Category: Fort Wayne News

How to Set Vision for the New Year

Mike Miller

It feels as though the year has just begun, and yet we’re just about to dip into the second quarter! This is a perfect time to check-in on yearly goals and see how they’re coming along.

For me, as I review both personal and team goals, my focus is always on the team first. For South Bend, my goal continues to be growing the Weigand “brand”. With not having a 116-year history like Fort Wayne, and not being as recognized regionally, I’m constantly looking for ways to increase awareness of our name. Some of these initiatives are strategic social media posts, community service days with a local not-for-profit, and using our new K-12 Scholarship Program in partnering with local school corporations.  

On a personal level, I remind myself to look at the larger picture. Each Weigand team member is busy dealing with the day-to-day whirlwind that we all live in. I can often get sucked into daily tasks requiring my full attention, and before I know it, a month or two has gone by and I’ve lost perspective. It’s important that I step back from time to time and remember the bigger goal. 

What about you? What’s important for you to keep in mind when you’re on the clock? Make time to gain context with your goals this year; it can help you reach them more consistently!

Mike Miller

Mike Miller

Business Development Associate

Exciting Ministry Unleashes Hope for Community

Raising Shovels for Hope

Bridge of Grace

Bridge of Grace leadership, donors, and committee members gleefully tossed soil with shovels in hand, officially breaking ground for the ministry’s new Early Childhood Development Center and Comprehensive Health Clinic this March. A piece to a bigger puzzle, the project is part of their “Hope Unleashed” Capital Campaign. The 30,000 square foot building will serve the Mount-Vernon Park and Pettit-Rudisill neighborhoods in Southeast Fort Wayne. Desiring to aide an overlooked section of Fort Wayne, groups from across the city joined forces and make this happen.

“We are just so excited. This is a monumental step to be able to have an early learning center provide quality of care for children; it’s just incredible. People here not only need these services, but also, they deserve it.”

Javier Mondragon, CEO and Founder of Bridge of Grace

First Step of Many

Bridge of Grace

“Hope Unleashed” currently raises funds in multiple categories such as housing, opportunity, progress, and education. As a result of the tremendous support shown for the community, the campaign garnered over $13 million in funding with a goal to reach $15 million by the end. In addition to the new facility, the donations cover home ownership programs, local business growth, park renovations, and more.

Bright Future Ahead

Bridge of Grace

Weigand is proud to partner with Bridge of Grace on this project. It’s an honor to be part of such an important job. Although this is just the beginning, we look forward to seeing the profound impact this has on Southeast Fort Wayne!


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Bridge of Grace

Ad Firm Finds New Home at EW

A Fresh New Look 

Ferguson Advertising

Ferguson is enjoying their second-story view from Building 20! The marketing firm moved their central operations from their old location on West Berry Street to Electric Works at the beginning of 2023. As with the rest of campus, Weigand was responsible for the renovations needed to prepare the Ferguson’s space for a new era of innovation and forward thinking. After experiencing sizeable growth, which has led to three times the staff size, and serving the team at Electric Works as a client, the leadership at Ferguson made the decision to relocate. They’re at the center of all the exciting things happening in The Fort with some extra legroom to boot!  

What’s There 

Ferguson Advertising

This 10,777 square foot restoration job features a sprawling, comfy space including: 

  • Open Office Layout 
  • Cubicles 
  • Convertible Meeting Room with Garage-Style Door 
  • Open Seating/Collaborative Spaces 
  • Separate Rooms with Additional Offices and Meeting Areas 
  • Warmly lit, industrial look paired with a touch of modern design. 

Making a New Home 

Ferguson Advertising

Our crews dedicated a balance of preservation and restoration with this project. Because Electric Works is on the national registry of historical places, particular elements of the structure had to stay the same as they were when the original building was put together. Some ways our team approached this were by installing the exact same windows that were used when General Electric was operating decades ago and keeping the warehouse overhead cranes. All the old materials were stripped out of the structure besides the supports, brickwork, and masonry. From here, any damaged or worn-down sections of the building were repaired, outfitted with new lighting, new access points, updated casework, and utilities. These processes created a new home for Ferguson Advertising to continue working with their clients for years to come! 


Ferguson Advertising
Ferguson Advertising
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Ferguson Advertising
Ferguson Advertising

CARR Workplaces Opens at Electric Works

Srwc South Entrance Exterior

Grow your business at your own pace with coworking spaces, executive suites, and conference spaces featuring a flexible lease concept

Just Arrived 

With locations represented in major cities across the country like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, D.C., San Fransico, and more, CARR Workplaces has now touched down in Fort Wayne! They’ve brought their innovative office spaces to Electric Works, with Weigand acting as the construction manager for renovations! They provide a plethora of affordable, flexible options that meet the needs of business individuals on the go!  

