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January 15, 2018
Community involvement, Indy 25th anniversary

Along with quality service, honesty, integrity, safety, leadership and people, one of Pepper Construction's top values is growth. For more than two decades, Pepper has expanded its presence throughout Indiana and become a heavyweight in the industry. This August will mark Pepper Indiana's 25th anniversary of incorporation, but our story is one that starts long before that.

St. Vincent Indianapolis Campus Redevelopment

We arrived in the Hoosier state as Pepper Indiana Partnership back in 1989 with the $100 million St. Vincent Hospital Master Facility project. The office was led by Bill McCarthy, who moved down from Pepper Chicago to help build and grow the company. Under his leadership, Pepper Construction Company of Indiana was incorporated in August of 1993, and Pepper's bright future and commitment to quality projects throughout Indiana began.

During that first year, the Indiana team only had eight salaried staff and five field staff. Fast forward to today, and Indiana has blossomed from that small staff to a company with 120 office and 80 field employees at the end of 2017.

Our success did not happen overnight.

To recognize all of Pepper Indiana's accomplishments – and the people who made it possible – we will celebrate the strides we've made through blog posts, events and community service throughout the year. Many things have changed at Pepper Indiana in the last 25 years, but no matter what, our core commitment has continued to be to our people, our relationships and our community.

Our people

Bill McCarthy and Mike McCann

Every employee who has entered Pepper's doors through the years has laid the foundation for our growth, opportunities and success. From the office to the field, Pepper wouldn't be an influencer in our industry without their dedication and innovation.

We've consistently had a strong presence in the healthcare market ever since that first project with St. Vincent, while adding major and groundbreaking projects in higher education, manufacturing, industrial, retail and hospitality under our belt.

The drive and talent from Pepper employees throughout the years have ensured that not only are we capable of getting the jobs done, but that we're able to push ourselves and our trade partners to transform how we do things. Pepper has created a culture that encourages combining traditional expertise with forward-thinking ideas.

From our Quality Concepts to virtual mockups to using virtual reality for underground utilities documentation and damage prevention, so many of our processes and successes are a direct result of Pepper people. They are shaping how we work in the industry and keeping us at the forefront of modernization.

Our people have built our success over the past two and a half decades, and they will be the ones who make it possible for us to continue revolutionizing this industry.

Our relationships

Onsite coordination at IU

But of course, we can't do it alone. It wouldn't be possible for Pepper Indiana to thrive without strong relationships with our clients, designers and trade partners.

For every project, we go beyond looking out for our own interests to ensure that the needs of everyone we work with are met. It's a pledge that has strengthened our connections with partners over the past quarter of a century. 

It will continue to be one of our strongest assets as we move forward because we recognize how integral those contacts have been to our sustained success. 

Our community

Indiana has given us so many opportunities that it's our duty to be a good neighbor and be stewards of generosity in return.

As we made Indianapolis our home, we quickly got involved with the Indiana Plan, a nonprofit organization that engages individuals to become involved in the construction trades, and AIA Indianapolis. Over the years our relationships grew to include organizations such as United Way of Central Indiana, Boy Scouts of America, Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, Rebuilding Together and more.

Being involved with the community where we live, work and serve is an important part of Pepper Indiana's culture. It's only fitting that our commitment translates to our 25th anniversary celebration.

Over the next eight months, Pepper employees will volunteer their time at community events for organizations such as the Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation, the Humane Society of Indianapolis and others.

Our future

The journey over the last 25 years at Pepper Indiana has been memorable. I am honored to have been a part of it, and I am fortunate to have worked with so many talented and good people during my tenure. The people here today and those who have been here over the years have made this company one of the best in Indiana.

The accomplishments, teamwork and leadership I have witnessed from our people over the past 25 years is truly inspirational. They've made the story of Pepper Indiana a best seller, and I want to thank everyone that has contributed to our history and success!

I'm extremely proud to be part of this company and its history. I'm excited about our future and the many more stories of success to come.

About the Author

Mike McCann, President Pepper Construction Indiana

Mike McCannPresident, Pepper Construction, Indiana

As president of Pepper Indiana, Mike McCann is responsible for establishing the company's vision and strategy and empowering teams to incorporate our guiding principals into day-to-day processes. With a background in operations, he is passionate about safety and works closely with the senior management team to ensure Pepper Indiana maintains and grows its position as a leader in Indiana. Mike joined Pepper as a project manager in Chicago before moving to Indiana to oversee its operations in 1996. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering from Bradley University. 

Mike is a leader in the community, where he serves as president of the Indiana Construction Association board of directors, board member of the Indiana Construction Roundtable and member of the University of Indianapolis Real Estate Development & Construction advisory board, United Way of Central Indiana capital project funds committee and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Construction Engineering Management Technology advisory board. He serves as a mentor for both the Indiana Construction Roundtable diversity initiative and the Starfish Initiative program. Mike is also a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Lean Construction Institute. He previously served as a board member for the Coalition for Construction Safety (CCS) and as an adjunct professor at IUPUI.