Gage Brothers has been awarded the precast contract for the Monument, a new multi-purpose, indoor arena in Rapid City, S.D. The projected $130 million facility will replace the aging Barnett Arena in the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Gage Brothers was chosen by Minneapolis-based Mortenson Construction, who is ranked by industry publication Engineering News-Record as the 16th-largest contractor in the United States. Perkins+Will, JLG Architects and Scull Construction round out the project team.

“We’ve done a lot of work in Rapid City,” Gage Brothers president Tom Kelley said, referencing projects such as the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City Regional parking ramp and several residence halls for the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. “Gage Brothers has also had a really good partnership with Mortenson Construction over the years, and they’re familiar with our processes.”

Gage Brothers and Mortenson have worked together on several stadium and arena projects, including the USD Sports Performance Complex, Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, Target Field, TCF Bank Stadium, Tyson Events Center and the Target Center, which was built during two (1988-89) relentless Minnesota winters.

Gage Brothers will fabricate more than 140,000 square-feet of precast concrete for the Monument. Monument Health was selected from three respondents who submitted a proposal to receive naming rights after an extensive RFP process that began in December of 2018.

Rapid City-based Regional Health recently changed its named to Monument Health in a move that included joining the Mayo Clinic Care Network, and the naming rights for the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center will belong to Monument Health starting in 2021.  

The nearly 250,000 square-foot arena will be home to Rodeo Rapid City, Black Hills Powwow, Lakota Nation Invitational, and other sports and entertainment events. The facility will feature approximately 12,500 seats, a variety of experiential and premium seating options, additional social spaces within view of the action, and open and transparent concourses.

The goals of the project are to provide the community and surrounding area a building that has amenities they can enjoy for many years to come, as well as providing promoters with a venue that is functional, easy to use, and works with their show set-up. This includes a large arena floor, a minimum of 75 feet to the grid, an expansive rigging grid, minimum seating capacity of 10,000 for an end stage concert, a loading dock that can handle a 15 to 20-truck show, and a facility that is accessible for all.

The design plans call for 61,000 square-feet of smooth grey walls and slabs, 56,000 square-feet of stair tread and risers, 24,000 square-feet of insulated wall panels, and precast beams/columns. It will take roughly 110 days for Gage Brothers to manufacture the products in its new state-of-the-art plant in northeast Sioux Falls.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Monument was held on November 16th. Arena construction has already begun at the site, which is adjacent to the west side of the civic center's Barnett Arena. Completion is scheduled for the fall of 2021.

"Rapid City's time has come," Mayor Steve Allender said before the groundbreaking. "This is a great day for Rapid City and for the future of Rapid City. The Arena isn't the only great thing happening. There is something in the air. This is our time."

Gage Brothers has manufactured concrete products for more than three dozen high school, collegiate and professional sports venues throughout the Midwest. The company’s foray into sports facility construction came in 1957, when they produced concrete tread and risers for historic Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls. That was followed by the Met Center in 1966— best known as the home of the Minnesota North Stars.

Recent sports and recreation projects include the Kinnick Stadium North End Zone renovations, Great Shots Golf and the SDSU Stanley J. Marshall Center renovations.

Gage Brothers Concrete Products, Inc., was established in 1915 by members of the Gage family and after 103 years in northwest Sioux Falls has opened its new state-of-the-art plant in northeast Sioux Falls. Employee-owned since 2008, Gage Brothers will continue its proud tradition of creating lasting relationships and providing innovative solutions. Products manufactured at the Sioux Falls plant can be found in 22 states and close to 900 cities throughout the United States. The Midwest’s premier precast concrete company will surpass $50 million in sales this year.  

September is Hunger Action Month – a month where people all over America stand together with Feeding America and the nationwide network of food banks to fight hunger.

It’s a month to spread the word and take action against the hunger crisis, and Gage Brothers is teaming up with a longtime design partner to help the food-insecure population of South Dakota.

To help raise awareness for the 1 in 9 people who struggle with hunger in South Dakota, Gage Brothers will host a food drive in partnership with Architecture Incorporated to benefit the Feeding South Dakota Food Pantry Program.

