As the 2024 Summer Olympics are fully under way, we reflect on our own Olympic-themed Fiegen Rally held this past March, our annual event to celebrate the success of the previous year and get excited as we anticipate all the opportunities ahead.

2024 has gotten off to a quick start for Fiegen Construction, and I would like to share some news.

Happy New Year to you all!

Fall Marks a New Season for Construction

Nature always provides a rhythm of order for me. As the days get shorter and cooler, the visual changes are happening, too. Schools are in full swing, I see more boats in driveways indicating the end of summer, hunting tags are being applied for and the farmers have begun the harvest.

Harvesting has always been interest an of mine. I’ve never run a combine, but the preparation, long hours, and risk/reward element of a farmer’s life reminds me a lot of our construction seasons. It isn’t always the case, but I typically find that commercial construction in the Fall always seems to be busier than all the other seasons. Maybe it’s the number of schools rushing to get wrapped up, the hurry to get things enclosed before the cold or the unexpected client that calls and wants to begin their project prior to frost and try to get enclosed before winter really sets in.

In any case, I notice an exhilaration in the workforce. Crews begin to put on their Carhartts or sweatshirts and get a break from the hot summer sun. I admire our employees for their ability to change with the seasons and adapt to Mother Nature.

Unlocking Potential: Developing and Attracting Young Talent

Between South Dakota’s unemployment rate below 2% at the start of the summer and our region’s continued growth in construction projects this year, you soon realize businesses need to do something different when it comes to workforce recruitment. The old methods of placing an ad in the newspaper, posting jobs online, buying space on billboards or promoting through radio ads just aren’t cutting it any longer.

Along with nearly 300 business and community leaders in Sioux Falls, we had the chance to hear from Bender Commercial at the annual “Market Outlook” event on March 2^nd. While the event always provides valuable information and interesting takeaways, the theme that hit home most to me was, “while economic uncertainty plagues markets across the world, there’s no better place to face these challenges than right here in South Dakota.”

Happy “frigid” Holidays to you all!

I’ve always loved Fall in South Dakota. The trees are changing colors, there’s no shortage of football games to watch and it’s always fun to start thinking about spending time with friends and family during the holiday season. Fall in South Dakota provides a great reminder for me to be grateful for my life in our state.  

With a state unemployment rate of 2.3% (even lower in Sioux Falls), workforce continues to be on the top of everyone’s mind. And if you’re not busy recruiting employees, you better be working hard to retain them. At Fiegen, we’ve worked hard to promote from within, utilize public/private partnerships and capitalize on great, available summer talent. With a busy summer and a steady pipeline of projects upcoming, we understand how important it is to find and hire great talent from a variety of areas.

We’re excited to kick off our first “Fiegen Shop Talk” email and appreciate the opportunity to share with you some of the what’s been happening at Fiegen Construction.

According to the Associated General Contractors of South Dakota, a commercial construction industry trade group, there are currently 24,000 construction jobs in South Dakota. Those jobs provide an average salary of $45,247 per year, and the current median age of a construction tradesman in South Dakota is 41.

“That last statistic is alarming,” according to Lucas Fiegen, AIA, Vice President of Fiegen Construction. “We already know we have an industry-wide labor shortage, but our current workers are aging out faster than new workers entering the industry.”

Lucas is a third-generation construction professional. An Architect who grew up in Sioux Falls, he has worked in the industry for more than a decade—working, among others, with his father, Jeff, and uncle, Rusty. “I serve on several boards and committees throughout our region and I am seeing all of these organizations naming workforce development a top priority for Sioux Falls and South Dakota,” notes Lucas.

Fiegen Construction was selected to construct new homes for two University of South Dakota (USD) Greek chapters–Alpha Xi Delta (AXiD) sorority and Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity. Both groups had outgrown their aging dormitories in Vermillion, South Dakota and would need larger facilities to welcome new students.

