AGC of MINNESOTA CELEBRATES THE PAST
AND LOOKS TOWARD TO THE NEXT 100 YEARS!

Our centennial year was filled with opportunities for our members to honor AGC’s 100-year legacy,
and now we look forward to the next 100 years!

Scroll down to view videos and see a timeline of
the history of the commercial construction industry in Minnesota.

View our online publication
FOUNDATIONS OF THE FUTURE | A Century of Building a Better Minnesota

For the past 100 years, AGC of Minnesota has been the Trusted Resource for the Minnesota commercial construction industry. We celebrate the rich history of excellence that our members have written in the structures and landscape of Minnesota, and now we look to the next 100 years!

This video, created for our "Construct With Us!" event at the Mall of America (January 2019), gives an overview of the 100-year history of the association and highlights the work of industry trades in our ongoing collective effort to inspire the next generation of construction workforce.

CENTENNIAL SPONSORS

1919-1929

1919

First chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America formed as Northwestern Association of General Contractors.

1926

Construction begins on the state-of-the-art Mayo Clinic building. When completed, it is the tallest building outside of Minneapolis at 17 floors. G. Schwartz & Co. of Rochester, an AGC Northwest Branch member, is the general contractor.

1928

The legendary Foshay Building project gets underway in Minneapolis, led by AGC Northwest Branch member Maurice Schumacher.

1930-1939

1931

Association name changes from Associated General Contractors of America - Northwest Branch to Associated General Contractors of Minnesota. Concurrently, the association is divided intothree divisions:

• General Engineering, which includes diversified contractors

• Building Division Contractors for commercial and industrial building

• Highway Division for contractors in highway construction

1937

The shortage of skilled workforce continues to grow and apprenticeship and training programs are developed.

1940-1949

1942

Minnesota construction volume: $21,623,000

National construction volume: $9,305,829,000

1944

The Federal Aid Highway Act authorizes funding for postwar programs to improve secondary rural and urban roads. Minnesota receives a federal appropriation of $12,210,000 a year for three years.

1948

After almost four years at a standstill, AGC of Minnesota’s Highway Division is given a report on plans for new construction and the repair of roads neglected during the war.

1950-1959

1954

AGC of Minnesota creates a new division within the Highway Division to be known as the Metropolitan Area Excavating Contractors Division.

1957

AGC of Minnesota member Industrial Construction Company of Minneapolis wins bid for construction of the new South St. Paul bridge over the Mississippi River. The $4.5 million four-lane bridge will serve as the central unit of the new Twin Cities freeway system.

1954

713 people attend the concluding event of the Annual Convention - shattering all records!

1960-1969

1960

Minnesota has 78.8 miles of interstate open to traffic with 73 miles under construction and 240 miles accounted for in engineering or right-of-way.

1962

AGC of Minnesota holds its firstFederal Contracts Conference to address the growing complexity of federal construction contracts.

1965

AGC of Minnesota member Hoover Construction Company is instrumental in expanding Highway 61 along the north shore of Lake Superior, applying their drilling and blasting specialty for mass rock and structure excavation for footings and foundations.

1970-1979

1971

Weis Builders, Inc. breaks ground on Rochester Square, an affordable housing development in Rochester.

1976

The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome is built at a cost of $55 million. The ten-acre, air-supported dome roof takes four months to build and collapses four times in the first six weeks after its completion.

1978

AGC of America creates the AGC Political Action Committee, making the construction industry just as politically influential as other major economic sectors, like healthcare and energy.

1980-1989

1981

TCF Tower, 100 Washington Square, and US Bank Plaza are built in downtown Minneapolis.

1987

The City of St. Paul celebrates the opening of the $20 million High Bridge. The general contractor is Lunda Construction Company.

1989

Mortenson Construction builds the Target Center in Minneapolis.

1990-1999

1991

PCL Construction Services, Inc. begins construction on the Mall of America.

1995

Led by an AGC of Minnesota initiative, the Minnesota Legislature approves a new workers’ compensation statute which allows employers and unions to jointly manage workers’ compensation programs. This develops into an alternative dispute resolution process for injured workers that dramatically reduces the time required to resolve claims.

1999

In a joint venture between Mortenson Construction and Thor Construction Company, construction of the Xcel Energy Center in downtownSt. Paul begins.

2000-2009

2000

Carl Bolander & Sons Company demolishes some high profile property on the East Bank campus of the University of Minnesota behind Coffman Memorial Union to make way for an $80 million project, including a 225-room dormitory to be known as Riverbend Commons and a six-level underground parking facility with 1,700 spaces.

2006

The long-awaited Crosstown Project is scheduled for a May letting, but the project financing contains some serious financial and risk complications for the industry.

2008

The new I-35W Mississippi River Bridge is completed.

Mortenson Construction is the general contractor on TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota.

2010-2019

2010

Adolfson & Peterson Construction reaches four million consecutive hours without a lost time accident. They are also one of only 12 companies nationwide named to the list of America’s Safest Companies by EHS Today magazine.

Target Field opens, marking the return to outdoor baseball for the Minnesota Twins.

2012

PCL Construction Services, Inc. receives AGC of America’s highest safety honor - Grand Award for ConstructionSafety Excellence.

2016

The $1.1 billion U.S. Bank Stadium project began with the demolition of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in 2014. This state-of-the-art facility in downtown Minneapolis opened its doors in July 2016. Several AGC of Minnesota members were involved in this award-winning, jaw-dropping project.

AGC of MINNESOTA CELEBRATES THE PAST AND LOOKS TOWARD TO THE NEXT 100 YEARS!

CENTENNIAL SPONSORS

1919-1929

1919

1926

1928

1930-1939

1931

1937

1940-1949

1942

1944

1948

1950-1959

1954

1957

1954

1960-1969

1960

1962

1965

1970-1979

1971

1976

1978

1980-1989

1981

1987

1989

1990-1999

1991

1995

1999

2000-2009

2000

2006

2008

2010-2019

2010

2012

2016

AGC of MINNESOTA CELEBRATES THE PAST
AND LOOKS TOWARD TO THE NEXT 100 YEARS!