From Old to New 

Our construction teams worked around the clock to remove old material from the structure. They installed new metal paneling, drywall, interior and exterior storefronts, polished concrete floors, and a fresh coat of overhead paint to restore the space to its former glory! This once dilapidated building is ready to host visitors and locals alike for decades to come! 

The Office Perks 

At Electric Works, CARR maintains 32,000 square feet, 85 offices, and 3 meeting rooms. These rooms share the main floor and basement of The Forum. You will notice them as you walk through the entrance to access the rest of the campus. It is the perfect spot for any remote worker or self-starter who is looking for a change of scenery! 

Visit the campus and see for yourself!  


A Year-Round Street Market Comes to Downtown Fort Wayne

Fresh Market Goods 

The Union Street Market is the spot for fresh, local food and more at Electric Works! With Weigand heading up restorations in this building, there are dozens of different merchants to choose from and plenty of options to try and love. Located in Buildings 20, 20A, and 22, Union Street Market is also the new home of the Fort Wayne Farmer’s Market. You can enjoy artisan meals during the week and get fresh picks of produce on the weekends! Vendors are being added all the time, so be sure to visit and see what’s new! 

Looking Back 

Long before they were the site of the street market, Buildings 20, 20A, and 22 were the headquarters for maintenance, the phone department, the carpenter shop, and 10,000 IEUA transformer production. Each of these structures houses decades of history: 

  • Building 20 was raised in 1907 
  • Building 20A came in 1941 
  • Building 22 first opened in 1917 

This combination of shops, assembly lines, and storage space adds together a total of 44,328 square feet! That’s bigger than nine basketball courts grouped together!  

How it all Came Together 

Our construction teams took special care to ensure that everything was ready for opening day. Here are a few of the restorations that they made: 

  • Installed new flights of stairs 
  • Secured corrugated metal paneling 
  • Built out restrooms and other amenities 
  • Poured and polished new concrete flooring 
  • Assembled new kitchens, storefronts, and countertops 

By taking these steps, our crews completed renovation of the three buildings right on schedule! They took a section of structures over one hundred years old and turned it into a new place for the community to gather and thrive! 


1 Thing to Do When You Visit EW

Career Workforce In Field

The Campus Hub 

One of the first sights that welcomes you as you walk through the entrance of Electric Works is a vast, open space with dedicated offices, meeting rooms, a coffee shop, a taproom, and much more! Weigand Construction was responsible for revitalizing this space for future use! In short, this atrium is known as The Forum. From here, you can access all the various shops, markets, restaurants, boutiques, and other outlets that Electric Works has to offer! It’s located just north of the visitor parking lot, sitting behind the Amp Lab STEAM School and the GE Club. 

Where Do I Go from Here? 

If you go through the second set of doors towards the back of the Forum, you will step right onto the center of Dynamo Alley. This is, in fact, the main walkway connecting you to the rest of the campus! Perhaps you want to get some lunch at one of the many eateries. In addition, maybe you need to pick up some local produce at the farmer’s market. Which band is playing at the live music venue this week? What about going on a nice stroll through the beautiful gardens on display, afterwards?

Up to You

Whether you go left or right, you’ll have access to all kinds of goods and services, both local and national! After all, just depends on which way you turn. Come explore and discover what’s here for yourself! 


A Landmark Built to Serve Generations – Electric Works Opens to the Public

An Excerpt from Our December 2022 Newsletter

As we have secured our Certificate of Occupancy permits for over 700,000 square-feet of core and shell construction and are starting to move-in tenants like Do It Best, Medical Informatics, BSW Work Ready, Parkview, Carr Co-working, and Ferguson Advertising at Electric Works, I can’t help but think about the tremendous impact that this project has already had on our company, our community, and how it will affect the region well into the future. 

Through historic preservation, a mix of uses, and full-time active program management, Electric Works created an atmosphere where talent and businesses want to locate, stay, and grow. This environment, unique in the Midwest and the nation, is why EW is projecting over 1600 new and retained jobs in the first two phases.  

