Careers at the korte company
THE JOB IS THE BOSS
Here, you have one boss, and that’s the job. We’ve designed, constructed and delivered over 4,000 projects across the country, serving small communities to cities that never sleep.
For us, respect and commitment are just as important as the concrete and steel. Passion is our legacy. It’s the part of us that stays behind—the promise of a job well done.
COMPANY VALUES
“I’d rather drive nails than eat.”
Ralph Korte meant what he said. He was so obsessed with doing a good job that sometimes he wouldn’t even stop to eat. That mentality keeps us grounded in our company values.
No matter what their job is, everyone at The Korte Company has that drive, going above and beyond to ensure success on every project. Because we love what we do, and we take pride in what we build.
- OWNERSHIP
- Take responsibility for achievements and failures.
- COMMITMENT
- Understand that every project’s success demands honest, hard work.
- KNOWLEDGE
- Learn from experience. Share. Repeat.
- TRUST
- Earn it. Respect it.
- AMBITION
- Turn every challenge into an opportunity with passion and enthusiasm.
PROJECT BASED DEVELOPMENT
Choose your path
Anyone can thrive at The Korte Company. All they need is a willingness to work hard and learn. Join our job rotation program to see all the directions a career at The Korte Company can take. Shadow teams on projects throughout the country and build essential skills across disciplines to learn what’s right for you.
- DESIGN
- Designers are involved from day one, helping customers carry their vision through construction.
- PRE-CONSTRUCTION
- As an estimator, you account for every nut, bolt, doorknob and light bulb to guarantee profitability and customer satisfaction.
- ENGINEERING
- Engineers are the link between our offices and job sites. You verify that what the designers propose can be executed by the construction team.
- FIELD CONSTRUCTION
- Get your hands dirty. You work on-site to ensure the job is done safely, on-time and on-budget. During construction, the buck stops with you.
Make your mark, leave a legacy
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Sam Klatch, the man behind the scenes
Sam Klatch had just gotten back from a Skills USA conference in Atlanta when the call came. Jason Weiss, The Korte Company’s Executive Vice President of Operations, said to come to his office.
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Megan Henschen, the problem solver
While Megan Henschen’s title is project controls assistant, her responsibilities extend far beyond that. She’s really in a role of her own as a go-to problem solver, handling everything from payroll to...
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Nicole Peters, the troubleshooter
Nicole Peters’ finest hour strikes when the phone at her desk rings and a Korte employee on the other end says, “My device quit working.” Not too long ago, a plea came in from a colleague who couldn’t get...
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Curt Horstmann won’t sit still
As a kid, Curt Horstmann was never a big fan of school — or libraries. “I just didn’t like books.” The irony isn’t lost on him, a member of The Korte Company’s Diversified Operations Group and the man in charge of...
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How Darlene Rutkowski-Hanks pulls it all together
When Darlene Rutkowski-Hanks became an architect, she knew she’d design residential houses and apartment complexes. With any luck, she’d work her way up to hospitals and office buildings.
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Mindy Keiser always knows where to look
Mindy Keiser isn’t one for snap judgments. And as an estimator, this cautious approach has always served her well. She’s worked on the corporate headquarters addition for Subsurface Constructors...
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For Alex Ayres, it’s not just about technology
Alex Ayres always thought he wanted to be an architect. “It started with LEGOS when I was five or six. That’s always been my interest: how things go together, specifically buildings.” His scenic hometown of Eau Claire...
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Stephen Tucker, a helping hand
Doorbells ring across Houston, Texas. Soldiers in fatigues stand at a safe distance. On the porches rest boxes of food. For months — in Houston and all over the U.S. — Army National Guard soldiers have been standing...
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Susan Bowman sets the example
CFO Susan Bowman is Ralph Korte’s oldest daughter, but don’t let that mislead you. Before coming to The Korte Company, she spent a few eye-opening years at a different family-owned construction company...
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Winding roads lead to the perfect destination for Eric Wolters
Eric Wolters wasn’t raised with a construction background. His father wasn’t a contractor or handyman — he was a commodity broker. As a kid growing up in Collinsville, Illinois, he thought he’d eventually run a funeral home like his uncles. But life is full of surprises...
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Ryan Bowman, Ralph’s grandson makes his own way at The Korte Company
Ryan Bowman was raised in the world of construction. That’s how it goes when your grandfather is Ralph Korte, the founder of The Korte Company. Ryan is the son of Ralph’s eldest daughter, Susan Bowman, the company’s CFO. Growing up near company headquarters in Highland, Illinois, he sold a lot of Boy Scout popcorn in the office...
