The team at M.R. Neubert Construction, LLC is closely knit, and each member is individually trained by Owner and Founder, Mike Neubert.

A look inside Luxemburg-Casco High School’s new wrestling facility in Wisconsin, a project built by M.R. Neubert Construction, LLC.

From growing up on a farm, to leading a construction company, Mike Neubert’s passion for fostering growth in both the natural and built environments is lifelong. He spent his childhood getting up early to help feed the cows on the family dairy farm. Today, his company constructs buildings, which support growing businesses that produce products and provide places for many to work and play.

Mike (with help from his wife, Jill) founded M.R. Neubert Construction, LLC (Neubert) in 2013, almost five decades after his introduction to construction at age 15, when he began framing houses for his father’s friend. Since starting his own company, Mike and his team have provided wood-framing services as well as steel-stud framing, pre-engineered steel buildings and large-scale carpentry projects throughout Wisconsin. Mike says that what really sets the company apart is the ability to offer either wood or steel framing done by in-house, certified, experienced talent.

Many of Neubert’s clients are in the agricultural, commercial and industrial industries. Over the years, the company has partnered with various metal building manufacturers that provide high-quality, custom-designed building materials. As a result, the staff can guide each client in selecting the system best suited to their project and, regardless of their choice, Neubert has the capabilities to skillfully construct it.

Executing and Managing

Many general contractors use subcontractor and labor pools to deliver construction services. Not true of Neubert, a proof point of which Mike is very proud. “We provide every skill required after laying the concrete foundation, except for electrical, HVAC and plumbing. I’ve chosen to keep most specialties in-house so I can have true control over the finished product,” he says.

For the Neubert team, quality has seemingly not been an issue. Quite the contrary, as the business has provided award-winning projects on design-build and construction management contracts for high-profile clients for more than a decade. One such project is a new private airplane hangar for Green Bay Packaging at the Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport in Wisconsin, a reasonably large-scale project that helped propel the company’s name recognition and garner respect within the local construction industry. The project received a Star Building Systems’ Master Builder of the Year award for innovation and design. This 25,200-square-foot private hangar used both conventional and metal construction to meet an aggressive 11-month construction schedule. This is one of many projects Neubert has worked on with Wisconsin-based designer, Fisher & Associates LLC.

“We offer design-build services but because we don’t have an architect on staff, we partner with Rick Fisher. He’s a big part of our success and we’ve done many projects with him,” Mike says. One project of which he is particularly proud is a new wrestling facility for the Luxemburg-Casco High School. “I have a son who currently ranks No. 1 in the nation for grade-school wrestling,” Mike says. “When our local high school asked us to be involved in their new state-of-the-art facility, I jumped at the offer.”

The company also gives back to the sports world by supporting various booster clubs and donating money to local sports teams and programs. “I believe many of our future leaders can be found among those playing sports in school,” Mike says. “To be a leader in sports requires perseverance and grit and we’re happy to support that effort in any way we can.”

Steel and Wood

Recently, the Neubert team completed a four-story Hampton Inn in Glendale, Wisconsin. This was a challenging project as the structure incorporated both steel and wood. “Mass timber structures are starting to increase in popularity, but they are more labor-intensive,” Mike explains. “But, thankfully for us, we handle all our projects with a vetted project approach, which means we execute consistently regardless of project size to ensure we’re always adhering to best practices. Our heart, soul and pride are also on the line with every engagement.”

Protect Your Best Years

Always spurred by his growth mindset, Mike enhanced his leadership team by adding Controller Glenn Bscherer to the ranks three years ago. “I’ve known Mike for decades and I know he is committed to being hands-on and nurturing his business to grow both in talent and revenue,” Glenn says. “When he offered me a job I accepted immediately because I saw how quickly he had grown and the caliber of talent he had assembled.”

Glenn’s addition to the roster has been a game-changer for Mike. “My dad told me years ago, never give the best years of your life to someone else,” Mike says. “That struck a chord in me (and Glenn) because it means you should have a sense of ownership and pride in everything you do.”

For Mike, this translates into having more capacity to be out in the field to monitor quality. For Glenn, a man heading toward retirement, that means taking a risk later in life to join a growing company where he can help develop a legacy for others to build upon over time.

Touting the company’s culture, Glenn cites Mike’s leadership at its core. “He not only runs this as a family-oriented business, but he also takes the time to train each employee himself. Morale is high; that stems from Mike teaching us discipline and respect for one another. It’s a [team-oriented] culture and I am proud to be a part of it,” he says.

Promises Are Personal

When pressed about his leadership style, Mike is quick to elaborate. “I don’t just sit in an office. I sell the project, oversee construction and follow up after a project is complete. Clients are not just a number or a project on the books,” he says.

Guaranteeing quality and craftmanship is a top priority for Mike. “I’m able to provide what I’ve promised because I am personally involved—whether through my physical presence or through my team that I personally train,” he says. “Our process leads to a loyalty and trust that is unmatched because I don’t ask my employees to do anything that I would not do myself.” The personal commitment and personal touch are not things that Mike just spouts—he seems to live this mantra; and that is easy to believe when they come from a man who carries his toolbelt in his truck every day.

To the leaders at Neubert, “it’s personal” means collective personal responsibility. It is meant to reflect who they are as people, as a team and as a company. Mike states, “I want to be challenged. For example, when you are calculating how to pick up a 28,000-pound main frame and hang it right without the risk to people or structures, I want to feel personally invested at all times.”

Although Mike is focused on growth, consistency and delivery are also key to his leadership paradigm, and that means telling it straight. A self-proclaimed “loudmouth with a big heart,” Mike believes if you tell the truth and keep family first, success will come.