I am proud to say that over 90% of this project was performed by specialty contractors, vendors, suppliers, architects, engineers, consultants, and of course the hardworking tradesmen and tradeswomen from our Fort Wayne and surrounding communities. This represented 3,637 jobs during construction and the payroll to go along with it. The direct and indirect financial impact was $463 Million during construction and will be $548 Million annually. It is such a win for us locally knowing all these dollars stayed in our community and will be reinvested in some way. 

The campus will be a vibrant part of our downtown with innovation space, office space, retail, Union Street Market with over twenty-five food vendors, restaurants/brewery, live entertainment and much more. I am so proud that our company was an integral part of the success of this redevelopment project because it is truly a “Landmark that will impact the lives and communities we serve.” 

LW

Larry Weigand
Owner and CEO


Medical Informatics Engineering Brings State of the Art Technology to EW

Making the Move 

A tenant that has a history in Fort Wayne going back to 1995, Medical Informatics Engineering (MIE) has been a resource for healthcare information technology for years. They were one of the first developers to create software that could store and deliver patient information in the cloud. With a new location on the 5th floor of Building 19, MIE now provides state-of-the-art solutions in medical data management on the Electric Works campus! Their new section in Building 19 features office space, and a Virtual Presence Training Center. This area is dedicated to collecting data and developing software for future projects.  

Room Renovation 

Our teams performed several updates to the new office area: 

  • Added Overhead Roughs 
  • Built-in new Framing 
  • Installed Drywall 
  • Primed and Painted walls 
  • Put together Ceiling Assemblies 

These additions made the space feel fresh and new! It was completed just in time for MIE to set up their offices, move in furniture, and prepare their Virtual Presence Training Center for opening day. We can’t wait to see how MIE pushes more boundaries in the world of tech!

Do It Best Moves Out

Moving Day

Do It Best

With roots in northeast Indiana that go back more than 75 years, Do It Best continues its legacy of service, growth, and long-term improvement at its new world headquarters at the Electric Works campus in Fort Wayne, IN. Weigand served as the construction manager on this restoration project, renovating more than 200,000 square feet of the facilities to make room for Do It Best’s base of operations. The corporation is the anchor tenant of the EW campus, but it is only one of many different businesses that are transitioning offices to the Fort’s downtown district.

Amenities for Better Collaboration

Do It Best

Do It Best employees have access to the on-site parking garage that serves workers, residents, and campus visitors. Not only that, but they can walk right next door to the Union Street Market, filled with local vendors and restaurants, to grab meals, drinks, and more. The headquarters occupies three floors, featuring:

  • Large Conference Hall.
  • Class spaces with walls that can be converted into additional rooms.
  • Modern office layout.
  • Large windows that match the original buildout and create natural lighting.
  • Open-concept collaboration areas.
  • Flexible workspaces.

Do It Best staff are also able to go up to their own personal rooftop space, complete with gardens and a beautiful view of the Fort Wayne skyline.

Continued Growth and Development

Do It Best

The move was brought on by a desire to look to the future of the company and the region. By relocating their team to the heart of Fort Wayne’s innovation, the leadership sees opportunity to strengthen themselves for the years ahead.

“Being at Electric Works will help us be an employer of first choice, retaining and attracting top multi-generational talent not only from here in Fort Wayne, but also on a broader scale. It enables us to keep our roots in the community we’ve called home for 75 years, while at the same time positioning us for a bright future.” – Dan Starr, CEO, Do It Best Corp.


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Do It Best
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From K-12 to Construction: Dr. Diane Woodworth’s Story

An Excerpt from our Q3 Newsletter

My name is Diane Woodworth, and I serve as the Business Development Education Specialist at Weigand Construction. During my K-12 career, I was a high school mathematics teacher, school counselor, and principal. I also served in various roles in district offices, retiring as the superintendent of Goshen Community Schools. I enjoyed each of the roles I had in public education, as I believe good education can truly change the trajectory of young lives! 

During my career, I oversaw over $100M in projects utilizing a wide variety of delivery methods. At Goshen, a referendum was passed to build a new intermediate school as well as an addition to our high school. We utilized the delivery method known as CMc (Construction Manager as Constructor) to build these projects and chose Weigand Construction as our construction manager. I became a big fan of both CMc and Weigand during that final construction project before my retirement. It was the most transparent, efficient, and pain-free of all the projects I have ever been involved in.  

Every Weigand employee I met demonstrated high levels of honesty and responsibility. I was not surprised at all when I began working for Weigand to find that our company values integrity tremendously. I have greatly enjoyed being part of a team that continues to “Build landmarks that impact the lives and communities we serve.”

Diane Woodworth

Dr. Diane Woodworth
Business Development Education Specialist