Maintaining a Multigenerational Giant

Since 1979, Hoogendoorn Construction, Inc. has dominated the South Dakota general-contracting scene. Formed as a corporation by Pete and Connie Hoogendoorn and their nephew Arnold Kelderman, the family-run business has garnered a reputation for excellence in a competitive field by maintaining a dedicated workforce and keeping quality and customer satisfaction its top priorities.

Paul Maassen, Pete and Connie’s son-in-law, joined Hoogendoorn Construction in 1992. He spent his high school and college years working construction on the weekends and in the summer, and he also worked in agricultural sales for five years prior to his joining the company. “We developed a team of excellent employees,” Maassen says, “from laborers and superintendents to project managers and estimators—and maintain steady work throughout the year.”

The firm works on an array of different projects, including schools, churches, office buildings, health centers, water-treatment facilities, and more, and though Hoogendoorn rarely leaves the state for work—one of the perks of being the area’s most in-demand contractor—it will occasionally make exceptions. In fact, recently, Maassen and his team headed southeast to Iowa to design and build the Hawkeye Center, a $2.98 million mixed-use building located in Orange City. The center replaced the 1920s-era Hawkeye Hotel building, which was ravaged beyond repair by a fire in 2008, displacing a number of downtown businesses. The new facility features underground parking, retail space, and five upper-level condominiums that range from 1,250 to 1,800 square feet in size, overlooking the city’s beautiful downtown area, which will now have the opportunity to thrive again thanks to Hoogendoorn’s work.

Closer to home, the team is working on an exciting and diverse group of projects, one of which is bringing Hoogendoorn substantial local acclaim. The contractor recently was tasked with completing work on the Dell Rapids Public School, an elementary school in Dell Rapids, South Dakota. “The construction consists mainly of masonry and steel,” Maassen says. “It also includes four sections for each class—in addition to a gymnasium, full kitchen, and media center.”

The firm also worked on the Career & Technical Education Academy, a hands-on training facility for high school students in the Sioux Falls School District. The team used structural steel, masonry, and precast panels to create the structure. “The facility is used for teaching,” Maassen says. “They specialize in auto technology and mechanics, auto body, culinary arts, health care, manufacturing, cabinetry, house construction, media arts, and welding.”

The now well-known firm has grown steadily since its inception, and today it employs close to 40 people in various roles. Maassen believes the firm has been able to achieve such a high level of success because of its diligent work ethic and dedication to its clients. “We hope to keep hiring additional top-notch employees to improve customer satisfaction, productivity, and safety,” he says. “We also hope to maintain a high level of employee satisfaction and profitability. Our short-term goals have always been to maintain efficiencies, productivity, and profitability through the distressed economic time.” ABQ