in Indianapolis for those entire 100 years, it’s particularly exciting to be part of the redevelopment of our City.
Anything else you would like to add?
The Indianapolis community has served us well. As our community has grown and diversified, so has Wilhelm. Our City and State leaders have worked to make Indianapolis and Indiana a great place to live, work and raise a family which provides lots of construction activity for this area.