The Alpha Xi Delta chapter was established at USD in 1903 with the mission of inspiring women to realize their full potential. As membership grew, the sorority moved into a house at 214 North Plum Street in 1935. Since then, more than 1,000 members have called it home. When demolition of the old structure was performed in 2017 to make room for the new sorority house, members of the Greek community, USD administration and Alpha Xi Delta alumnae were in attendance.

“Rebuilding our house at 214 North Plum has special meaning for all of our alumnae,” says Chapter President Ashley Meiners. “This is the place where memories are made.”

Construction has begun on the new, 10,000-square-foot Sanford Clinic in Rock Rapids, Iowa. Following a groundbreaking ceremony on March 23, Fiegen Construction crews began site work in preparation for the multi-specialty medical facility. Project Superintendent Jayd Borman and Project Manager John Schaefer are working closely with Sanford Health and Architecture, Inc. to complete the clinic by Spring 2019.

Arguably one of the most anticipated campus events, Dakota Days is a week-long festival showcasing the University of South Dakota’s school spirit and athletics. Many of the events will be held in USD’s DakotaDome, located at 1101 North Dakota Street in Vermillion, South Dakota. Originally constructed in 1979, the University’s Board of Regents recently approved a $26.3 million renovation of the multi-sport venue. The Fiegen Construction team is proud to be involved with this project and are eager to begin interior renovations which are slated to begin in February 2019.

Funding for the renovation project came from three sources; the USD Foundation, USD capital funds and South Dakota’s Higher Education Facility Funds. The project has already commenced with the construction of the football team’s new outdoor turf practice fields (pictured below), which are located to the west of the Dome. Though USD is moving away from natural grass playing fields, there are benefits to utilizing artificial turf. Not only will the turf fields drain more efficiently, but the team will have more on-field time preparing them for conference games. 

Originally from Mexico, the Perpetual Adoration Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament made the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota their home more than 16 years ago. The Sisters spend their day-to-day lives inside the church, filling their time with prayer, reflection and community support.

Since 2002, they have lived in temporary quarters in the old rectory of the Cathedral of Saint Joseph. The Sisters have accepted new members since joining the Diocese of Sioux Falls and required updated living facilities. The Fiegen Construction team recently constructed a new chapel and monastery, enabling the Sisters to continue their holy work in the community. 

After five years of significant growth, Diamond Mowers needed to accelerate and expand their research and manufacturing capacity. The search for an appropriate facility began and a location in Sioux Falls was being considered. Unsure of the true condition of the potential location, Diamond Mowers contacted Lucas Fiegan, AIA of Fiegen Construction and sought the guidance of their facility assessment services. 

Diamond Mowers, founded in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2000, is the leading manufacturer of industrial mowing, mulching, and brush cutting equipment for the municipal, skid-steer, and excavator markets. Its products range from boom mowers and rotary mowers to flail mowers and forestry mulchers. In 2017, Diamond Mowers was included in the Inc. 5000 list which recognizes the country’s fastest growing privately-held companies for excellence in their industry.

Denny Sanford's name is on buildings all over Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Now, he has a building dedicated to telling his personal story. And, Fiegen Construction is delighted to have built this remarkable structure.

The Sanford House was designed to be a permanent home to capture the spirit and history of T. Denny Sanford and his singular achievements in giving back to the community. Supported by the private philanthropy of donors inspired by Sanford’s generosity, construction of the 18,000-square-foot Sanford House began in October, 2016 and was completed one year later. The total square footage of the building and associated amenities is 57,104 square feet.

The $6 million edifice and grounds today welcome visitors of all ages who are invited to explore dynamic displays and exhibits that illustrate the far-reaching impact of Mr. Sanford’s extraordinary generosity and his commitment to the transformative power of giving.

Cutler Law, one of South Dakota’s premier legal firms, recently hosted a wonderful party — the firm’s well-attended ribbon cutting on May 31, 2018. The event, co-hosted by the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, was a celebration of the official opening of the firm’s brand new headquarters on the fourth floor of the recently renovated Equity Trust Building in downtown Sioux Falls.

