The St. Louis Business Journal named The Korte Company one of its 2026 Best Places to Work. Awards are nice. Plaques look good on the wall. But being a great place to work isn’t about collecting awards. It’s about the people who make the work happen.
A good place to work gets built the same way a good project does. It takes trust, hard work and people who care about doing it right.
The Korte Company has worked that way since 1958. Our culture grew in job trailers, conference rooms and muddy job sites, one project at a time. Founder Ralph Korte put it plainly: “I’d rather drive nails than eat.”
What makes The Korte Company a good place to work?
It starts with one rule: The Job is the Boss.
Nobody hides behind a title. Nobody waits to be told what to do. Designers, estimators, engineers, project managers and superintendents all answer to the same boss, and that’s the job in front of them. Different responsibilities. Different expertise. One shared commitment to getting the job done right.
That’s why we like doing Design-Build projects. Everyone is on one team from the first sketch to the final walkthrough. Problems get solved sooner. People learn from each other. And the work gets better for it.
It’s more than a way to deliver projects. It’s how we work together.
The Korte Company offers eligible employees the opportunity to become shareholders through its company stock program, helping them build a personal stake in the company’s success.
Why does a stake in the company matter?
When people have a personal stake in the company’s success, it changes how they make decisions and how teams work together.
It builds pride in the work and a reason to build long careers here.When you have a stake in the company, you’re not just helping build its future. You’re helping build your own.
That stake gives shareholders added incentive to execute on every project and perfect every detail.
Read more about our company stock program here.
How do people grow their careers?
Good people want to know where they’re headed. We lay out clear career paths for key roles, including structured learning opportunities along the way.
New team members can join our job rotation program. They shadow teams on projects across the country, trying design, pre-construction, engineering and field construction to find the work that fits them.
Project Manager Brianna Ratermann is one example. With a background in architecture, she joined The Korte Company as a project engineer and grew into a project management role. Her career reflects something we believe strongly: good people should have room to grow, explore new responsibilities and find where they can make the biggest contribution.
If someone has the drive and the curiosity, they should be able to see what’s next and how to get there.
How are people recognized and rewarded?
When the team wins, they should feel it.
Construction is demanding work. Deadlines don’t care if you’re tired. Weather doesn’t ask permission. When wins are that hard to achieve, it’s important to recognize the people behind them.
Each quarter, our STAR Awards honor team members who live our core values: ownership, commitment, knowledge, trust and ambition. And when the company has a good year, an annual profit-based bonus shares that success with the team.
We also tell the stories of the people behind the projects, both on and off the job. You can check out their personal stories, like those of Project Executive Brian Taylor and Shawn Erdo, general superintendent of Las Vegas projects.
What benefits does The Korte Company offer?
- 100% paid employee health and dental premiums
- Flexible schedules where the role allows
- Hybrid or remote work when it fits the job
- Long-term financial growth
- 401(k), Health Reimbursement Account, tuition assistance and company stock program
People do their best work when they know their company has their back.
Who does this award belong to?
This award belongs to our people, those who ensure our success in the field and in the office. The ones on job sites before sunrise. The ones managing details nobody else sees. The ones reviewing plans, answering calls, chasing schedules and pushing projects forward.
The award may have The Korte Company’s name on it. But it belongs to the people who built this company, the people who keep it moving and the people who will carry it forward.
Since 1958, we’ve built a lot of things. One of the most important is a place where good people want to work.
Want to build your career here? See our open positions.
And if you want to build a project with us, reach out here.
