Archive for the ‘Compass Newsletter’ Category

Putting the Pieces Together

Wednesday, May 15th, 2024

While “creative problem solving” may not be found on a typical proposal or scope of work, every project and every jobsite requires teams to think outside the box and bring their perspectives to the task at hand. Egan Company’s Mechanical team recently brought their own unique and creative problem solving approach to a job at a data center facility, using unique equipment to help keep its facility expansion on track.

WHAT GOES FIRST? 

A large data center with multiple locations throughout the United States, partnered with general contractor Whiting-Turner, who hired Egan’s Mechanical team for critical Computer Room Air Handling unit (CRAH) installation. These units are essential for the integrity and reliability of the computers and servers hosted on-site. The job required multiple teams of different contractors to complete their work simultaneously. Egan’s Mechanical team was focusing on installing piping spools for the CRAH units within the building. This large and heavy equipment requires careful planning and the right team to ensure it is installed correctly and safely. 

However, a unique sequencing hiccup presented itself: does Egan install the piping before the walls are built, or does the general contractor put up the walls and have the Egan team install the piping later? 

Each of these sequences came with their own challenges and concerns, particularly around the safety and timeline of the project. Installing the piping after the walls would require more brute strength and unnecessary strain on the materials and Egan’s team. Putting the piping for the CRAH units before the walls would interfere with the work of other contractors. 

Fortunately, thanks to quick thinking and creative problem solving by Egan’s Mechanical field leaders, a safe and effective solution was found. 

The solution proposed allowed the drywall and framing crews to build corridor partitions, leaving out “windows” where the piping spools for the CRAH units could be placed. By utilizing a SpyderCrane — a piece of equipment typically used by Egan’s InterClad team — the crew was able to safely and efficiently install the spool pieces which minimized downtime and disruptions. Most importantly, the unique application of the SpyderCrane enabled a safe work environment, allowing Egan’s tradespeople to complete the job without needing to force equipment into place and risk physical injury or property damage. 

MULTI-DISCIPLINE EXPERTISE

Even though the SpyderCrane is typically utilized by Egan’s InterClad team, the quick and creative thinking by Egan’s field leaders allowed the team to utilize the tools and resources Egan has on-hand. Multi-discipline expertise and collaboration on jobsites enables everyone to find success and complete their projects efficiently and safely. The project was completed in May of 2024, and the timeline was kept on-track thanks to the collaboration and expertise of Egan’s team.

Innovation and creativity are at the forefront of Egan’s approach to each and every project – always ready to use everything in its tool belt to find solutions and get the job done!

A LASTING LEGACY

Sunday, January 7th, 2024

Witnessing the long-term investments of a 40-year career pay off is an honor bestowed on a select few. Navigating industry shifts and business growth can prove challenging to many, and it often takes a dedicated individual to hold true to their values and remain committed to their craft to see it through and make an impact where they work. 

Mike Tengwall, Egan Company’s Senior Vice President of Electrical, has done just that, adapting and evolving to meet industry demands while being driven by a strong work ethic and commitment to doing the right thing. 

When Tengwall first began his career as an electronics technician, he had no idea where his career would take him, from working as an apprentice with Klatt Electric in Buffalo, Minn., to becoming a Class A Master Electrician, to a project manager, to a group manager, to finally Senior Vice President and Director on Egan’s Board. Now, he is putting the finishing touches on four decades of leading teams in the electrical industry and leaving a positive impact everywhere he went. 

TEAM OVER SELF

The project success Tengwall experienced was thanks to the team who stood alongside him. As a project manager, he collaborated with customers and electricians to ensure a facility was operating the way it should be. When he became the Business Group Leader for Egan’s Industrial Controls team and later the Senior Vice President of Electrical, Tengwall’s approach stayed largely the same: 

“It’s not about us individually, but as a collective team,” Tengwall said. By trusting in his teams and providing the support they needed, he shared in the growth and success of the electrical business over the past 17 years at Egan. 

Since Tengwall has been with Egan, he has been a part of many significant food processing, manufacturing, and industrial and commercial projects. Tengwall’s background and experience with the different aspects of a project drove him to succeed, giving him a unique perspective that promoted asking questions, digging deeper, and committing fully to every job.

This curiosity has often turned into a future-focused mindset, embracing new technologies and innovations to encourage growth and strength amongst his team. “If we don’t change and evolve, we won’t be viable,” Tengwall said. “We need to keep up in the industry, using data to inform improvements and progress.” 