This is not the first time that Architecture, Inc. and Gage Brothers have joined forces. The two companies have worked together on more than 150 buildings projects in the past 40 years.

“Hunger remains a major concern throughout the Sioux Empire, and we are proud to team up with Architecture, Inc., to help tackle this important issue,” said Gage Brothers president Tom Kelley. “We encourage our employees, clients, construction partners and local residents to show their support and help those in our community who are in need.”

Feeding South Dakota is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization, leading the movement to end hunger throughout the Mount Rushmore State. For more than 40 years, Feeding South Dakota has partnered with communities across the state to distribute food to individuals and families in need.

In 2018, Feeding South Dakota distributed 15.4 million pounds of food in the fight against hunger. Every single week, Feeding South Dakota assists in providing emergency food assistance to approximately 2,400 hungry individuals and families in South Dakota, while their BackPack Program gives food every weekend to more than 5,000 kids in Rapid City and Sioux Falls who otherwise might go hungry.

September marks the twelfth year the Feeding America network of food banks has organized this annual call to action and twelfth year that Feeding South Dakota has participated in the Hunger Action Month movement. This year the campaign will focus ending hunger, one helping at a time. This year, Feeding America is asking everyone to take action during Hunger Action Month. This September, they’re seeking 40,000 actions – a donation, a volunteer shift, a social media post – to end hunger one helping at a time. Every action counts: (HungerActionMonth.org)

Statewide, Governor Kristi Noem has issued an Executive Proclamation to reflect that Thursday, September 12th, 2019 is “Hunger Action Day” in South Dakota. This proclamation signifies the importance that hunger awareness has in all 66 counties in South Dakota and the support Governor Daugaard grants Feeding South Dakota to continue to feed those who are struggling with food insecurity.

Want to help? You can drop off nonperishable food items at Gage Brothers (2810 North Bahnson Avenue) until Friday, September 27. You can also drop items off at Architecture, Inc. (415 S Main Ave).  

Most Needed Items for Feeding South Dakota include:

Peanut butter & jelly
Canned vegetables
Canned fruit and fruit juices
Canned Soup
Rice, beans, and pasta
Spaghetti sauce

Direct Marketing News, a leading provider of digital and data-driven marketing news, has recognized Gage Brothers marketing manager Stephanie Pendrys as one of the top 40 marketers under the age of 40 for 2019.

Winners of the 2019 40UNDER40 Award represent the marketing industry’s most extraordinary, high achievers in the business, all under the age of 40. The list is cultivated by DMN’s editorial team and nominees must meet certain criteria to be considered for this prestigious award. The editorial team looks for innovation, impactful results and a stellar career trajectory. This year’s honorees include marketing executives and professionals from Epsilon, Performics, Terragon Group and LiveRamp.

“The honorees chosen reflect the best of the best under 40 in the industry,” said Kim Davis, DMN’s editor-in-chief. “Whether they’re revolutionizing their brands, or building winning teams and strategies, these are the marketers to watch.”

Pendrys joined Gage Brothers in 2015 and serves as the company’s one-person marketing department and “communications hyphenate.”

An early adopter of social media, she quickly established a robust digital marketing strategy while simultaneously cultivating a growing presence for Gage Brothers across the social media landscape. Gage Brothers’ Facebook following has increased tenfold since 2015, and the company has experienced much-improved engagement rates on its Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and other social channels.

“Stephanie developed Gage Brothers’ social media presence by insisting, sometimes with great persistence, that social content was the best way to share stories that convey the dedication that our team members use daily to build communities and provide valued solutions to clients,” said Gage Brothers president Tom Kelley. “As a result, our level of engagement with clients, our team members and the community has increased significantly—I can’t tell you how many times others in the precast industry have complimented me about our social media presence.”

He added, “but the biggest surprise has been how much fun it has been for team members to take part in these creative, sometimes silly, social productions. She has reminded us that it’s OK to laugh at ourselves.”    

