MCL Construction is proud to announce multiple first-place project awards and a safety excellence acknowledgment at the AGC Nebraska Building Chapter’s 2025 Build Nebraska Awards.

First Place: Projects Under $10 Million
This new Omaha location, just off of 192nd and Dodge Street, showcases modern design, efficient construction, and outstanding craftsmanship.

First Place: Projects Between $20 Million and Less Than $50 Million
The new Education Center was honored for its innovative learning environments and the strong collaboration that guided the project from preconstruction through delivery.​

MCL Construction was also recognized for its unwavering commitment to safety, achieving 275,000 + hours without an incident. This achievement highlights the dedication of our field teams and reinforces our culture of ensuring every employee goes home safely each day.

​In addition, Cole Kalkowski was awarded the prestigious Ground Breaker Award, part of AGC’s Quality People Awards. This recognition celebrates his leadership, innovation, and commitment to excellence.

“These awards reflect the incredible effort of our teams and the trust our clients place in us,” said Tony Fucinaro, MCL Construction Managing Principal. “We are honored to be recognized by the AGC and proud to continue building projects that strengthen our communities.”

The needs of a community are constantly evolving. The construction journey to meet those needs is filled with complexity and issues people may not see coming. From concept through activation, MCL guides our partners with an innovative, tailored, and clear approach. We do this because there is no better feeling than being valued for changing communities and lives for the better.     

MCL Construction welcomes two highly accomplished professionals into newly created leadership roles that will play a pivotal part in advancing the company’s strategic vision and operational excellence. ​

Ellie Barko joins as Program Manager, while Greta Shanahan takes on the role of Knowledge Network Integrator. Together, they bring deep expertise and bold energy to our growing company committed to innovation, collaboration, and delivering outstanding experiences for clients and project teams. ​

About MCL Construction 
The needs of a community are constantly evolving. The construction journey to meet those needs is filled with complexity and issues people may not see coming. From concept through activation, MCL guides our partners with an innovative, tailored, and clear approach. We do this because there is no better feeling than being valued for changing communities and lives for the better.     ​

Omaha, NE-MCL Construction has been recognized with the prestigious Grower's Award by Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen as part of the 2024 Governor's Wellness Awards.

The award highlights organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to fostering workplace wellness and promoting the health and well-being of their employees.

The Grower's Award specifically honors businesses that have not only implemented wellness programs but have also shown measurable improvement in the health outcomes of their workforce over time. MCL Construction was praised for its continued investment in health initiatives and its comprehensive approach to employee wellness.

Kristal Cavanaugh, Director of Health and Wellness at MCL Construction, expressed pride in receiving the award,  noting it had been a long-term goal. "This recognition is especially meaningful because it's been a personal goal of mine for the past three years. Seeing all the hard and dedication pay off is incredibly rewarding," she said.

"Over these past three years, MCL has focused on building programs and creating wellness initiatives that support the health and well-being of our team. It's clear the difference it is making on and off the job site," Cavanaugh added.

Governor Pillen, in presenting the award, commended MCL Construction for its efforts in improving workplace culture and helping employees lead healthier lives. The Governor's Wellness Awards recognize businesses of all sizes that demonstrate innovation and success in their employees wellness  programs, fostering healthier workplaces and stronger communities across the state. 

MCL Construction joins a list of Nebraska companies setting the standard for health and wellness in the workplace, and its leadership team sees this award as motivation to continue building on the successes of its wellness programs. 

About MCL Construction
The needs of a community are constantly evolving. The construction journey to meet those needs is filled with complexity and issues people may not see coming. From concept through activation, MCL guides our partners with an innovative, tailored and clear approach. We do this because there is no better feeling that being valued for changing communities and lives for the better. 

The NorthStar gym project was a community engagement initiative focused on modernizing the gym's lighting. MCL Construction, along with other funding sources, contributed to the project. 

The main objectives were to upgrade the lighting from an outdated, orangey-yellow color to a brighter, natural daylight level (5000K) using LED lights. This change not only increased light output by 50% but also reduced energy usage by 54%, which enhanced the gym's functionality and made the space more inviting and aligned with the facility's mission.