With this mindset, Tengwall was a part of several different teams who have seen significant growth within Egan’s Electrical business group. And the growth doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.

SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS

Whether Tengwall was working with customers and building managers or teams of electricians, his approach was always the same. He said the key to being successful in this industry is to “be motivated, work hard, and do what’s right no matter what.”

Kasson prefabrication facility groundbreaking

This mentality has spread throughout Egan, laying a strong foundation for the future of the company, prepared for where the industry leads. 

As technology has evolved over the course of Tengwall’s career, he only sees it continuing and encourages the same approach he took throughout his career: adapt and embrace it. “Change happens. Finding ways to be efficient with technology is what keeps you viable in this industry,” Tengwall shares.

LOOKING AHEAD

Tengwall is leaving Egan’s Electrical team in a strong position. He knows that the team will continue to grow and succeed, and he encourages patience and continued curiosity. “Be patient; things don’t happen overnight,” he said. “Look at the big picture and give your people the opportunity to succeed. Constant, steady pressure is the key to accomplishing your goals and navigating change.” 

Taking the reins as Senior Vice President of Electrical will be Grant Price, who has spent the last 22 years in various leadership roles with Egan’s Industrial Controls team, most recently as Business Group Manager. 

As for Tengwall’s future, he plans to, as he joked, “not set his alarm clock!” and spend time with his family, including his three daughters and nine grandchildren. He and his wife are looking forward to their travel plans, including upcoming trips to Florida and Costa Rica.

“It takes all of us every day to do what we do at Egan,” Tengwall noted, sentimentally. “I’ve been blessed to be a part of a great team here at Egan.”

Then and Now: Advancements in Egan’s Project Approach

Thursday, January 4th, 2024

Hospital and healthcare facilities are common projects for Egan’s 12 specialty trades. So much so, in fact, that a recently discovered article from Egan’s archives depicts just that: a new Shriners Children’s Hospital being erected in Minneapolis, with Egan’s (then called Egan & Sons) Mechanical team playing an integral role in the plumbing, heating, cooling, and medical gas systems within the building. 

While the story itself may seem typical at first glance, in the more than 30 years since the hospital was built and the article was written, many things have changed in the cities in which we work, and the way in which we build them. 

THEN AND NOW: WHAT’S DIFFERENT? 

Egan continues to work on many different healthcare facilities, from new construction and renovations to electrical service calls and everything in between. What’s different, however, is the way teams approach the work. 

The most obvious difference in the way the industry has evolved is in the shift from hand-drawn project plans to digitized versions. This has enabled increased collaboration among project teams, reduced risk for human error, and more efficient operating costs and timelines for projects. 

The historical article depicts the old ways of coordinating project drawings: 

Egan Air is also responsible for coordinating drawings for all of the trades. Gary Hunt, their draftsman, produced the drawings on Egan Air’s new computer aided drafting machine. Joel Bohach, Egan & Sons, then overlays the heating and cooling piping so that only minimal interferences are encountered by the men in the field. Some of the areas in this two story hospital are so congested, that without this coordination most people would wonder if the project would ever be completed on time.

Egan Pipeline 1989

Today, a single modeler or a team of drafts personnel can work on project drawings and modeling without any need for hand-drawn coordination or overlays from other trades. By working exclusively with 3D modeling and computer aided drafting, Egan can collaborate with trades professionals and even other contractors to ensure the schematics are accurate and available to everyone on the project. 

SURPRISING SIMILARITIES

Comparing the Shriners Hospital to a modern project such as M Health Fairview in Minneapolis, Minn. reveals many similarities between the two. Since the building of Shriners in Minneapolis, Egan has worked on dozens of hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout Minnesota, including Essentia in Duluth and Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The project scopes of these jobs are very similar, as hospitals continue to build and upgrade their facilities, using much of the same equipment now as they did back then to meet patient needs.

Prefabrication in the construction industry has been around for decades, and Egan has been leveraging our prefab shops on nearly every project to promote accuracy, quality, and safety. The article is a testament to Egan’s longstanding commitment to innovation, quality, and safety as the featured project utilized prefabrication for the chiller room piping.

Today, Egan’s fabrication efforts have expanded greatly, resulting in a new prefabrication facility currently under construction in Kasson, Minn. As was the case three and a half decades ago, prefabrication saves time and money on projects, while increasing safety and quality.  

