Charles C. Brandt is WBE Certified

After a year-long process, CCB was awarded the Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) State Certification in April 2023. A WBE certification validates that the business is at least 51% owned, operated, managed and controlled by a woman. This has been our goal ever since Lindsay Fernandez, LEED AP, became the majority owner of CCB in 2021!

Beginning her career as a summer intern at CCB in 1998, Lindsay has grown up professionally - along with the company - through both some challenging, and likewise, very successful runs. After graduating from Purdue, she returned as a field engineer in 1999, was later promoted to Project Manager, and has since worked on a variety of jobs in multiple markets.

As Lindsay took on more responsibility, she was named a principal and elevated to Director of Project Management in 2018, and on July 29, 2020, was promoted to President of Charles C. Brandt Construction. She’s the 7th person to fill that role in the rich, 115+ year history of the company.

We are excited about how this formal certification will position CCB for additional opportunities. We look forward to forging new partnership, expanding our client base, and making a meaningful impact as we continue to Build Visions into Reality.

CCB Self-Performs

WE SELF-PERFORM

What it means to us

When a client chooses to work with CCB, they get a contractor who can honestly call themselves true self-performers - a title that immediately offers advantages to the client that will ultimately bring more success to their project.


CCB Self-Performed Scopes

Selective Demolition

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Concrete

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Carpentry

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Millwork

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Doors/Frames/Hardware

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Framing/Drywall

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Acoustic Ceilings

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Specialties

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Selective Demolition | Concrete | Carpentry | Millwork | Doors/Frames/Hardware | Framing/Drywall | Acoustic Ceilings | Specialties |

What it means to you

  • Our team utilizes industry leading management tools such as Microsoft Project and Lean Construction. These tools allow us to better collaborate with clients and our trade partners through all phases of a project. Additionally, having our own field staff allows us to better manage the schedule. We can shift manpower almost daily to meet critical deadlines and provide support to our trade partners when necessary to assist them in maintaining the schedule.

  • Our field staff average over 15 years of experience. This provides valuable insight to the project team when discussing key topics such as project sequencing and scheduling, any potential constructability concerns, and material selections.

  • Our skilled labor force has honed their building methods through years of working together on successful projects, and that type of diversity guarantees a high-quality result. CCB is also dedicated to providing our labor force with weekly safety meetings and frequent safety training.

 

Charles C. Brandt wants to be your self-performing construction partner.

Learn more about how we can bring value to your current and future projects with our self-performing services.

CCB Ownership Through the Years

Over the course of 115 years, Charles C. Brandt Construction Co. has experienced 5 transitions of ownership. Not only is it notable that the company has successfully implemented these transitions, but it’s also incredibly rare. In fact, according to YPO.org, statistics show that about 75% of businesses fail after the first generation of owners. In addition, more than 85% fail by the third generation, and over 95% fail beyond that, so we take a lot of pride in the fact that we’re still here – building our clients visions into reality.

In honor of our upcoming 115-year milestone next year, we thought we’d take this time to offer our audience a glimpse into our history. After all, it was their perseverance and expertise that poured the foundations for what CCB is today.

CCB was started by none other than Charles C. Brandt back in 1907. As his business grew over time, he realized the company would outlive him and eventually transferred ownership of the company to his three sons – William C. Brandt Sr. (Bill), Ralph Brandt Sr., and Charlie E. Brandt.

With Bill, Ralph, and Charlie at the helm, CCB flourished as one of the premier general contractors in the state of Indiana – a trait that still holds true today. CCB continued to surpass the three brothers’ lifespan as it did to their father before them, and the company’s ownership was transferred to their sons, William C. Brandt Jr. (Chuck), David S. Brandt, and Ralph Brandt Jr. in the 1970s. During this period of ownership, Chuck, David, and Ralph Jr. formed another business entity called Construction Management Services Inc., or CMSI, which focused more on public entity work. In the 1980s, Charlie’s son Chris Brandt and son-in-law Bill Freeman joined CCB while both companies continued to prosper.

David Brandt, who by this time was running CMSI had dreams of running his own company. After having discussions with the other owners, they agreed to sell CMSI to David, who then rebranded CMSI as Brandt Construction – a respected decision by all parties. It should be noted that today Charles C. Brandt Construction and Brandt Construction are two separate companies with separate non-Brandt family ownership and continue to successfully operate in and around Indianapolis. 

