Midwest City Scoop: Construction Starts in Omaha

Construction spending expected to increase 10% in 2019 as non- building activity surges

Residential activity is forecast to rebound sharply from weakness in 2018, while non-residential spending falls 31%.

City Grill

Ryan Sawall
Omaha Office Leader
McCarthy Building Cos.

“About half of the work we do in this market is health care,” Sawall says. “We’re in every major system in town working for them regularly. Secondary to that here in Nebraska has been education work. We’ve done a little bit of higher education, and then the lion’s share of that work is K-12. We’ve done a lot of work for Omaha Public Schools, which had a big bond program last year, and we’re just getting started on a $70-million high school here this year. There’s also a ton of data center [work] that’s put a drain on local trades.”

Firm in Focus

McCarthy Building Cos.
14217 Dayton Circle, Omaha
CEO: Mike Bolen
Employees: 2,351
Founded: 1864
Recent Project: The $86-million, 57,000-sq-ft Omaha VA Care Clinic renovation is the first P3 done for the VA. The CHIP IN for Vets Act now allows the VA to accept dollar donations and gifts.