ALWAYS IMPROVING

A lot can change in 30 years. Since the project in 1989, Shriners Children’s Hospital has moved to a new state-of-the-art facility in Woodbury, Minn., while the original building is now used by the University of Minnesota. Technological advancements, increased safety standards, and new business groups have all arisen within Egan in the last four decades. What hasn’t changed in that time, however, are the high standards Egan brings to every project.

Whether it’s through prefabrication or the implementation of new technology, Egan’s goal is to find ways to deliver projects more efficiently, at a higher quality, and with no injuries. For the last 80 years, Egan has been able to deliver on our promises by doing so, and we remain committed to our customers’ success for the next 80 years and more. 

Quick Response Helps Open School on Time

Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024

As the start of a new school year approached, students and staff at Northwest Middle School in Coralville, Iowa were getting ready to head back. The only problem: the school was undergoing significant upgrades over the summer and the construction on the building wasn’t going to be ready for final inspection before the bell rang in September. So, when the Egan Company team got a call from general contractor, Knutson Construction, it sprang into action and made the 3.5 hour drive to help get the job done.

ANSWERING THE CALL

The middle school renovation project was expected to be completed on time, ahead of the 2024 school year in September. A 58,000 square foot expansion and additional 50,000 square foot remodel of the school’s auditorium, cafeteria, kitchen, and offices was set to accommodate an additional 500 students. When the original contractor did not have sufficient labor, Todd VerNess, Egan’s Southern Minnesota Business Group Manager, received a call on a Tuesday evening from General Contractor and long-time partner, Knutson Construction.

For the rest of the evening, Todd went to work with Jason Tentis, Egan Company Senior Project Manager, to find a solution and provide electricians to help keep the project on schedule. The following morning, Egan sent a crew down to Coralville to supplement the local electrician and ensure the project was completed on time. 

Egan’s team of electricians worked diligently, putting in extra hours to make sure everything was completed properly, safely, and on schedule. Thanks to the extra support on short notice, the school doors opened on time, welcoming students and staff for another great year. 

As I was walking the jobsite on Wednesday and Thursday – seeing the Egan trucks in the parking lot – I was humbled by the partnership we have with Egan. No matter the situation, your team is always there to help. It was incredible!

Tom Leimer, Senior Vice President at Knutson Construction

Every project Egan is involved in receives the same dedication and commitment to collaboration and excellence. Egan’s people-driven philosophy and relationship-based approach has helped hundreds of projects reach their goals, and has laid a strong foundation for future success and partnerships.

Calling on Trusted Relationship Amid Sudden Loss of Power

Monday, November 14th, 2022

At 5 a.m. on a Monday, an office tower in Brooklyn Park, Minn. experienced a complete loss of power. The culprit? Exterior bus duct corroding over time later leading to an explosion at the site, cutting all power to the building. With various tenants soon to be occupying the building that day, the property manager, MetroPlains Management, made quick decisions when it came to a reliable solution to the problem. 

Enter: Egan Company.

As a long-time customer, MetroPlains properties across the Twin Cities have been cared for by Egan employees for years. MetroPlains Management Property Manager, Jason Sklar shared, “Egan has been our primary partner for years for routine day-to-day work and significant tenant build outs in office buildings.” Having this established relationship to rely on made decision-making easy when facing this complex issue.

“Late this summer, one of our office buildings had a major power outage that damaged main feeder lines as well as the primary transformer, disrupting power to the entire building. Egan Company, with Project Manager Brent Fritz and a highly skilled trades team, came to the rescue. They had a crew on site immediately and worked with Xcel Energy to plan a temporary fix and install new transformers and temporary feeder lines. Fritz was onsite managing the crisis to ensure we had the best crew working on the problem. Working hand-in-hand with Xcel Energy, our building was back up and running the same day, much to our tenants delight,” explains Sklar.

Owning the Challenge

While the temporary solution was able to tide the building over, the team quickly worked to create a long-term solution with property safety in mind. Once the plan was in place, the work was executed swiftly by Egan electricians. The facility was switched from temporary generators to the permanent system before tenants returned the next day.

“Now our office building is better than ever with updated electrical systems. Egan has ‘owned the challenge’ of taking care of their customers when they need it the most. Thanks to this highly skilled team!” said Sklar.

At Egan, it’s our goal to not only aid in large scale, planned needs and updates, but also to have our customers’ backs in emergency situations. “Owning the challenge” means ensuring that the job is done right, and done safely – every time. According to Sklar, “Fritz continued to work with our property management team throughout to aid in the process of insurance claims adjusters in order to effectively restore our lost infrastructure.” Our response means seeing the project through, from start to finish.