When the time came for Chuck Brandt to transition into retirement and transfer his shares in the early 1990’s, majority ownership of CCB was passed on to Bill Freeman, with Chris Brandt still in minority ownership (4th generation).

In 2002, Steve Lankton, Jack Lautenschlager, and Cathy Bickle joined Bill Freeman as owners (5th generation). Bill fully retired in 2013 and Cathy retired in 2014. Steve and Jack asked Lindsay Fernandez to join them as a shareholder in 2018, which began the transition into the 6th generation of ownership. Lindsay was named President of CCB in 2020 to solidify succession plans.

Even though none of the current owners carry the Brandt name, we are very proud to carry on the legacy started by Charles C. Brandt back in 1907 and will continue to carry that legacy into future generations of ownership. Thank you to all of you who have granted us the opportunities to succeed, and we can’t wait for what’s in store for the next 115 years!

Material Pricing: What You Need to Know

NOTE: This information is current as of June 29th 2021.

Picture this: you’re a business owner looking to expand your enterprise, and in most cases, that means construction is on your horizon in some shape or form.

Unfortunately for this year, pandemic-related supply chain issues have ravaged the construction industry worldwide, ultimately grinding the production of raw construction materials you need to a halt.

But now that our world has learned to cope with the pandemic, the construction industry is back on the rise, and with it, the demand for these materials. Now to those reading this in the construction industry, this is nothing new. However, the people who work in industries that are intertwined with ours, i.e. commercial real estate, this is something that may not be on everyone’s radar.

To help educate the minds who aren’t fully submersed in construction, we’ve put together this short list of tips to remember when aiding and/or managing your clients’ construction endeavors.

  1. Don’t underestimate the power of projection. It’s so important that the budget accurately reflects the current market AND takes into account the possibility of future spikes. Thankfully, CCB has the ability to lock in pricing for a set period of time even if the market continues to change. Here’s some recent stats that will give you an idea of just how much material pricing has skyrocketed:

    • LUMBER – in the last week, prices have stabilized from $1,700 in early May to just under $900 for 1,000 board feet of lumber, but this is a far cry from what prices were 2 years ago (around $350).

    • STEEL – As the leader in rising prices for major commodities, steel is up over 50% since last year due to the shutdown of production in the early part of the pandemic. Prices are more than likely continue to rise for another quarter and should also expect lead times of more than 4 months.

    • DRYWALL – similar to lumber, drywall prices have also stabilized but are still up almost 7% after seeing above average volatility in the second half of last year. Expect to see similar rates with other gypsum products as well.

  2. Don’t feel like you should wait for prices to drop. Despite all the increases in material cost, CCB still has many ways in which we can save money. Accelerating or phasing the project schedule and exploring alternative material options are just a couple of ways that we do this.

  3. Know your lead times. It’s one thing to know how much you’ll end up paying for material. Knowing when exactly you’ll get it to the jobsite is an entirely different thing. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of long-lead items and tweaking the construction schedule to coincide with material delivery. CCB has been doing this for decades and has helped our clients flourish by optimizing the schedule and bringing them value in unexpected ways.

  4. Look on the Brightside. Just recently, multiple sources within the industry reported that lumber prices are expected to go down by the end of summer. Manufacturers expect their back stocks to get back on track as well, which will bring the market back to level by the end of the year.

If anything, the last 18 months have taught us all one thing – and that is the importance of working with a contractor who is dedicated to bringing you the best value. We understand that construction can be scary during this time, but don’t let that deter you from Building Your Vision into Reality!

Not Your Everyday Contractor...

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People often ask me how I got involved with construction, and I tell them – I was born into it.

My grandfather was a general contractor, my father was a general contractor, and I went to the Construction Engineering and Management Program at Purdue University – so it’s really all I know and what I’ve been doing all my life. I enjoy it immensely, which is why I continue to do it after all these years.

This morning I received a call from a potential client that wanted to talk about renovating a building. Now, were they looking for someone who was the least expensive contractor to do the job? Or were they looking for a construction professional who would be their partner, help them make decisions through both the design and construction phases, and offer the best value for their construction dollar? The answer to these questions determines if CCB is a good fit for their project, and if their project is a good fit for CCB.

After discussing project specifics with this individual, I concluded that they were ultimately looking for a “just get it done” contractor – which is perfectly fine – but I had to tell them that CCB just wouldn’t be the best fit for their project.

