Prairie Construction is Hiring!

Prairie Construction has immediate openings for full-time summer or permanent construction positions. Openings include Superintendents, Laborers, Carpenters, and seasonal Construction Workers.

Prairie construction offers full-time employees competitive wages (based on experience), health, dental, and vision insurance, 401K, and paid vacation and holidays.

Commercial construction experience is preferred, but Prairie Construction is willing to train qualified candidates. Candidates must be at least 18, have transportation, and be willing to work a minimum of 40 hours/week. Work will begin immediately.

If interested, please apply in-person at Prairie Construction 13316 B St. in Omaha, Monday – Friday 7 am to 5 pm, or send a resume to tom@prairie-construction.com.

Jordan Bartels, Project Manager

Prairie Construction is proud to introduce Project Manager Jordan Bartels. Jordan is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Engineering with a Bachelor’s in Construction Engineering, and he joined the Prairie team in July 2022.

Prior to joining Prairie Construction, Jordan worked at a few local construction companies, gaining experience is estimating, scheduling, and project management. He developed an expertise in scheduling after training in various scheduling techniques.

“Planning and scheduling is vital in a project’s success, it is a great tool to communicate the successes and shortfalls of a project,” he said. “A schedule can indicate how a project is progressing. Without proper planning and scheduling a project cannot obtain its objectives in a timely and cost effective manner.”

We first met Jordan three years ago while working together at Creighton University on various projects. We recognized his skills as a scheduler, and his ability to coordinate between project managers and clients to keep project running efficiently and on time.  

“Jordan has been an excellent addition to the Prairie team,” said Matt Schuman. “He cares about our clients’ wants, needs, and project objectives, and he does everything he can to ensure our client’s goals are met, and they are pleased with the end product.”

Jordan was drawn to Prairie Construction because we are a smaller company that values a work-life balance while encouraging our employees’ growth.

“Working with Prairie at Creighton it was easy to tell that they take great pride in their work, and being experts in the field,” he said. “I also love their commitment to making our community better, I couldn’t be prouder working here and I hope I can add value to the Prairie Construction team!”

We think you have already added value to the Prairie team Jordan, and we are so happy you are part of our team!

Prairie Partners with Procore

The Prairie Construction team is proud to announce a partnership with Procore.

Procore is a project management software used by many companies in the construction industry. The software connects each contributor to a project with the owner and the contractor with a centralized dashboard. Managers can easily handle all details of the project, schedule tasks, and view up-to-the-minute progress.

We have been very pleased with organization and efficiency Procore has brought to our projects since implementation. Communication among our partners is streamlined, and everyone has access to everything they need to do their job on time and to the project specifications.

At Prairie Construction, we have always been committed to providing quality service on deadline and on budget, for each project. With the addition of Procore, our customers can feel confident that their project will be completed on time, and they feel informed and confident every step of the way.

As you look ahead to your construction projects in 2023, you can feel confident that the Prairie Construction team will manage your project with the most efficient software in the industry. We look forward to working with you!

Prairie Construction Wins ICF Builders Award

Prairie Construction was proud to be recognized by Insulated Concrete Forms Magazine in their annual awards.

Our project for the Ashbury Elementary School in the Papillion/LaVista Public Schools was named runner-up in the Education category of the ICF Builders Awards.

Ashbury Elementary School was built with high-performance ICF wall assembly designed for maximum energy efficiency. This structural design feature allowed our team to continue working throughout the winter, and as a result, the project was competed 3 months faster than a nearby school built with traditional designs.

The 55,000 sq ft elementary school is located in Papillion at 11740 S. 120th St.

You can learn more about our award-winning project here.

Congratulations to everyone on the Prairie Construction team who helped with this beautiful school!

Happy Holidays from Prairie Construction

Season’s Greetings from Prairie Construction!

As we prepare for the Holidays, we share our gratitude for our amazing team of Prairie Construction professionals. We appreciate your dedication, loyalty, and commitment to serving our clients with professionalism and excellence every day.

Thank you to all the subcontractors and partners who have collaborated with us in 2021. We appreciate your shared commitment to quality craftsmanship, excellent service, and meeting deadlines on every project.

Thank you to each of our clients who have trusted the Prairie Construction team with your construction needs. It has been our pleasure to work with you and we are grateful for the confidence you have in our team.

As we welcome 2022, we look forward to working with each of you on exciting new projects!

We wish you the very best of the holiday season, and a very happy New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Prairie Construction team would like to wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all that we are thankful for, and we feel grateful for all that we have to be thankful for.

Thank you to each of our clients. We are grateful for the trust you have in the Prairie Construction team. Thank you for your business, and your referrals. We look forward to serving and working with you in the future!

We are grateful for the many vendors, partners and subcontractors that we have been fortunate to partner with this year. Thank you for your collaboration, and shared dedication to meeting the client’s needs and deadlines, and to providing quality service on every job.