“When it comes to field leaders like Deland Croze, I have the utmost confidence in their ability to make and carry out the best plan of attack.” Brent Fritz, Egan Company Project Manager, reflects. “With the outcome of the project in hands as capable and experienced as Croze’s, this project was sure to be completed accurately and on-time.” 

What could have resulted in a costly, extended process was streamlined by one simple rule: a strong partnership.

(The Egan team on the project included: Brent Fritz, Deland Croze, Valdemar Scherer, Chad Hughes, and John Tupy).

Chairman Duane Hendricks Recognized by National Electrical Contractors Association

Tuesday, November 8th, 2022

As part of Egan Company’s commitment to the ever-changing industry, employees stay actively involved with NECA, the National Electrical Contractors Association. According to NECA, electrical contractors count on NECA to deliver the resources that help them make better business decisions, provide excellent customer service, and take advantage of innovative technology. One of the many ways NECA is “the voice of the electrical construction industry” is through regional and national meetings. 

Earlier this month, Egan Chairman of the Board, Duane Hendricks, was honored as an inductee into the Academy of Electrical Contracting. One of the highest honors in the industry, Fellows for the Academy of Electrical Contracting are chosen based on the contributions they’ve made to the association and the greater industry. Having spent years in various leadership positions of the NECA Minneapolis Chapter, Hendricks is still involved in his retirement. 

“This came as a huge surprise to me as inductees don’t apply, but rather are secretly nominated and put through a 2-year review and acceptance process. It’s a great honor to be selected into this group of highly distinguished individuals who were selected for their commitments and contributions to the industry. It truly was a surprise and pleasure to be recognized for my commitment to the industry as I’ve never worked for an award, but instead I always provided help where there was a need, with the hope of leaving the industry in a better place,” stated Hendricks.

Eight inductees were installed on Sunday, October 16, 2022 at the Opening Session of the NECA Annual Convention in Austin, Texas. When asked what he is looking forward to, Hendricks said “as a member of this group, I will continue to participate in industry studies and am looking forward to helping improve our industry for the future while networking with others.”

Finalizing the Iconic Gateway Project

Monday, January 24th, 2022

9,873 pieces of glass. 5,491 unitized frames. 300 full semi trucks delivering the unitized frames to the jobsite. A landmark location and historic project for Egan’s InterClad team. Egan’s largest completed project to date: the Gateway tower.

This new construction skyrocketed through the Minneapolis skyline topping off at 37-stories on the iconic corner of Washington and Hennepin. The mixed-use tower will provide retail, office, and hotel/residence space, with tenants including RBC Wealth Management, the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Minneapolis, Pohlad Companies, Carousel Motor Group, and United Properties. 

Right before the holidays, the InterClad crew was able to have a celebratory signing of the last frame that was set on the building. A ceremonial Christmas tree can be seen affixed to the top of the frame before it was raised up as part of the Ironworker, Glazier, and Glassworker tradition when completing a project. 

It [the topping off ceremony] was an exciting moment for the crew and myself to see how far the project has come,” said Egan Senior Project Manager Deb Linquist. “I want to personally thank everyone involved in the project since this couldn’t have been done without them!

Read more about the Gateway project >

Built on Hard Work And Doing The Right Thing

Tuesday, November 30th, 2021

Impact of CEO Duane Hendricks

Always going the extra mile: a true testament to the hard work, perseverance, and dedication showcased by Egan Company CEO Duane Hendricks. Now, after 19 years with Egan (four of which were spent as President & CEO) and four decades in the industry, Hendricks will retire from his role in February 2022. 

HARD WORK FROM START TO FINISH

As you can imagine, the construction industry that awaited Hendricks 40 years ago looked worlds different than it does today. Changes loomed at every corner and Hendricks had a front row seat for it all, from the betterment of work environments to new technologies like the revolutionary introduction of the battery drill. While providing a very firm foundation for his career, this was only the beginning. 

Hendricks grew up in Motley, Minn. and started working at an early age, quickly developing a strong interest in working with his hands. Upon graduating high school, he jumped into the trades as an electrical apprentice with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, quickly working toward master electrician.

During these early years in the field, Hendricks established a key strength: an unmatched work ethic. He shares, “I developed a strong work ethic at a young age because I was surrounded by high energy people and I always enjoyed what I did, so the work came easy for me.” 