Being named a 40 Under 40 winner comes as Pendrys’ second marketing honor this year. She received a 2019 Hermes Gold Creative Award for Electronic Media: Using Facebook to Showcase Company Culture. Other honors include a 2018 AVA Digital Platinum Award and a 2016 Excellence in Communications Award from the Society for New Communications Research.

“I get energy from challenging the traditional marketing rule book and am inspired by the opportunities being created every day in the world of digital,” said Pendrys. “I am honored to be featured on this year’s 40 Under 40 list alongside some of the most accomplished and well-respected individuals within the marketing community.”

Pendrys earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and English from Albion College (Mich.) in 2004 and a Master of Mass Communications degree from the University of South Carolina in 2006. She also holds an MBA from the University of Sioux Falls’ Vucurevich School of Business.

The DMN 40UNDER40 honorees will be recognized at an awards ceremony on a private yacht in New York Harbor in September. 

Additional information on award recipients can be found at DMN40UNDER40.com.

2019’s 40 Under 40 honorees:

Enrique Arbelaez
Co-founder and CIO, CIEN+ and Managing Partner, Culturintel

Tessa Barron
Senior Director of Marketing, ON24

Arthur Beavis
CMO, Hackster.io (an Avnet Community) 

Seth Besmertnik
CEO and Founder, Conductor (a WeWork Company)

Andrew Bolton
SVP, Global Partnerships, Knotch

Caroline Canty
Creative Director, Epsilon

Hayley Coxon
Senior Director, Brand & Digital; Conga

Zack Dugow
CEO and Founder, Insticator

Jami Eidsvold
CEO, Smarty Social Media

Aaron Evans
CEO & Co-Founder; Drips

Ben Gaddis
President, T3

Anneka Gupta
President and Head of Products & Platforms, LiveRamp

Ashleigh Hansberger
Co-Founder and Chief of Strategy, Motto

Amanda Hellman
Managing Director, FF New York

Kyle Jackson
EVP Performance Media & Content, Performics 

Joel Kaplan
Executive Creative Director & Associate Partner, M/H VCCP

Brian Long
CEO and Co-Founder, Attentive

Benjamin Lord
Executive Director, Global Omnichannel Marketing, CRM & Loyalty; NARS Cosmetics

Josh MacCarty
Director of Data Science, MARC USA

Christina May
CMO, Illumine8 Marketing & PR

Luke Mulks
Director of Business Development, Brave Software

Ryan O'Donnell
Director & Site Head - Digital Health & Innovation, Amgen

Nick Palmer
General Manager, ICON Fitness

Kelly Patterson
VP Corporate Marketing, Fluent, Inc.

Stephanie Pendrys
Marketing Manager, Gage Brothers Concrete Products, Inc.

Sophia Powe
Co-founder and Managing Director of The Relentless Collective

Formerly Content & Editorial Lead, Mercer International 
Marjorie Powers

SVP CPG, Stella Rising
Lindsay Rapoport

VP of Digital Marketing, The Corcoran Group

Elizabeth Ray
Senior Director of Client Experience, Movable Ink

Sara Robertson
Global VP, Product Engineering, Xaxis

Juliana Roding
VP Planning and Analysis, Horizon Next

Joe Root
Founder, Permutive

Evan Rutchik
CRO, USA, Ogury

Michael Sallander
SVP of Digital Strategy, Antenna Group

Maria Sotra
VP of Marketing, Geotab Inc.

Clint Tasset
CEO and Founder, Adswerve 

Alex Tshering
VP of Marketing, FIGS

Elo Umeh
CEO, Terragon Group 

Taylor Williams
Senior Director, Data Science, FullContact

Katie Wilson
Founder & CEO, TapOnIt

Laurel is one of the recent additions to the Gage Brothers drafting department. The Sioux Center (Iowa) native graduated from Western Christian High School before attending Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City. She studied Architectural Construction and graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science.

Laurel relocated to Texas in the 1980’s to find a job and settled in Plano, just northeast of Dallas. She has worked in the field of concrete for the duration of her career, from forming and shoring, to precast concrete. She moved back to the Midwest last August just in time for that long winter that never seemed to end.

