Nor-Son Construction Received National Excellence in Construction Award

Nor-Son Construction received an Excellence in Construction Eagle award for their work on the St. Andrew’s Catholic Church Renovation in Brainerd, MN. The EIC program is the industry’s leading competition that honors general contractors for innovative and high-quality merit shop construction projects. 

Renovation of the church, which was originally built in the mid-1960’s, posed unique challenges due to poor soil conditions. The existing structure was supported on concrete and wood pilings extending up to 30 feet below grade. “Our challenge was to design a foundation system that could be installed without disrupting the existing pile foundation,” commented Architect Jesse Hopkins of Nor-Son Construction. “We were very sensitive to any new loads imposed on the existing structure. An elliptical pier system was considered, but ultimately we decided that the preferred solution would be to selectively excavate poor soil, and form and pour a concrete foundation system to support the addition.”

Renovation of the existing church included construction of a sloped floor with theater-style seating used to improve sight lines and provide improved access for parishioners. Decorative mosaic tile, wood paneling and specialty lighting fixtures were used to add beauty to the space.

“The craftsmanship of Nor-Son and their hardworking employees continues to raise the bar when it comes to how we define excellence in construction,” said 2020 ABC National Chair Tim Keating. “It’s an honor to recognize these award winners for their respective commitments to building safely, on time and on budget, as well as contribute to the communities in which they work.”

The Excellence in Construction award honors all construction team members, including the contractor, owner, architect and engineer. The winning projects, were judged on complexity, attractiveness, completion time, unique challenges overcome, workmanship, innovation, safety and cost.