Now some people will read this and think “he just turned down a job,” but I went on to explain to him that CCB is in the business of being a true construction partner. This individual was in the market for a “just get it done” contractor, and that just isn’t CCB. We like to view ourselves as part-time construction professionals on our clients team – a team that not only can guide our clients through all phases of construction, but a team that’s also there for their future endeavors.

A friend of mine once told me that you can realistically deliver only two of the following three things during a construction project: impeccable quality, low cost, and timely completion. It is virtually impossible to have all three, and if you value time and quality as much as we do, then naturally we may not always be the lowest cost contractor – but we will bring you the best value.

If you think CCB is the right teammate for you and your construction needs, let’s have a chat!

Women in Construction

This year we’ve celebrated national Women in Construction Week, Purdue University’s #4 nationally-ranked graduate School of Engineering – both of which were highlighted on our social media pages – and Purdue’s #9 nationally-ranked undergrad School of Engineering. As president of Charles C. Brandt Construction and a Purdue engineering graduate, I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in the construction field, and want to be a voice for my chosen profession and an advocate for encouraging women to pursue an education in this traditionally male dominated industry.

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Ladies, you’re NEEDED and WANTED in the construction world, and you owe it to yourself to spend some time learning about the various roles available. One of them might be the perfect fit for you!

In 2019, Purdue released enrollment figures for the School of Engineering where women represent only 26% of total undergraduate students. Ag, Bio, Environmental & Ecological disciplines led the way at over 50%, while Construction Engineering was near the bottom at 19%. Purdue’s Women in Engineering Program (WIEP) was established over 50 years ago, and has increased women’s participation in the school from less than 1% of enrollees, to the current 26%. That’s huge progress, but we can and must do better!

The National Association of Women in Construction – the sponsors of the annual Women in Construction Week – state that only 10.3% of entire construction workforce is women, and less than 1% of the front line / job site workforce is women. Considering that women make up 47% of all employed individuals, we have a long way to go.

My construction career started with internships while still a student at Purdue, to my first post graduate job here at Charles C. Brandt as field engineer. I moved to Project Manager, then Director of Project Management, then to my current position as President. Along the way, I’ve learned so much from so many people from every walk-of-life you can imagine – company owners, CEO’s, architects, real estate investors, other engineers, field force, and every teammate at CCB – and every person I’ve encountered has prepared me for today and beyond. My career has been a completely new education in addition to what I learned in college, that education is still ongoing, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Math isn’t your thing? That’s okay, you don’t have to be an engineer to join our team. Last month in a shared social media post celebrating Women in Construction, we listed the names of ten women on our team. The positions they hold – all critical to our success – include senior staff accountant, company president, project assistant, administrative supervisor, staff accountant, project manager, and field laborer. There is literally something for everyone, and CCB is ALWAYS hiring good people to join our team.

For more information about Purdue University’s WIEP, use this link: https://www.purdue.edu/wiep/index.html

For more information from NAWIC, use this link: https://www.nawic.org/nawic/Career_Center.asp

If you have further interest in discussing opportunities, or any questions about my experience in this industry, please contact me through the link below. Thank you!

Employee Spotlight: Celebrating Jeff Nichols' 32 Years at CCB

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Jeff Nichols has been with CCB since the late 1980s and has since become one of our company’s most skilled and dedicated superintendents. Read on to learn more about Jeff and how he’s gotten to where he is today!

When did you start at CCB and what was your life like at the time? 1988 or 1989 at the Alamo Car Rental. I was single and attending IUPUI at night.

What did you want to be when you were growing up and how did that change as you got older? I wanted to work with my uncle who was an architect/builder, but he passed when I was in HS.

Who were some of your first colleagues/mentors when you started at CCB? Rick Thomas Jim Leslie, and Jack Lautenschlager. Those guys really showed me the ropes in this business and I’m forever grateful to them for it!

What was one of the more challenging moments working at CCB? Working in Miami, FL for 17 months, getting to the airport Monday at 5 a.m, getting home Friday after midnight, and only being with my family two days a week. We did a lot of great work down there, but it did get hard for my family after awhile.

What is your most memorable moment at CCB? After completing the Cinemas at the Mall of America, going to the grand opening of the mall, watching Ray Charles walk into the rotunda, sit down at a grand piano and sing America the Beautiful! I was in awe of what I was witnessing. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.