"The difference in the space was from kind of this darker, orangey space to a brighter, more inviting gymnasium. We dropped the energy usage by about half, but for much less energy, we were putting out three times the light at a brighter color," said Director of Integration Brant Yantzer.

NorthStar serves boys from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, offering them a safe place to go after school, along with tutoring, personal growth activities, and other support services. The improved lighting in the gym enhances the environment where these activities take place, contributing to NorthStar's overall mission of providing a nurturing and educational space for young men.

"NorthStar serves a very unique slot, providing a place for young men to go for food, safety, and shelter, but also helping shape them with the right values and insight," said Yantzer.

Three MCL employees were instrumental in the execution of the project. Brant Yantzer, Business Intelligence Specialist Eric Wiederin, and Help Desk Technician Sergio Mateo played key roles in assisting with the installation of the new lighting fixtures. They did their part while Randy Brungardt, an electrician from ElectriCity, handled the core electrical work.

MCL has received plenty of gratitude and appreciation from NorthStar and the surrounding community. The project established a great relationship between MCL and NorthStar, leading to further collaboration, including NorthStar's participation in several MCL events.

MCL has made a significant commitment to community engagement. The company prioritizes projects that make a positive impact on the community and that reflects its mission to bring people together and shape the communities it serves.

"One of our six pillars is community engagement. To us as an organization, the priority for community impact is tremendous. There's no greater feeling than making an impact on your community," said Brant.

MCL's involvement in projects like NorthStar is deeply intertwined with the company's core values of respect, dedicated, passionate, and thorough. These values are evident in both their community projects and their everyday work, ensuring that every project is conducted with care and a commitment to excellence.

About MCL Construction
The needs of a community are constantly evolving. The construction journey to meet those needs is filled with complexity and issues people may not see coming. From concept through activation, MCL guides our partners with an innovative, tailored, clear approach. We do this because there's no better feeling than being valued for changing communities and lives for the better. 

Background and Motivation: Nolan is currently a senior at Wayne State College, studying Construction Management and Safety Management at Wayne State College. He found out about MCL Construction from a friend and saw the company at a career fair, which led to interviews and eventually, his internship.
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Daily Responsibilities: Nolan's role has evolved to include both project engineering and field engineering tasks. He arrives at 7 AM, reviews emails, and prepares for daily meetings. His tasks range from attending OAC meetings to overseeing pours and installations on-site. He appreciates the diverse exposure, which helps him decide his future career path.

Learning and Development: Nolan has gained significant experience in project engineering, particularly in drafting RFIs and submittals, and enhancing his communication skills. He values the hands-on training and feedback from his peers, which solidifies his learning. "The repetition really helps me nail some things down, and they give great feedback," Nolan says.

Team and Culture: Nolan enjoys the supportive culture and camaraderie at MCL Construction. He says, "It doesn't really feel like I'm going to work every day; it feels like going to hang out and do things along the way."

Challenges and Accomplishments: Nolan has embraced the responsibilities given to him, which he finds both challenging and rewarding. He highlights his role in drafting and communication as particularly helpful. Nolan was also given an intern checklist to complete throughout the summer. It includes both field items and project management items and is used to help peer guides give their interns exposure in several different areas. It can be very rewarding for interns to see their progress in a tangible way.

Prospects: For those considering an internship at MCL, Nolan advises, "Ask a lot of questions when you're here or when you're interviewing. The team is very helpful, making sure you grow and really care about you." He expresses his enthusiasm about possibly returning, stating, "I would if they'd have me."

Company Culture: Nolan appreciates the family-like culture at MCL Construction, where everyone works towards a common goal. The company's emphasis on professional growth and team bonding, such as weekly lunch outings, reinforces this supportive environment.
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Unexpected Aspects: The most surprising aspect for Nolan has been the level of responsibility he's been entrusted with. He finds this invaluable for his growth, saying, "Any experience is good experience, and whether you perform not the greatest or perform well, it all helps in the end."