Laurel lives in Sioux Falls with her mother and daughter, Tara. She enjoys working at Gage Brothers and living close to her family once again.

We're glad to have Laurel as a member of the Gage Brothers team!

Get to Know Laurel:

Q. Where did you grow up?

A. Sioux Center, Iowa.

Q. How did you get into this line of work?

A. I have always enjoyed drawing, so this was a logical next step for a career.

Q. What are you looking forward to the most working at Gage Brothers?

A. Learning new things about precast concrete and learning Revit.

Q. What is your favorite (or one of your favorite) things about your job?

A. Using Revit during the drafting process.

Q. What is your dream vacation spot?

A. I would love to visit Ireland, it looks so beautiful.

Q. What was your favorite subject in school?

A. Art was my favorite subject.

Q. What are your hobbies?

A. I enjoy playing on my iPad.

Q. What is your favorite movie?

A. Any film that was directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Q. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten?

A. I've eaten calamari, which was pretty chewy.

Joe Bunkers has been promoted to the position of Gage Brothers Vice President of Operations, effective July 1, 2019.

Bunkers has achieved ongoing success for Gage Brothers in his past leadership positions within both the quality control and preconstruction departments. Prior to this promotion, Bunkers served as Vice President of Preconstruction for the past six years. 

“Joe is an impactful leader within Gage Brothers, and this was a natural next step for him,” said company president Tom Kelley. "His disciplined focus on consistency in providing the highest quality precast products to clients while also fostering an environment of development and collaboration for all Gage employees makes him an invaluable member of our executive team.”

Bunkers joined Gage Brothers as a drafter in 1999. His quickly advanced at the company, and he transitioned to quality control in 2001, where he expanded his understanding of the on-site aspects of the precast industry and gained experience and a thorough working knowledge of Gage Brothers processes and products.

Bunkers was promoted to Vice President of Preconstruction in 2013, where he was responsible for all construction bids along with projects in the preconstruction phase.

As Vice President of Operations, Bunkers will oversee Gage Brothers’ drafting, engineering, project management, sales and production departments.

“With his successful track record of managing complex projects, we are confident in his ability to develop and grow client relationships and help drive market growth for Gage Brothers in our new manufacturing facility,” added Kelley.

 “We’re thrilled he’s accepted the role of Vice President of Operations.“

- Tom Kelley, Gage Brothers President

To ensure quality for Gage Brothers customers, Bunkers has achieved Quality Control Personnel Certification Level III from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI). He is an active member of the Leadership PCI Committee and immediate past chair of PCI's Architectural Precast Concrete Services Committee.

“Gage Brothers has been home to me for the past twenty years. Honesty, commitment to quality and a longstanding history in the region has made Gage Brothers one of the most reputable companies in the industry, and those are the things that keep me here,” said Bunkers.  

“I am honored to be a part of the company’s future growth and am grateful for this incredible opportunity to help take Gage Brothers to the next level as we continue to transition into our new manufacturing facility.”

- Joe Bunkers, Gage Brothers Vice President of Operations

###

Employment Opportunities

Gage Brothers is currently seeking qualified applicants to fill positions at various levels of the precast concrete engineering process. For a current list of openings available at Gage Brothers, visit our careers page here.

About Gage Brothers 

Gage Brothers Concrete Products Incorporated (gagebrothers.com) was established in 1915 by members of the Gage family and now employs more than 260 employees in its new $40 million manufacturing facility located in northeastern Sioux Falls. Employee-owned since 2008, Gage Brothers has a proud tradition of crafting a quality experience for our team and our clients by providing valued solutions. Architectural and structural precast products manufactured by Gage Brothers can be found throughout the upper Midwest, including projects throughout Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. The Midwest’s premier precast concrete company registered $45 million in sales last year. 

Please join all of us in giving a warm welcome to Jordan Twedt, who was recently hired as an Engineer for Gage Brothers.

Jordan joined our team last month after graduating from South Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. Jordan has previously interned with the South Dakota DOT and American Engineering Testing where he has performed site inspections, bridge inspections, and concrete testing.

Welcome to the Gage Brothers team, Jordan!