With his drive and determination in one hand and his passion for the electrical industry in the other, it comes as no surprise that Hendricks was prominently positioned for leadership opportunities in the field. He was known to have upheld extremely high standards for those he managed, but that was in turn consistently reflected in their work.

Hendricks adds, “I was fortunate to have success through many opportunities. I’ve had great mentors, a supportive wife, family, and the grace of God as I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone with the drive to succeed . . . and I’ve done the same for others.” 

His success on jobsites was reflected in advancements in the office as a project manager. He describes this transition as the first pivotal moment in his career. But, it didn’t come with ease. At the time, Hendricks was working for Comm-Tech Electrical, formerly located in Plymouth, Minn. Hendricks lists the first year transitioning from the field to the office as one of the most difficult changes. He was extremely passionate about working with his hands and had to learn how to pour this passion into his new role. From there, he became a co-owner of Comm-Tech, which was later acquired by Egan Company. 

“My professional career has gone way beyond what I had ever planned or expected,” shares Hendricks. “Every day, I’m honored to work with—and to have worked with—all the great people at Egan Company.”

From overseeing the industrial/process controls business to all of Egan’s electrical groups as Executive Vice President to later leading as COO and then CEO – the rest is history. 

DOING THE RIGHT THING

With 40 years of construction industry experience under his belt, he has led Egan through difficult circumstances. Hendricks’ biggest piece of advice?: “To work hard, always do the right thing, treat everyone with respect, stay focused, and never stop learning. Treat others the way you want to be treated and be a good listener.” His legacy is rooted in his deep investment in the trades, the industry, and ensuring that the right decisions are made to meet the needs of employees and customers.

Throughout his pronounced career, Hendricks always made a point to build up and develop individuals in the workforce. He believes in creating opportunities for individuals to step into new roles while providing them with the guidance, resources, training, and support to succeed. This bleeds into the importance he places on mentorship and opening doors for others.

“Life is full of opportunities, it’s all about how you respond to them. It’s critical that you look for smart, humble, hungry candidates with related training and/or experience . . . people that are intellectually smart, work well with others, and are willing and eager to learn. Those are the kinds of people who are able to build your company.”

His innate desire to do the right thing goes far beyond Egan itself, spending time in a number of different leadership roles throughout his career including serving as National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Minneapolis President and Governor, a member of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) board, Minnesota State Board of Electricity Chair, and as a member of the Construction Codes Advisory Council. 

With hard work and perseverance, Hendricks lists his biggest accomplishments as 40 years of marriage with his wife Linda (who has also spent the last 19 years as an Egan employee), two children, and three grandchildren. As he enters into this next season of his life, Hendricks is looking forward to a variety of different things, with the top priority being spending time with his grandsons. He also looks forward to building a new workshop, his river home, traveling with Linda, and many outdoor activities throughout the year.

VISION FOR EGAN LEADERSHIP

Hendricks’ role in implementing and improving the current operational processes within Egan will further his legacy for years to come. He’ll remain with Egan as Chairman of the Board, sharing his support and guidance toward long-term success of the company as well as the promise of a great place to work.

At the forefront of this leadership succession, current President James Ford will step into the role of President & CEO in February. Since joining Egan in 2017 as Chief Financial Officer, Ford has worked alongside Hendricks in pursuit of providing the highest level of customer care across the board. 

“I am confident that Egan will continue to flourish with Ford at the reins,” states Hendricks. “Egan Company is in a great position for this transition.”

The leadership provided by Duane Hendricks will impact Egan Company for years to come – we’re immensely grateful for the years he poured into not only the business, but every Egan employee for the past 19 years.

A+ Testing for InterClad’s Curtainwall Systems

Monday, January 4th, 2021

Quality assurance is a promise Egan Company continues to provide customers on every project from every team and business offering. From placing that last electrical plate over an outlet to testing the integrity of a building façade, Egan will ensure the utmost quality on everything we construct, install, or remodel. 

Recently, Egan’s curtainwall system manufactured by Erie Architectural Products for the Essentia Health Vision Northland project in Duluth, Minn., underwent a series of performance tests to ensure even the toughest environmental elements wouldn’t compromise the integrity of the system. Over the course of two full testing days and an additional week in -30 degree weather conditions, a full size mockup section of the system had to pass 17 performance tests before any of the 2,700 units (almost 200,000 square feet) of curtainwall could be installed on the project. 