About MCL Construction
The needs of a community are constantly evolving. The construction journey to meet those needs is filled with complexity and issues people may not see coming. From concept through activation, MCL guides our partners with an innovative, tailored and clear approach. We do this because there's no better feeling than being valued for changing communities and lives for the better. 

As many superintendents and project managers know, low voltage wiring coordination can be a hassle. 

Low voltage contractors often face issues during installation due to incomplete coordination, leading to additional work. However, on the Banker's Trust project, MCL ensured a seamless integration of low voltage, AV, and furniture installations, hoping to ultimately deliver a clean, professional finish.

For this project, the bank wanted to handle all low voltage, AV, and furniture installations themselves. Low voltage cabling refers to cables and wiring that carry low voltage electrical signals, usually below 50 volts. It is used for things like data communication or ethernet, security systems, lighting control systems, and audio/visual systems.

"What always happens is that the designer says they coordinated it all, but the low voltage company will come in towards the end of the project and say, 'Oh, I can't get my conduits or cables from here to there.' Inevitably, we always have to cut a hole in a wall or something," said project superintendent Nick Brim.

To avoid this, MCL had early conversations with low voltage and AV contractors, urging Bankers Trust to get them involved as soon as possible. They helped identify and address potential issues in high-visibility areas like the community room and worked to create clean, organized cable pathways.
"We put a lot of effort into having conversations with them early-on, pushing the owner to get them on board as quickly as possible," said Brim.

In pre-construction, MCL's Engineering Integration team created a comprehensive document that outlined all conduit pathways, color-coded for different contractors (low voltage, AV, alarm). They also coordinated extra pathways and sleeves to guarantee smooth installation and avoid future surprises.

"We wanted to put it all on one document so everybody's working off the same thing. Our electrician has this document, the low voltage company has it, the audio/visual company has it, we want everybody to have the same document," Brim noted.

They made changes once construction began as well, like adding conduits and cable trays in critical areas to accommodate maximum cable lengths and avoid installation issues after the ceiling was up. Their early coordination efforts were done to minimize unexpected problems and changes, ultimately saving time and costs.

The MCL team went above and beyond to ensure that everyone, even the non-contracted vendors, were treated as part of the project team.

"We have no contractual ties with any of these people. They're not one of our subcontractors, but I treat them as one of our subs so that they feel like thy are part of the team," said Brim.

The coordination effort, including added conduits, resulted in a $14,000 change order. Typically, this cost would come out of the contingency, however this time, MCL absorbed the cost for the owner. The lack of contingency usage made project execution a lot smoother.

By implementing thorough coordination and planning, MCL made sure that the low voltage and AV installations at the Banker's Trust project were efficiently integrated. All of this was done to avoid common pitfalls and ensure a high-quality result. 

About MCL Construction
The needs of a community are constantly evolving. The construction journey to meet those needs is filled with complexity and issues people may not see coming. From concept through activation, MCL guides our partners with an innovative, tailored and clear approach. We do this because there's no better feeling than being valued for changing communities and lives for the better. 

As a company that started 37 years ago with just three employees, MCL Construction understands and is an example of success gained from opportunity. 

Over the past few years MCL has made a major commitment to giving small, disadvantaged, and minority-owned businesses opportunities to succeed. The company is determined to help them grow from opportunities provided by larger companies in the industry and there is no one better to lead this initiative than Winsley Durand.

This month, Winsley joins the MCL team as the Senior Director of Diversity and Economic Inclusion. He will facilitate the expansion of an Economic Inclusion program with a proven track record. Former Economic Inclusion Coordinator Savannah Stark has grown the program significantly in her 3 years at MCL. Savannah was responsible for developing plans and administering sourcing practices that promoted diversity with suppliers and subcontractors and coordinated mentorship opportunities. Savannah fostered relationships with Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and Small, Emerging Businesses (SEBS).

"I started some things and got some programming in place and really took those first few years to help MCL establish something internal as part of how they do business. I know that was important to their leadership, to set the groundwork, but really what happens from here on out, it's kind of that next level of really expanding it beyond what I was able to do," she said.
After giving him a great head start, she knows Winsley is the perfect candidate to serve as her replacement.