Get to Know Jordan:

Q. Where did you grow up? Tell us about your hometown.

A. I grew up on a small family farm near Hendricks, Minnesota. Hendricks is a small town in southwestern Minnesota best known for Lake Hendricks, the large lake it sits on the shore of which is also the source of the Lac qui Parle River.

Q. How did you get into this line of work?

A. I have always enjoyed building things, from toys and models as a kid to bigger projects with my dad and brother. This, coupled with an enjoyment of math, led me here to Gage Brothers.

Q. What are you looking forward to the most working at Gage Brothers?

A. I would probably say the variety of interesting projects that I will be able to work on or with others in the engineering department.

Q. What is your favorite (or one of your favorite) things about your job?

A. Well so far, I have really enjoyed the work atmosphere here.

Q. What is your dream vacation spot?

A. Anywhere on a beach by the ocean, that’s all I would need.

Q. What was your favorite subject in school?

A. I had a really fun and interesting science teacher in high school and he made all those classes really enjoyable, so probably science.

Q. What are your hobbies?

A. I enjoy woodworking, reading, playing video games, and spending time at the lake.

Q. What is your favorite movie?

A. Definitely the Avengers movie series.

Q. What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?

A. I would have to say octopus for sure.

Please join all of us in giving a warm welcome to Eric Schierholz, who was recently hired as a Project Manager for Gage Brothers.

Eric joined our team last month.

He has a variety of construction experiences— ranging from erecting grain bins, climbing cell phone towers, surveying, building bridges, and railroad track maintenance management. Eric has always been committed to safety. His safety achievements include Union Pacific Railroad’s lowest injury rate in its 150-year existence and serving as the safety lead during his bridge construction time.

Eric holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from South Dakota State University. 

Welcome to Gage Brothers, Eric!

Q. Where did you grow up? Tell us about your hometown.

A. Salem, SD. Small town of 1300 people. 

Q. How did you get into this line of work?

A. My dad has always been a handy man around the house and when I was growing up, I would always help on various projects.  When I was in college, I poured concrete during the summers

Q. What are you looking forward to the most working at Gage Brothers?

A. Good company culture, the people are very nice and welcoming. 

Q. What is your favorite (or one of your favorite) things about your job?

A. I like to interact with people and be part of a project that comes together on time.

Q. What is your dream vacation spot?

A. Egypt, I have always been fascinated by the pyramids. 

Q. What was your favorite subject in school?

A. Math

Q. What are your hobbies?

A. Golf, Camping, and Softball

Q. What is your favorite movie?

A. Shawshank Redemption

Q. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten?

A. Raw bird egg at a sushi restaurant

Gage Brothers has been recognized with a 2019 Hermes Creative Award.

The Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of traditional and emerging media. Hermes Creative Awards recognizes outstanding work in the industry while promoting the philanthropic nature of marketing and communication professionals.

The Sioux Falls-based company competed with international brands and Fortune 500 companies to secure a win in the electronic media category.

Gage Brothers received a Gold Award for its overall Facebook presence (facebook.com/GageBrothersConcrete). Specifically, the company was acknowledged for using the social media site to showcase the Gage Brothers brand and its employees.

“We are thrilled to be recognized for the immense effort that goes into sharing our story in the digital landscape,” said Gage Brothers president Tom Kelley. “I think our use of social media creates a sense of community within Gage Brothers, not only increasing engagement internally but also creating an attractive employer brand externally.”

Gage Brothers is dedicated to developing creative content and using social media to share stories that convey the dedication and agility that their employees use every day to build communities and provide valued solutions to clients.  

These efforts have helped cultivate a growing presence for Gage Brothers across the social media landscape. The company’s Facebook following has more than doubled in the past two years. Other electronic media accolades for Gage Brothers include 2019 & 2018 AVA Digital Awards and a 2016 Excellence in New Communications Award.

Hermes Creative Awards is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (www.hermesawards.com).The AMCP have coordinated and judged the awards for more than 20 years. Entrants contend for Platinum and Gold statuettes – wings from the mythological Herme's cap and sandals, elegantly etched to evoke the shape of the letter H.