An airtight chamber was constructed on one side of the curtainwall system. The first tests completed are the Static Air Infiltration and the Static Water Penetration tests. These set a baseline for all additional tests, and both of these tests are completed after every round of testing to ensure the performance has not been affected. If either of the tests were to fail, the entire testing process would need to start over. 

All curtainwall systems installed on any Egan project undergo field testing to assess proper installation. A lab test is unique and is typically conducted when the curtainwall system is custom-designed and fabricated for the job. This project, for Essentia Health located in Downtown Duluth, has very stringent structural and thermal requirements which necessitated the lab tests be performed prior to starting the project. The project is a $900M hospital tower, clinic, and outpatient center that will add approx. 942,000 sq. ft. to Essentia Health’s Duluth campus. 

Additional tests that the system had to pass included air from a large wind generator directed at the curtainwall as water is sprayed; this is the Dynamic Water Penetration test. Other tests that focus on the structural design and movement, both vertically and horizontally, place additional stress on the system. Finally, the lab created a temperature simulation in the airtight chamber that lowered the ambient temperature to -30 degrees; the crews were unsure if they’d be able to sustain the extreme temperature requirements since this is 10 degrees lower than a standard test. Thankfully,  the curtainwall system passed all performance tests and installation on the project can proceed as planned.

The curtainwall unit went through extreme conditions, not only extreme weather conditions, but structural and movement testing as well,” said Ryan Woodruff, Egan Company Vice President and InterClad Business Leader. “It was great to see our curtainwall pass all performance tests and solidify that we install some of the best curtainwall products in the Midwest.

Curtainwall performance tests included:

  1. Static Air Infiltration Test
  2. Static Water Penetration Test
  3. Dynamic Water Penetration Test
  4. Uniform Structural Design Load Test
  5. Repeat Static Air Infiltration Test
  6. Repeat Static Water Penetration Test
  7. Interstory Differential Horizontal Movement Test
  8. Repeat Static Air Infiltration Test
  9. Repeat Static Water Penetration Test
  10. Interstory Differential Vertical Movement Test
  11. Repeat Static Air Infiltration Test
  12. Repeat Static Water Penetration Test
  13. Thermal Cycling Test
  14. Repeat Static Air Infiltration Test
  15. Repeat Static Water Penetration Test
  16. Building Maintenance Equipment Load Test
  17. Uniform Structural Overload Test

Reflecting on 75 years as a local commercial contractor

Tuesday, December 29th, 2020

There’s craftsmanship in the trades. A plan comes to life. A team creates a piece of history. This is why we love what we do. Working with customers. Taking care of every detail. Leading the way. Insisting on safety. Keeping promises. All to ensure every single project is seamless. We do it with passion, we do it with pride, we do it for each other. One for all—one source.

Joseph Egan with sons Bill and Costney

The story of Egan Company is one of grit and growth. Before our 12 trades, nearly 1,000 employees, and countless customers, there was one man in a single room pipe shop on the Northern Minnesota Iron Range. In 1905, Joseph Egan was ready to put his dreams into motion. While his new business slowly grew, the country and the world were unsettled. Change was coming, war was on the horizon, building materials were short, and enlisting was the expectation. The small business would eventually have to wait. After ebbing and flowing for decades between serving our country and raising a family, the dream of running a business full-time was restored. And in 1945, as World War II was ending, Joseph and his sons used $3,000 and opened their doors in the Twin Cities. Egan and Sons Plumbing and Heating Company was officially founded.

Innovators by nature, the mission of our founders is still very much a part of today – delivering high-quality craftsmanship and innovative solutions while upholding the promises we make to our customers. This framework has helped us grow, kept us safe, and has played a fundamental role in the tens of thousands of projects we’ve touched in our community, across Minnesota, and throughout the greater Midwest.

Seventy-five years later, we too are navigating an unsettling landscape. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought us great challenges, but also a new perspective and much progress. In many areas of our lives, disruption has been inevitable. But we’ve held onto that disruption as an opportunity to build for the future by slowly evolving our business to strengthen and get lean, elevate the customer experience, and drive steady growth. We’re experiencing a time in history that’s required flexibility and pivots to meet the needs of our customers and communities—as well as maintain the health and safety of our employees and their families.

We want to thank you for being a part of the Egan Company family. It’s because of you, we love what we do. Cheers to 75 years! 

Dig into history further by walking through an interactive timeline >>