What lessons has working at CCB taught you, and what advice would you give to employees that have started working at CCB in the last few years? Treat every job as if it is your own because you are not only representing CCB but yourself. Always do your best. Know what you know and know what you don't. Always be ready to listen and learn, because you never know where that next great piece of career advice is going to come from.

Getting to Know You - The Foundation of Success

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I count wins by the relationships I’ve built, and ultimately how I serve that relationship. If I do the work, the business will generally follow. A suspect becomes a prospect, a prospect becomes a friend, a friend becomes a client, and a client becomes a referral source. Often that client also becomes an advisor back to me. You never know where you’re going to get that next great piece of advice, so be open to it.

This has been my practice my entire career: find someone you want to know, and work to make it happen. It’s a natural “givers gain” approach to business as well as life.

I love to understand how businesses operate, where they falter, how they recover, grow, pivot, and succeed. It doesn’t matter what kind of business – an insurance agency, restaurant, not-for-profit, or contractor – I could sit with almost any owner/operator and be mesmerized by learning their path. It’s like never-ending story time for me, and I’m lucky that most love to share. People are proud of what they’ve accomplished – as they should be. Sometimes that pride is new, and highlights their current team; other times it’s about the generations before them that laid the foundation. I genuinely enjoy hearing the history, operational details, and succession plans. 

Familiarity and comfort make it easier to stay connected and relevant. When they have a reason to celebrate, congratulate them. When they’re personally or professionally struggling, don’t hide – offer support and be a resource when needed. While you’re learning their world, they’ll likely learn about yours as you share experiences. When appropriate, talk about business and ask for referrals, but always in the context of giving first.

I believe the fundamentals of getting to know someone and their business truly sets the foundation for a successful PARTNERSHIP – one of CCB’s core values. Simply being helpful and present is less common than it should be, and works wonders for the soul. It’s been my approach for my entire career, and I can’t imagine doing it differently.

Making an IMPACT: The Core Values of CCB

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In the summer of 2019, CCB’s Leadership Team sat down for an overhaul of our company values. This isn’t to say that our former values were not important - they’ve now been intertwined with our current ones - but the team felt it was necessary to refocus what the company stands for, and what we look for in the people we hire.

These new values form the acronym IMPACT, which was by design. Everything we do at CCB is geared towards making an impact in the lives of our clients, our partners, and our employees. These values were meticulously selected and will be a driving force that propels CCB into the future.

INSPIRING

A short definition for INSPIRING would be “choosing your attitude to motivate others”, but it truly means much more than that.

Each day, we get to decide how we show up for work, and the attitude we carry throughout the day. That choice will impact not only ourselves but everyone around us. A positive attitude is such a difference-maker – it’s contagious, and it allows us and others to build confidence in both personal and professional aspects.

MENTORING

As we were considering “M” words for our new core values, we debated management, motivation, and mindfulness. They’re generally good words, have high intent, and sparked good conversation. Then mentoring was suggested – it was the perfect word, at the perfect time.

Lindsay Fernandez even offered the phrase, “no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” Mentoring is simply a process to transfer knowledge relevant to work, career, or professional development. It’s critical to our future success, and we’re committed to it.

CCB has long benefited from employees whose tenure isn’t counted in years but in decades. Those laborers, carpenters, foremen, superintendents, and office staff can pass on vast amounts of knowledge and best practices to the next wave of men and women who join our team.

PARTNERSHIP

As we gathered to discuss updating and confirming our core values, the idea of “partnership” was brought up almost immediately. Everyone was on board with the concept, it just needed definition. For decades, CCB has aimed to be a partner to clients, not just a vendor. It’s a different mindset – it’s about shared success, not just compensation.

Being a partner demands a level of commitment that can’t be imagined or achieved as just a vendor. Michael Jordan said, "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." That same smart, intentional approach extends to and among our office staff, field crew, trusted subcontractors, and suppliers as we strive to build strong, mutually beneficial, long-lasting partnerships.

Each time we can offer innovative solutions and be proactive, our role as a trusted advisor is confirmed, and our reputation as a creative problem solver grows stronger. Clearly, not every business relationship can become a partnership. However, we strive to identify those that can and take the necessary steps to form that bond.

ACCOUNTABLE

Being ACCOUNTABLE reduces stress and fosters a positive, results-driven environment. It doesn’t mean being perfect, but owning your actions and choices.

Our task-driven assignments are critical to our success, and it’s our responsibility to give clarity of purpose for the work being done. With accountability as a CCB core value, our team will be more intentional to communicate “the big picture”, which will, in turn, improve outcomes on all jobs.