Caleb Merrick was hired in June 2016 for Quality Control, he is now a Quality Control Lead I and will be transitioning over to the new plant this month!  You might recognize him from the Blink365 posters where he models perfect stretching form or as the guy in the plant who wears a Santa hat and Christmas tie around the holidays.   

When he isn't testing concrete and verifying form accuracy, Caleb enjoys playing pool competitively two nights per week, a hobby that he started when he met his coworker, John Akins here at Gage. He also enjoys competing as a runner, coming up he will be running a 6-mile relay in Minneapolis. 

Last year he ran the Sioux Falls Marathon (26.2 miles!)  He said it was long and tiring and it was not a good idea to work the next day. He had to train for 9 months for it and does not plan to run another marathon. Completing this goal was one of his Bucket List items.  Caleb's Bucket List is extensive: he would like to see the Northern Lights, take a hot air balloon ride, and has plans to go skydiving this summer. Some of the things he has already scratched off his list are scuba diving in Lake Superior and visiting another country. He took the opportunity to stay in the rain forest of Costa Rica for 1 1/2 months studying the topography pattern of leaf cutter ants and the paths they carve into the earth. He did this through the University of Minnesota where he majored in Environmental Biology Conservation and Entomology (the study of insects). 

Caleb has always been interested in insects, specifically ants and bees. They interest him because they occupy the same space as humans but in a very different way, he also enjoys how they have civilizations and even raise livestock. He documented his studies and was even published a few times.  

Here are some facts about Caleb:

• He HATES cheese.  Ever since he was a little kid, he has hated the taste and texture of all cheeses. He even eats pizza without the cheese.  He has NEVER even eaten a Dorito!
• Caleb does not have any pets, but if his building would allow them, he would choose either a tortoise or to rescue a dog from the shelter.
• Favorite Movie:  Tommy Boy, comedies are the best and he always enjoys a good Christmas Claymation.
• If Caleb could go anywhere, it would be Madagascar where he would study animals.
• His spirit animal (animal he identifies with the most) is an Arctic Fox.  He likes their personalities and how they jump in the air and bury their heads in the snow to catch a meal.
• Burger King is his favorite fast food restaurant and he is most likely having a Whopper.
• Cast as Horton from Horton Hears a Who, Caleb was the star of his high school's production of Seussical the Musical, though his singing parts were performed by someone else.
• Despite six years of piano lessons and being a percussionist, he never mastered an instrument and cannot keep a beat.
• His parents are his role models because, "they seem to be doing well."
• Favorite childhood memory: Going to the Omaha Zoo and going inside the Komodo Dragon exhibit and being allowed to touch it. He also fed the crocodiles. 
• In his Netflix queue: Daredevil, New Girl, the Office and Parks & Recreation.
• Most ridiculous thing that has ever happened to him: He thought he was going on a fishing trip with his friends, instead they took him to a friend's wedding where he had to DJ the event! He facilitated the activities for the night and played all the music. When asked how it went, he just replied that the couple is still married. 
• While Caleb seems to be a fun-loving, funny guy, he is a serious intellectual. He has plans to re-read his favorite books, Theory of Everything and Physics of Evolution.  
• Planet Earth is typically playing as background noise when Caleb is at home.  
• He believes the micro-chip is the most important technological advancement because it allows computers to process faster giving us more information.
• When Caleb says he listens to all music, he is not kidding. His current Pandora shuffle plays: Eric Church, Blink182, Mozart, swing, Scott Joplin, 80's rock, and Slipknot to name a few.
• If a movie was made about him, Caleb would be played by Ben Savage.  
• One thing that cheers Caleb up on a bad day is looking at pictures of turtles eating fruit with their little mouths. 

Show Caleb you read about him and think he is rad by bringing him his favorite beverage, an original Sunkist!  

Gage Brothers has added another award to its trophy case.

St. John’s Lutheran Chapel and Mausoleum in Columbia, South Dakota, has been selected as the winner in the Religious Structures category in the 56th Annual PCI Design Awards Program.