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Grant Kueper, from black cat to construction management
Grant Kueper refers to himself as the “black cat” of the family. He was certainly an outside cat, and a natural for the construction industry. Early on weekend mornings, he wanted to go outside and get dirty building things. “It could be 20 or 100 degrees outside and Mom’s like, ‘I don’t know why the heck you want to go outside.’ But that’s just where I wanted to be.”
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The shared journey of Shelley and Barry Kauhl
Shelley and Barry Kauhl are a powerful team at home, but each has carved out their unique successful career at The Korte Company. They play key roles in The Korte Company’s leadership, with decades of respective expertise and dedication.
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Eric Kues: From smalltown roots to big-time projects
Eric Kues is a smalltown guy who appreciates a close-knit team. But that doesn’t limit the big things he hopes to accomplish with The Korte Company. He grew up in Bartelso, Illinois, at that time a town of 400 people, where everybody filled up at the same gas station and family gatherings were a Sunday tradition.
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Donna Boeing, office manager and work mom
Donna Boeing is a mother figure, at home and in the office. As an office manager, she keeps things running smoothly, assuring everyone and everything is in their proper place. And if anyone on her team is in need, she’s always fast to help. When she started, she didn’t know much about being an office manager, or running a print room or helping architects layout their spec books.
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Vikki Hackett, the organizer
They’re not afraid to let you know that they appreciate you. I work really hard no matter what, but when I get that kind of feedback, I feel even more inclined to prove myself. They have this faith in me, so I have to get this done. I have to work harder.
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Sandy Grapperhaus could tell you stories
All of us have a common goal: to get this project off the ground and get it built. I am just on one end of it, but everybody pulls together. That’s always been our focus here, and it still is. We share the good and the bad, and that makes you feel like it’s your company, too.
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Meaghan Daiber-Fehrmann got her dream job. And she’s only just begun.
Meaghan Daiber-Fehrmann never broke 5’2”, but she’s got the kind of presence that makes people say, “Huh, I thought she was taller.” Maybe it’s because the sheer force of her bubbly personality contradicts her size. Her tenacity drove her to become a long-time basketball player, height be damned. And that same spirit didn’t flinch over a childhood stumbling block — some unusual bones in her feet — that might’ve tripped up someone with a weaker constitution.
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Safety as service for Kevin Moorhead
When Safety Director Kevin Moorhead does his job right, it might not look like he’s doing anything at all. “In the safety career field, we don’t always get to see the fruits of our labors,” he said, “because if an employee follows something from our training and doesn’t get hurt, there’s nothing to remember.”
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Build for the best
The best in their fields demand the best from their construction partners. And that’s what they get with The Korte Company.
Coast to coast opportunities
No matter where you are in the United States, you’re never far away from one of our projects.
BENEFITS
The bottom line
The Korte Company is a premier ENR 400-ranked Design-Build firm. We’ve completed projects in 44 states and counting for major operations like Fortune 500 firms, USPS and the U.S. military.
We’re good at what we do, because our people are rewarded for hard work. Our company benefits package focuses and motivates employees to do the kind of work our reputation is built on.
- COMPETITIVE PAY
- You earn a competitive base salary. And you have the chance to receive regular bonuses and raises based on merit.
- YOUR HEALTHCARE IS ON US
- The Korte Company pays all health and dental premiums for full-time employees. Extend coverage to your family for a modest monthly premium. Enroll in our Health Reimbursement Account, and we reimburse most of your health expenses.
- BUILD YOUR NEST EGG
- Manage your investments, save for your future, and establish your financial stability — all through The Korte Company’s sponsored 401(k) plan.
- TAKE STOCK IN YOUR FUTURE
- As a 100% employee-owned firm, The Korte Company provides opportunities for motivated employees to become owners through its company stock program.
- KEEP GROWING
- We want smart, happy employees. That’s why we offer tuition assistance to employees advancing their education. And with our flexible working hours, your career, education and family life can coexist peacefully.
WORK WITH US
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”
Wake up. Punch the clock. Work. Punch the clock again. Go home.
This isn’t that kind of job. That’s not who we are.
Join a heritage of hard work and innovative thinking; of taking pride in our work and showing kindness to others. Embrace the challenge of breathing life into vision. Seize the opportunity to do something more.