Located at 140 North Phillips Avenue, the building is a downtown focal point in South Dakota’s largest city. Fiegen Construction was retained for the project, which called for the renovation of 13,575 square feet of office space, including the entire fourth floor plus 1,475 square feet of space on the third floor. The $1 million project (not including flooring and casework) involved extensive interior remodeling and tenant fit-out for the respected law firm.

Have you ever wondered if a pre-engineered steel building is right for your facility expansion or new construction project? Fiegen Construction is a certified Butler® Builder with Career Builder status. Our clients have experienced the numerous intrinsic advantages of Butler Building Systems. With Butler’s design flexibility, various exterior finish options, and longbay structural systems that create large areas of uninterrupted space to maximize productivity, any industry can benefit from a Butler Building System. We’ve asked Jarrett Hallvin, Project Manager at Fiegen Construction, to better explain the value of partnering with Butler Manufacturing on your next project.

Over the past 50 years, we have built hundreds of structures—large and small—for manufacturers, commercial businesses, schools, medical facilities, and churches throughout South Dakota. And, because we tend to do more than one job for a client, we have the opportunity to see how well these buildings weather time, heavy use, and our South Dakota climate.

That’s why we made the decision to partner with Butler Manufacturing™ by joining the largest network of construction professionals in the world to provide our clients with the best steel buildings in the industry. We see many advantages to building pre-engineered steel structures, notwithstanding the unmatched durability and affordability that Butler Buildings offer. Throughout every stage of construction and over the entire lifetime of the building, our clients enjoy time- and money-saving solutions by using our design-build services paired with the Butler Building System. Here are just a few of the benefits: 

Congratulations to Huether Family Match Pointe on being selected as one of the top 12 tennis facilities in the nation by the United States Tennis Association (USTA). Fiegen Construction completed Match Pointe, a 47,000-square-foot indoor tennis facility located in Sioux Falls, in May 2015. Thanks to Superintendent Galen Van de Stroet, Project Manager Jarrett Hallvin, and Architect Koch Hazard, our team was able to complete construction in just 8 months.

There are many factors that influence the cost of construction. Some are obvious: land acquisition, permits and construction costs. Then there are the future costs or life-cycle costs to consider: maintenance, repair, replacement—the cost of keeping the facility and its systems up and running.

One of the biggest, most challenging, and rewarding projects for which Fiegen Construction was recently selected is the University of South Dakota’s Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

Fiegen Construction provided construction management services for the $55 million, 185,000-square-foot basketball and volleyball arena addition to USD's existing Dakota Dome in Vermillion, South Dakota.

This massive, high-profile facility, which opened ahead of the 2016-17 athletic season, hosts the men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the volleyball team.

After more than three years in the planning stage, construction has begun on a new headquarters for Gage Brothers in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Fiegen Construction will work hand in hand with Gage Brothers on the $40 million facility, which is slated for completion in January 2019.

Only Butler Builders who have demonstrated total competence in design and construction are eligible for this highest level of affiliation with the Buildings Division.  The Carrer Builder designation is a dynamic association within Butler - the holder of this award must continue to meet high standards of performance in these seven key areas:

Fiegen Construction Co. wins the AGC of South Dakota Build America Award for the fifth straight year.  This year, the Build America Award went to Fiegen Construction Co. for the Sanford Pentagon project.

Dakota Beverage Co. Inc. is building a nearly 100,000-square-foot warehouse and office that will bring all of its business operations under one roof.

The growing beer distributor has been working out of two locations for the past five years. Its headquarters is at 101 N. Harlem Ave.

Fiegen Construction Co. was honored to receive the Build America Award for the recently completed Sanford Fieldhouse project. The 88,500-square-foot Sanford Fieldhouse includes an indoor soccer pitch, locker and weight rooms, basketball court and baseball facilities, sprint track lanes, a physical therapy facility, as well as the Sanford Health’s sports medicine facilities and offices. Fiegen Construction Co. was selected as the design-build team for the new Sanford Fieldhouse in January of 2012. Construction began in March of 2012 and was completed in August of that year.