Finally, we are grateful for every member of the Prairie Construction team. We appreciate your loyalty and dedication, and we are grateful that you share your talents and expertise on every project.

Thank you to each of you who have worked with us, trusted us, and helped us throughout the year. We wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Time to Winterize Your Home

We have enjoyed warmer-than-average temperatures this Fall, but we know winter is coming. The experts at Prairie Construction recommend homeowners take advantage of the last few days of mild temps to get their home ready for the long, cold winter.

  • Drain Your Sprinkler System. If you have an underground sprinkler system, and you have not yet had it drained, it’s time to get that done. It’s also time to disconnect hoses from outdoor water faucets. Water left in pipes can freeze and thaw throughout the winter, causing them to crack or burst, and can potentially cause major damage in your home.
  • Empty Your Gutters. The winds and rain last week brought many of the leaves down from the trees, but chances are good several of them got caught in your home’s gutters before falling to the ground. Get your gutters cleaned out now before the leaves prevent rain and snow from properly draining, leading to freezing. The weight of frozen gutters can cause damage to your roof and siding.
  • Check for Cracks and Gaps. Looks for cracks in the siding and foundation, as well as around windows and doors. Either seal them up or consider looking for services such as Siding Installation in Raleigh, NC, or house repair in your home town, to prevent cold air from coming in and warm air from going out!
  • Weatherproof Doors and Windows. You can lose a lot of energy from door and window, particularly if you live in an older home. Weatherstripping doors and windows, installing
  • Service your Furnace. If you haven’t yet, have your furnace serviced and cleaned by hiring companies such as Hollenbach Home Comfort Services (hollenbachoil.com) to ensure it functions properly throughout the winter. As part of their normal operation, furnaces emit carbon monoxide. In order to ventilate the carbon monoxide outside of your house, it is important to install an exhaust pipe. Professionals from the likes of Air Makers or similar companies can check the exhaust pipe for leaks to make sure all carbon monoxide is leaving your home and your family is not being exposed to it. And if they see anything malfunctioning, they can repair it immediately. This will also give you a chance to see if you need to get anything else in your HVAC unit repaired, or if it might be time for a new furnace soon. And don’t forget about having the chimney cleaned – especially if you plan to use a fireplace this season.

Taking the time now to get your home ready for winter before the cold and snow arrive will go a long way in helping you stay warm, conserve energy and avoid damage to your home.

Westside Golf Project in the News!

It’s not every day your work is featured in a national publication, and we have to admit – it is pretty cool when it happens!

The Swede Center is an indoor golf practice facility located in Westside High School which was recently featured in Golfweek, part of USA Today.  Add to that, it was a really fun project for the Prairie Construction team!

The simulator sits in what was formerly an unusable space behind the gym. It includes putting, chipping and hitting bays, as well as a locker area and players’ lounge. It is used by District 66 students of all ages.

No other high school in the state – and possibly the country – can boast having a nicer, more state-of-the-art indoor golf practice facility like The Swede Canter. And it appears to be paying off as Westside is producing state champion golfers!

The facility was just one of several recent projects that Prairie Construction has collaborated on with Westside Schools, and we look forward to many more!

 

Welcome Nighthawks to Elkhorn North Ridge Middle School

Elkhorn North Ridge Middle School welcomed students for the first time when the school year started a few weeks ago.

Prairie Construction has built many schools in the Omaha metro area, and each one is unique. North Ridge, located at 183rd & Ida St. in Elkhorn, was constructed with state-of-the-art safety features and design, and is proving to be fully functional for students.

Here is an inside look at some of our favorite spots in the school.

Have a great school year Nighthawks!

Skyrocketing Lumber Costs are Starting to Ease

We have good news for those of you planning a construction project……the cost of lumber is starting to fall!

Since the pandemic began, we’ve heard a lot about high demand and low supply for everything from toilet paper and Clorox wipes to groceries and vehicles. We saw a huge increase in the demand for things like lumber, and an even bigger increase in the costs for lumber and building supplies.

According to the Labor Department’s producer price index, lumber prices more than doubled from May 2020 to May 2021. The National Association of Home Builders says the price tripled in just 12 months.

Americans spent more time at home over the last year, contributing to an increase in home improvement and new construction projects. Adding to that, restrictions due to COVID-19 slowed production at sawmills. This increased demand and reduced supply resulted in skyrocketing prices for lumber.

We are finally starting to see an easing of high lumber prices. Americans are going back to work and things are slowly returning to “normal”. While we may not see a return to pre-pandemic pricing for some time, we are seeing improvements in lumber and building supplies pricing.

If you put off your construction project because of the increased pricing, now might be a good time to put the plans back on the books. The team at Prairie Construction is ready to help!