A widely regarded industry program, the PCI Design Awards honors design excellence and construction quality in buildings and transportation structures that use precast concrete. The program demonstrates how designers continue to use precast/prestressed concrete construction to achieve sustainable, cost-effective, resilient and aesthetically versatile projects.

PCI reviews notable projects by PCI certified plants across the country when designating this award. An independent panel judges the complexity, quality and innovation of each applicant.

The three juries named a total of 17 winners and 6 honorable mentions of equivalent awards, including a winner for the Harry H. Edwards Industry Advancement Award, a winner for the All-Precast Concrete Structure Award, and a winner for the Sustainable Design Award.

“These awards represent the highest achievement in our industry and are a testament to the dedication and teamwork of all our employees,” said Gage Brothers president Tom Kelley. “I’d like to personally congratulate the entire design-build team responsible for St. John’s Lutheran Chapel.”

Mekus Tanager was the architect of record for the $2 million project. Aberdeen-based KyBurz Carlson Construction served as the construction manager.

Gage Brothers produced 5,200 square-feet of precast wall panels and architectural and hollowcore plank (48 total pieces) for the chapel and mausoleum.

Situated at the corner of two county roads, St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery is a small local cemetery, and the new chapel and mausoleum building will be available to the local community for gatherings, memorial services, and to serve as a final resting place for church and community members.

A private client hired Mekus Tanager to design St. John’s new chapel and mausoleum building. The owner wanted a sustainable chapel with the look of a prairie church—a building that his father, a former town mayor who took care of the cemetery decades ago, would be proud of.

“We find it very gratifying for our clients and their projects to receive this kind of recognition from our peers, our toughest critics, who understand deeply what we all, as a team, work hard to accomplish."

Tom Kelley, Gage Brothers President

The use of precast made it possible to achieve these high-performance goals—the chapel resembles an old white church that was built by early settlers; however, it is a state-of-the art structure that honors the past and will last decades into the future.

The new chapel and mausoleum building are designed to minimize maintenance and last as long as possible. To that end, exterior walls are precast concrete panels simulating wood clapboard lap siding, with metal stud framing on the interior. The roofing is made of lead and was installed by skilled artisans from Europe. In fact, the lead roof is just the third of its kind in the United States.

The front canopy utilized precast elements to simulate a wood structure with columns and white precast truss features. The structure required load-bearing architectural finished wall panels to carry roof loading and in a portion of the structure, the walls also supported a hollow core plank mezzanine. 

Interior features include exposed heavy timber trusses, porcelain tile floors, and painted gypsum board walls and ceiling to create a bright yet tasteful environment. The building envelope is sprayed with closed cell insulation, utilizes a geothermal heating and cooling system, and is lit with LED lighting and fixtures throughout.

Other precast materials required for the chapel and mausoleum included a removable solid slab for a floor crypt and two thin walled boxes for wall couch crypts.

A grand opening was held in the spring of 2017.

Gage Brothers will accept the award at the 2019 PCI Convention and National Bridge Conference in Louisville, Ky., on March 1.

“We find it very gratifying for our clients and their projects to receive this kind of recognition from our peers, our toughest critics, who understand deeply what we all, as a team, work hard to accomplish," added Kelley.

A Legacy of Success

Gage Brothers is no stranger to the PCI Design Awards program. Here is a list of the company’s most recently honored projects:

2018 PCI Design Award
Honorable Mention
Government and Public Buildings
Minnesota Senate Building
St. Paul, Minn.

2014 PCI Design Award
Best Healthcare/Medical Building
Sanford Heart Hospital
Sioux Falls, S.D.

2013 PCI Design Award
Best Justice and Correctional Building
James F. Battin United States Courthouse
Billings, Mont.

2011 PCI Design Award
Best Stadium/Arena
Target Field

2011 PCI Design Award
Honorable Mention: Stadiums/Arenas/Sports Facilities–Craftsmanship
TCF Bank Stadium

2011 PCI Design Award
Honorable Mention
Rapid City Regional Airport Rescue & Fire Fighting Station

2011 PCI Design Award
Honorable Mention
University of Minnesota Science Teaching & Student Services Building