Mandel Group hosted a contractor appreciation reception to celebrate the wrap of Crescent Apartments located adjacent to the Milwaukee County Research Park in Wauwatosa. The multifamily space is already 90% leased and displays Mandel’s forward thinking in providing quality housing options in non-traditional residential markets. We are honored to have served as construction manager on this innovative project and could not be more pleased with the final product.

The Forest County Potawatomi Community Center scope of work is complete as the team prepares for final turnover to the Tribe. In recognition of this concluding milestone, the FCP hosted a contractor appreciation reception. It was a day of recognition for the 193,834-man hours worked and recognition the zero recorded lost hours. The open house began at 10am followed by speakers from each of the project stakeholders. The ceremony concluded with a prayer followed by lunch served by the Tribe. The remainder of the day was for trade contractors to utilize and tour the new facility with their families. We are incredibly proud of our project team for managing such a complex and long-term project that will have a profound impact on the betterment of the Potawatomi Tribe. We invite you to view the video for a deeper understanding of the Community Center’s impact by watching this video.

This month, we had the pleasure of presenting the donations collected for our First Nations Back to School Gift Card & Supply Drive. This is the fifth year that Greenfire has supported the First Nations Studies (FNS) program, which is an academic program funded through the Milwaukee Public Schools system that provides services at schools with concentrations of First Nations students. We would like to thank our Greenfire family, all our neighbors on the Wgema Campus, our local community, and FNS Coordinator, Richanda Kaquatosh, for making this drive a great success. Together we raised over $1,100 in gift cards and donations along with three boxes of supplies to donate. It is with your generosity will that we are able to help numerous students and families in the region and we are grateful that impact in the lives of others. Together, we are making a positive difference.

The Oshkosh Food Co-op is officially open. Located on the ground level of the recently completed Brio, the 10,000 SF co-op is a full-service grocery store and the first of its kind in northeastern Wisconsin.

The co-op operates as a cooperative, member-owned business, where shoppers buy locally sourced produce that ultimately leads to reinvestment back into the community.

Construction on the co-op began November 2020 with a four-inch slab on grade and the structural steel envelope complete three weeks later. Build-out of the space began in mid-March with rough MEP and steel stud wall framing. Sheet rock began in early May with painting and equipment installation complete at the end of May. On a four-month schedule, Greenfire turned over the project in late June, one month prior to the July Grand Opening.

Greenfire served as the construction manager on the Brio and Oshkosh Food Co-op. Contracts for each project were held separately by their respective owners which meant each project was dependent upon the other. In order to complete the simultaneous build of each project, the team employed many of the same subcontractors. This strategy improved site efficiency, minimized risk, and ultimately maintained critical project schedules.

We would like to thank Oshkosh Food Co-op for selecting Greenfire as the construction manager on this transformational project. Thomas Sugar Designs, located in Fond du Lac, is the architect. The Greenfire team includes Kevin Hansen, sr. project manager, and Paul Kaare, superintendent. We are incredibly proud of our team for their resourcefulness, dedication, and expertise that made this project a success.

The Forest County Potawatomi Community Center is in the last few weeks of construction. The project  is nearly complete as the team puts on the finishing touches. Final landscaping work wraps up next week along with majority of bleacher installation. The team expects the letter of substantial completion by mid-August with turnover to follow shortly after. The team maintained the original schedule, which is a testament to the leadership, coordination, and resolve of the project team especially with the majority of construction complete during the COVID pandemic. As an expression of appreciation and gratitude from the Forest County Potawatomi, a subcontractor open house is scheduled for the end of August.

For the second consecutive year, Greenfire attended the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) 2021 Reservation Economic Summit (RES) in Las Vegas, NV. The mission for NCAIED is to provide economic opportunity for Indian Country and its entrepreneurs. RES is one of the primary ways in which NCAIED lives up to the mission – where all services and expertise are brought together for one week to build bridges of economic power with other tribal enterprises and corporate partners. The Summit offers breakout sessions, panel discussions on relevant Indian Country subjects, and a day-long trade show.

The Potawatomi Business Development Corporation (PBDC) was among over 200 exhibitors at the trade show. Together with Greenfire, Data Holdings, and PBDC Federal Group, our booth was able to connect with over 4,000 attendees and showcase the PBDC tree of offerings. We were fortunate to have representatives from each of the organizations to discuss how we support tribal enterprises through a variety of services. To best present all of our services, PBDC crafted a custom-built, 400 SF booth, delivering an exceptional impact on the trade show floor.

Through a combination of strategic trade show sponsorships and a strong presence on the trade show floor, RES 2021 was an effective way to further the Greenfire brand across the nation and Indian Country.  We thank Pepi Randolph, VP of Business Development, Kyle Widenski, Marketing Manager, and Michael Moe, Business Development Coordinator, for representing Greenfire at this national event.

Check out the latest from Greenfire in our February Enewsletter.

Check out the latest from Greenfire in our January Enewsletter.