Animated Timeline

Through the years

Power transitions into Power Construction Company, shifting from power plants to general building work, from North Shore homes to commercial, hotel, and manufacturing projects across Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

Power Engineering Company founded

Late 1920s - 1940s

1926

Jerome Goldstein establishes Power Engineering to bring electricity to rural communities, setting a foundation of innovation and adaptability.

From power to buildings

Power delivers dozens of K–12 schools, including Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Latin School of Chicago, Proviso West, and New Trier West, and becomes a trusted builder for institutions like the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and IIT.

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Second-generation leadership

1950 - 1960

2013

2012

1962

Building Education and Institutions

Al Gorman, Goldstein’s son-in-law, joins the company, ushering in a new era of leadership and strategic growth.

new trier west

quigley preparatory seminary

the next 30 years

Power began moving beyond traditional hard-bid projects into negotiated work, establishing a strong foothold in the healthcare market. As our experience and expertise deepened, we expanded into new sectors—first building suburban hotels, then taking on landmark projects in downtown Chicago. This era also marked the start of lasting partnerships, including our enduring relationship with Loyola University Chicago, which remains strong today.

Growth and Diversification

advocate christ medical center

westin hotel

st. mary's of Nazareth hospital

Loyola University maguire hall

Al Gorman becomes Chairman and appoints Tom Settles—who started as a carpenter—as President. During Tom’s tenure, Power expands deeper into the downtown Chicago market with notable projects such as City Place, the company’s first high-rise, and the new Northwestern Memorial Hospital, then the largest privately funded project in Illinois, helping drive annual revenue past $300 million.

1990 - 2000

New leadership and entry into downtown Chicago market

550 w washington

hyatt hotel rosemont

northwestern memorial hospital

city place

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Continued strength amidst uncertainty

2013

2012

Jeff Karp becomes President and later CEO, guiding Power through a major economic downturn without large-scale layoffs while delivering two flagship projects: Lurie Children’s Hospital and the transformation of Rush University Medical Center, and leading the transition to a management-owned structure.

2000

early

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital

Rush Universit Medical Center Joan & Paul Rubschlager Tower

Roosevelt university wabash building

Astellas Headquarters

Mars Global Innovation Center

Throughout the 2000

Terry Graber steps in as President and COO, later CEO, building a leadership team that helps Power become a billion dollar company, expand into aviation with its first terminal at O’Hare, acquire United Insulated Structures (now Power Cold+Food), and deliver One Chicago, the tallest building in Power’s portfolio.

Continued Diversification

2015 - 2022

One Chicago

us cold storage hebron, In

O'hare international airport terminal 5

In 2021, Jeff Geier becomes President and later President & CEO, as Power expands into private student housing, data centers, and mission-critical work, grows selectively with developer clients nationwide, and surpasses $1.5 billion in annual revenue while remaining firmly rooted in Chicago.

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Power today

2013

2012

New sectors and national reach

Hub chauncey student housing west layfayette, in

oppidan data center

The arthur boise, id

THE END

100 years of Power

built for what's next

Celebrating 100 years reminds us just how far we’ve come—and how much more there is to build. The world keeps changing, and so do we, guided by the same core beliefs that have carried us through our first century and will propel us into the next.