"Everything I know and that I've put in place at MCL I learned from Winsley while working under him at the Chamber. He's the guy that kind of started it all. He knows more than I do. He brings leadership, initiative, approachability, strong relationships, and a real, genuine concern for small businesses," says Savannah.

These qualities come from Winsley's extensive background in economic development and community involvement. Over his 18 years at the Greater Omaha Chamber, Winsley performed or supervised business and retail attraction, business retention, military affairs, membership, minority economic development, REACH, entrepreneurship & innovation, and small business education. He also has also served the community as one of the founding board members of the ACE Mentoring Program, as a member of the Omaha Public Schools Community Bond Oversight Committee, and as a member of both the Board of Directors of the Urban League of Nebraska and the Board of Habitat for Humanity-Omaha. Not to mention numerous awards and recognitions, including the City of Omaha "Aspire to Inspire," MLK Jr. Award and the 2008 class of Omaha's 40 Under 40. This experience has prepared Winsley perfectly for his new role.

"My previous experiences have laid the path to this position. I have worked with small contractors, building them up, building their capacities, getting them connected, doing all of the things that they needed to have good infrastructure and to be good businesspeople. But in the end, I prepared them so that they could go find work. Now, in this role, it's kind of that next step. Not only can I help prepare them, but then we also have the work to be able to get them connected, too. So, it's kind of completing the whole circle," says Winsley.

The new director plans to rely upon existing relationships to do outreach, making sure companies are aware of the opportunities and giving them the tools they need to be successful. He is looking to increase the total number of small firms that MCL utilizes and increase the amount of work for current subcontractors. He "would love to see the firms grow in terms of revenues and number of employees, but overall, just become better, stronger firms that are able to contribute to the overall economy."

MCL prides themselves on having an in-house Economic Inclusion program that puts an emphasis on small and emerging business solicitation. They make it their mission to make sure underserved businesses and communities are recognized within the construction industry. From 2017-2023, MCL performed 75 projects with 48 different small, disadvantaged, and minority subcontractors, totaling $29.57 million.

"I think if you look at anything in life, if you really care about it, you spend the time and the resources to invest in it yourself. And us having the program in-house should be no greater testament to what we believe in. It's integral to the culture that we want to build here and the way we want to operate our business and that's why we felt the need to have it live and grow here. It's who we want to be. We want to look at every opportunity that we have and ask how we can take that opportunity and give some other companies a chance to grow," says Managing Principal Tony Fucinaro.

These partnerships are mutually beneficial, as they help both the subcontractors and MCL. Subcontractors benefit through receiving contracts that they otherwise may not have earned, building relationships and experience, and promoting their communities. MCL benefits by creating a better supply of subcontractors to choose from and from the future growth of the program when formerly underserved companies come back to contribute to the program.

"As we educate small contractors and get them engaged, there'll be a stronger, more robust pool of contractors for the general contractors to draw upon and, hopefully, MCL will be the beneficiary. They also tend to hire more people from the communities in which they live and where they're based, so we'll be able to uplift underserved communities and create more employment and opportunities in those areas," Winsley stated.

Fucinaro said, "Some of these companies started out as 2-3 individuals, and now they can come back and give back to a program that they were a part of. That can help grow other businesses, and that can have an exponential impact on the community when these companies go from being a small, emerging business to a business that's able to stand on the foundation that they created and then they're able to give back."

MCL has only scratched the surface of what this program can be. There are a plethora of projects coming up in which Winsley and the Economic Inclusion program will be utilized. As Winsley steps into this pivotal role, the future looks bright for small and minority-owned businesses partnering with MCL, marking the beginning of a new chapter in MCL's ongoing commitment to diversity and community growth.​

About MCL Construction
The needs of a community are constantly evolving. The construction journey to meet those needs is filled with complexity and issues people may not see coming. From concept through activation, MCL guides our partners with an innovative, tailored and clear approach. We do this because there's no better feeling than being valued for changing communities and lives for the better. 

All Photos By: Brad Anderson/Architectural Photography Inc.