CONSTRUCTIVE

Among CCB’s core values, CONSTRUCTIVE is simply, “be a positive force.” We each have the opportunity every day to lift people up. That boost could be for our neighborhood, a not-for-profit, church, or social service agency that we support, a client, a co-worker, a vendor, or friend – anyone you contact throughout the day. Almost every moment of every day is an opportunity to be someone’s champion. Our impact on them may be the best part of their day – it boosts your attitude, reflects your values, and builds your character.

As builders, we risk limiting our view of what “constructive” can mean. Certainly, in our world, it means to create. We bring constructive solutions – or at the very least, steps toward solutions – to our clients every day. Even if we’re hired to demo a space or building, it’s still constructive as that client moves toward a goal. But as a core value, it’s about encouraging development. That could be physical, mental, emotional, or otherwise. If you are a constructive member of a community, you are a positive force, interested in building up and improving your community.

Constructive is a forward concept. It’s not stagnant, and certainly not regressive. In our minds, the most critical ingredient to moving forward is the attitude you start with. Every day, we get to choose our attitude. The trickle-down effect from that single choice will likely drive the day’s results more than any other action we take. Be grateful, be helpful, and be constructive.

TOGETHER

As a business, CCB has the functions and personnel necessary to stay organized and moving forward – accounting, support, marketing, etc. But as a construction company, the two departments unique to our industry and the heartbeat of our company are project management and field operations.

In a perfect world, these two areas ebb and flow with precision and grace. However, the world is NOT perfect. We are constantly finding new ways to improve how these twoOur goal is to hire smartly so when challenges pop up, our talent and experience take over and lead to good outcomes. All of that – combined with the important departments mentioned before – is what it looks like to work TOGETHER!


Employee Spotlight: Celebrating Jan Linne's 32 Years at CCB!

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Thirty-two years ago, CCB hired Jan Linne as a Project Assistant and was assigned to then CCB Owner & Founder, Chuck Brandt. We sat down with Jan to gain a little insight into what her life was like at the time of her hiring, how she’s evolved as a professional over the years, and what her advice would be to those who’ve just recently started at CCB.

Jan Linne, Accounts Payable & Payroll

When did you start at CCB and what was your life like at the time?  It was the Dark Ages of 1989. I was single, just purchased my first house and ready to be a real grown-up.

What did you want to be when you were growing up and how did that change as you got older?  Deep down inside I wanted to be an Egyptian archeologist, but obviously that didn’t pan out. History did and still does fascinate me. I didn’t really have a specific direction at the time – my dad died when I was 16 and I think I was floundering a bit. I had gotten my first job at a Holiday Inn to get started and things evolved from there. 

Who were some of your first colleagues/mentors when you started at CCB?  I have to say my first, best mentor was Chuck Brandt. I started as a project assistant and was assigned to Chuck (or WCBJ as we knew him then). What a ride! He was always working at warp speed, resulting in lost glasses and calculators – which I spent a lot of time looking for. But he was the best boss I ever had, and he taught me tons about the construction industry, marketing, and property development – which I desperately needed coming from the guest services industry. I can’t swear to it, but I think CCB did a construction job at the hotel I was working at in the mid-70s. I’m sure I ran across project info for that in my journey here. It seems CCB and I were meant to be together.

What was a challenging moment for you working at CCB?  Back to Chuck – keeping him on schedule. He was always running late for something, and I had to keep him on track and on task so he wasn’t as late as he could have been. My one trick he never knew about was I moved the clock in his office ahead 15 minutes. That helped to some degree.

What is your most memorable moment at CCB?  I think celebrating my 30-year anniversary in January of 2019. I mean that’s a lot of years! Thanks to Mark Perry and Katie Baker for making it so memorable and for my 30-year award plaque in my office. 

What lessons has working at CCB taught you, and what advice would you give to employees that have started working at CCB in the last few years?  CCB is a great company and like a fine wine gets better with age. I love the hard work, the commitment, the dedication to doing a job well, the honesty & integrity of all employees, and the family feel of the company. I simply cannot imagine working for some huge corporate giant where no one knows anyone else. If you ascribe to these values, you will go as far as you want for as long as you want at CCB.

Jan, we thank you for all your hard work, your commitment to CCB, and the positive IMPACT you’ve brought to both our employees and our clients. You truly are an inspiration to us all!