EAST ALTON – Helmkamp Construction Co. had multiple reasons to celebrate at the recent annual awards gala hosted by the Midwest Council of the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) in St. Louis, MO. The ASA Midwest Council hosted 420 people for the 31st annual event. The award categories included General Contractor of the Year, Outstanding MEP Subcontractors, Outstanding Specialty Subcontractors, and Service Provider/Supplier of the Year. The ASA Legacy Award, and GC Field & Office Employees of the Year, were also recognized at the gala.

General contractors were nominated based on bid ethics practice, equitable contract/purchase order provisions, safety policy and practices, payment practices, jobsite supervision, scheduling coordination, subcontractor/vendor relations and administrative procedures/paperwork. The general contractor and subcontractor categories were divided into sub-categories based on sales volume. Helmkamp Construction won the 2024 General Contractor of the Year in their category.

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Rob Johnes, Helmkamp President and Owner, accepted the award saying, “We’re very proud of this honor because the criteria evaluated for this award is how our company operates in part of our effort to be the builder of choice for professional buyers of construction. If you work for Helmkamp, hopefully you know that we treat your employees like our employees. We look out for their safety, and we want our trade partners to be successful. If you’re not successful, we can’t be successful. If you work for Helmkamp, you can attest that it’s a safe, well-run job. We appreciate the relationships, we appreciate the award, and above all, we appreciate being a part of the industry and the hard work that the crafts put in every day.”

In addition to that accolade, Brandon Howard, a Helmkamp Superintendent for the last 18 years, won General Contractor Field Employee of the Year. He was introduced with, “Our award winner began his career 23 years ago when he joined the carpenters’ union and began working in residential construction. He then joined Helmkamp in 2006 and has worked with a variety of clients over the years. His first project as Superintendent was in 2008, which was a convenient care center for a major local health care provider. That project was a huge success and since then, he has managed many types of projects for Helmkamp across the country. He is currently the site manager at Bayer’s Chesterfield campus.

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His ability to sincerely connect with people and his ability to find the right solution for all involved parties is what makes him so deserving of this award. Of course, he is astute on the technical side as well, but it is his collaborative approach with people that sets him apart in his role.

He lives in Union, MO with his wife, Cassie, and their children Barrett, Bennett, Eden, Max, Jack, and Lexi.”

Howard humbly accepted the award saying, “To tag on to the nice words already said up here, I was raised to treat people the way you want to be treated. That’s kind of how I live day-to-day. Then I was lucky enough to join Helmkamp and learn there’s something called “the Helmkamp Way” and that’s what we do every day. I’d be selfish to say that I’ve accomplished this alone. There is an entire team at Helmkamp who’s had my back over the years and to everyone out there who voted for me to receive this honor, I truly appreciate it.”

The entire Helmkamp team celebrated the ASA wins at their monthly safety meeting this week where Johnes acknowledged everyone’s involvement in the company for having a part in the success.

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