Reed Construction is celebrating 130 years in business this year. Accompanying this anniversary, we launched the “Generation 5” or “G5” campaign, honoring Reed’s legacy and welcoming the future.
Founded in 1893 by Thomas Reed, we’re led today by President and CEO Bill Birck, a member of the Reed family’s fifth generation. As the helm of leadership has passed down through generations across two centuries, Bill and the Reed Construction team were inspired to introduce our current team as Generation 5: Building the Next Generation of Extraordinary.
G5 represents our internal movement to embrace current conditions and prepare for future possibilities while grounding us in the principles that have led us here: most notably our team’s commitment to approaching each project with urgency, transparency, and a solutions-driven mindset. The greatest way to honor those who paved the way for G5 is to continue pushing boundaries and innovating our way into the future of construction.
Building the Next Generation of Extraordinary is accomplished only through investing in and nurturing our most important asset: our incredibly skilled and diverse team. G5 brings together Baby Boomers, Gen X-ers, Millennials, and Gen Z-ers to form one dynamic team.
“Plain and simple, our people are what makes Reed Construction unique in this industry,” said Juli Johnson, Chief People Officer for Reed Construction.
“A crucial factor in the invention of G5 was creating an organizational vision and passion that every employee here can connect with, and when Bill first said, ‘Building the Next Generation of Extraordinary,’ we knew we were onto something. From my perspective as Chief People Officer, Building the Next Generation of Extraordinary is all about our people. We want them to build extraordinary careers, and more importantly, extraordinary lives. That’s what inspires me most about Generation 5.”
The Next Generation of Extraordinary extends beyond the Reed organization into the community. Giving back to Chicago—the city that helped propel us from one generation to the next—is a major G5 value. In 2014, we formed the Reed Construction Foundation to partner with charitable organizations, including Project H.O.O.D., After School Matters, and Bernie’s Book Bank. Through our Charitable Time Off program, we encourage all employees to contribute to the organization of their choice.
There’s a lot more to come this year to celebrate this crowning milestone, so stay tuned!