Builder of the Year - Wisconsin General Contractor J.P. Cullen Builds on History

John Patrick Cullen was renowned for his work ethic, at one time riding a bicycle 50 miles from Janesville to Mount Horeb to inspect a job under construction.  The founder of J. P. Cullen & Sons, Inc. (Cullen) - a Wisconsin commercial general contractor, which now has offices in Janesville and Brookfield - began a tradition in 1892 that is still honored by the contracting company today. The general contracting firm is the only one in Wisconsin to have earned the ISO 9001:2000 standard-of-quality certification, and is the only one of 10 general contractors nation wide to do so.

And with 11 decades of business under its belt, the company boasts a long list of completed projects, many of which are signature structures across the State of Wisconsin's landscape.  J. P. Cullen's construction success includes the University of Wisconsin-Madison Bascom Hall addition in 1925, the UW-Madison's Cancer Research Building in 1963, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection State Office Building in 1994, and the Risser Justice Center in Madison in 2001.

And that list continues to grow.  In the recent past Cullen created a joint  venture with Fond du Lac-based C.D. Smith Construction to form Cullen-Smith LLC and act as the general contractor for the $110 million Camp Randall Stadium renovation at the UW-Madison.  That project helped carry the football venue into the modern era by adding coaches' offices that look out over the field, audience suites, and other amenities. Just ironing out traffic concerns on the site made a major improvement, said UW-Madison Athletic Director Barry Alvearez.  "It's probably on of the best atmospheres in college ball," said Alvarez, who served as the team's head coach during construction years.

The project stalled for a while after the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, but it got back in motion about two years later.  Once in full swing, Cullen-Smith (Wisconsin Based General Contractors) scheduled each day's work around the school's athletic needs.

"They'd work all day and then have to button up so 80,000-plus people could come and enjoy the game," Alvarez said, "Talk about guys really committed to their work, to do the job well and around our schedule."

There were problems that cropped up along the way, of course, but the general contracting team of Cullen-Smith was quick and appropriate in responding to any issues, Alvarez said.  "Everyone is very satisfied with the work they did," he said.  The renovation project gave the Badgers a facility as strong as its athletic program, Alvarez said.  "We had the grand opening last year, and we had a reunion of former players," he said.  "We had 350 former players.  To have it all in place and to see our former athletes and alumni come back and see the finished product was very emotional.  I was very proud."

J. P. Cullen & Sons, a general contracting firm founded in 1892, has been consistently ranked among the top 400 commercial general contractors in Wisconsin and the United States and is the only Wisconsin commercial general contractor to have achieved the prestigious ISO 9001:2000 Certification.

Cullen also used its contracting expertise and respect for history to rejuvenate another landmark structure: Milwaukee's City Hall.The $60 million contract allowed the company to restore the exterior of the 112-year-old municipal building in a general contracting project that finished in December 2008.

The work required on the City Hall project includes repairing the chipped and cracked terracotta sculptures and designs, upgrading the 1,900  windows, and replacing the copper roofs on the City Hall's two spires.  The restoration and general contracting project also calls for repairing the exterior sandstone and replacing hundreds of thousands of pressed bricks.

The Milwaukeee City Hall Restoration Project put Cullen back in the international and national spotlights, as this was the largest historic resotration project underway during its rehabilitation. It's also one of the many Wisconsin General Contracting Jobs that led Wisconsin Builder to name Cullen the Builder of the Year.

J. P. Cullen & Sons, a general contracting firm founded in 1892, has been consistently ranked among the top 400 commercial general contractors in Wisconsin and the United States and is the only Wisconsin commercial general contractor to have achieved the prestigious ISO 9001:2000 Certification. But those accolades aren’t enough for Cullen’s 600 employees, says Corporatae Director of Marketing Tristan McGough. “We want to create buildings that stand the test of excellence,” he says. “Buildings that have substance and aesthetic longevity.” 

Planning a building project and need a general contractor? Contact J.P. Cullen today for more information.