100th anniversary commemorative book

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The Standard of Excellence

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Page 1: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

The Standard of Excellence

Page 2: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Dedicated to

ExcellenceAfter 100 years, Arthur H. Neumann and his brothers’

core values of personal commitment, pride and integrity remain the cornerstone of the Neumann Brothers approach to construction. It is these values that

have been passed on through the years and through generations of family members and clients. It is these

values that are forever built into this extraordinary company. Because, with Neumann Brothers, it’s more

than just building. It’s the standard of excellence.

Page 3: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Arthur H. Neumann1884-1972

Walter N. Neumann1886-1955

Harold C. Neumann1893-1983

Oscar D. Neumann1891-1939

Page 4: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Neumann Brothers, Inc, is an enterprise founded by my grandfather with his brothers. Over the last 100 years, this company has placed its handprint throughout Des Moines and Iowa by erecting some of the area’s finest buildings. Of that, I am immensely proud.

But there is so much more to the Neumann Brothers story than a skyline of physical structures. More than could possibly be included in this book. Because, while you can look at a photograph of a multi-

story building, an image can’t tell the story of the vision and dedication that went into crafting

that building. And while you can read the words describing each decade, it’s nearly impossible to convey the hard work and dedication of thousands of workers who have stepped onto a job site each day, deeply committed to the success of our company.

At the core of this company is a spirit and a bond that was created from

the generations of workers and leaders 100 years before us.

My great-great grandparents were among the first settlers in Des Moines.

Their dreams were so vibrant that they remain the foundation of every project we undertake today. Their spirit to succeed has survived generations of a family that, like any family, has had its highs and lows. But, through it all, through 100 years, a determination to maintain the Neumann organization has prevailed. An organization that is proud to be associated with some of the state’s finest structures and proud to be looking ahead to a future legacy that is as stable as ever.

So as we present this historical look at Neumann Brothers’ first century of business, I hope you can catch a glimpse of the heart and spirit that is unique to our company and the structures that we have been so honored to build. From the golden dome of the restored Iowa State Capitol to the top of the Ruan Center, and some of the most unique and historic buildings in our state, we are all immensely proud of this heritage and excited for the decades ahead.

An Introduction

Character, by Ralph Waldo EmersonArthur H. Neumann carried this book in his pocket every day.

Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence4

Marshall G. Linn III

Page 5: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence6

The Beginning1912-1919

In 1912, Arthur H. Neumann of Des Moines, the oldest son of a pioneer family and a young entrepreneur, starts Arthur H. Neumann & Company. Quickly gaining a reputation for integrity and outstanding workmanship – with his brothers Walter, Oscar and Harold joining in 1913 – Arthur H. Neumann & Company quickly thrived – beginning its legacy with work that included Hanawalt School, Ames’ Mary Greeley Memorial Hospital, William Penn College, the Maytag Company and hundreds of other structures that, a century later, remain a viable part of Iowa. While World War I was forever changing Europe, Arthur H. Neumann & Company was beginning to change the face of Iowa’s communities. Newton Foundry, 1919-1920 Monticello Hospital, 1916First National Bank, Newton, 1919

Des Moines Municipal Courthouse, 1918-1920Simpson College Central Building, 1919. Renamed Hillman Hall in 1961 for John L. Hillman, Simpson’s longest serving president (1919-1936).

North High School addition, 1914

Page 6: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Horse and mule teams were used in building everything from road and railways to buildings. And while automobiles replaced horses in certain niches, horses continued to be used in construction well into the 20th century. Here we see a Neumann construction crew using a team of horses and a steam shovel.

Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence

University of Iowa Field House, 1926

Northwestern Bell, 1929

Harding Junior High School, 1925

The Roaring Twenties1920-1929

Who would have thought that a Des Moines-based construction and engineering firm would be capable of building Iowa’s first skyscraper? That’s just what Arthur H. Neumann did – spending two years developing the Equitable Building, one of the company’s most prominent signature pieces in the Des Moines skyline. Arthur H. Neumann & Company was steadfast and industrious in completing projects such as the Des Moines Building, Northwestern Bell, the Insurance Exchange Building, Harding and Callanan junior high schools, as well as two major structures in Iowa City and Ames (the Field House at the University of Iowa and Iowa State’s Memorial Union) and the Eagle Iron Works. The progress of Arthur H. Neumann & Company kept pace with the era’s events such as the birth of WHO radio in Des Moines, the launch of E.T. Meredith’s Better Homes and Gardens and Charles Lindberg’s historic trans-Atlantic flight.

Iowa’s first skyscraper, the Equitable Building, 1922 2012

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Page 7: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

A Decade of Determined Growth1930-1939

Despite the lingering effects of a global depression, Arthur H. Neumann & Company was determined to succeed through this decade. In 1932, the same year FDR was elected President, the company changed its name to Arthur H. Neumann and Brothers, Inc., restating the family’s mission to build the finest structures possible. This focus was verified with the completion of buildings that included the Greyhound Bus Depot, Flynn Dairy, Drake University’s Cowles Library, Bankers Life and the St. Ambrose Church Rectory.

Bankers Life, 1938 Smouse School, 1930

Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence

Stages of construction for the Des Moines Building, 1930

General Motors Warehouse, 1935 Iowa State University Memorial Union addition, 1938

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Page 8: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

A Time of Dynamic Change1940-1949

The clouds of war abruptly engulfed the United States when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. After the war, the young men of the family’s second generation came back to Des Moines and joined the company. Though the war effort greatly impacted the number of available skilled construction workers in Des Moines, Arthur H. Neumann and Brothers pushed forward with many vital projects, including Broadlawns Hospital, Meredith Publishing Company, Fort Leonard Wood and the Des Moines Water Work’s Maffitt Reservoir. As the war ended and soldiers returned home, Arthur H. Neumann and Brothers built several new facilities, which included a second plant for the Maytag Company, and the first building for the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company Des Moines plant.

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Neumann Family, Fourth of July, 1946

Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence

Maytag Company, 1945 Marquette Cement Manufacturing Co., 1941Des Moines Art Center, 1948

Iowa-Des Moines National Bank, 1945

Meredith Publishing, 1941

Page 9: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Dividend of Peace1950-1959

As the 1950s dawned and WOI-TV in Ames (Iowa’s first television station) began to broadcast, it was a time of transition for Arthur H. Neumann and Brothers as a second generation of the family assumed management of the company. The leadership and direction of Gordon, Hal, Walter, Oscar and Charles coincided with a burst of signature projects that included Veterans Memorial Auditorium and the Iowa-Des Moines National Bank Motor Bank. Additional projects included Park Fair Shopping Center, Iowa Paint Manufacturing Company, Inc., and the first addition to Bankers Life.

Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 1954

Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence

Left: Iowa Paint Manufacturing Company, Inc., 1958

Below: Iowa-Des Moines National Bank Motor Bank, 1959

Gordon R. Neumann Harold C. Neumann Jr. Walter N. Neumann Jr. Oscar D. Neumann Charles E. Wittmack14

Page 10: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Unprecedented Social Change1960-1969

As the world experienced profound social and political change in the 1960s, Arthur H. Neumann and Brothers did its part to have a positive impact on Des Moines and Iowa, and celebrated 50 years of business in 1962. As students in Iowa City protested the war in southeast Asia, the company was building Virgil M. Hancher Auditorium on the University of Iowa campus. Other notable landmarks built by Arthur H. Neumann and Brothers included the American Republic Insurance Building, St. John’s Lutheran Church, IMT Insurance, and the Grand and Ingersoll Towers.

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Stages of construction for the American Republic Insurance Building, 1963

Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence

In 1999, Neumann Brothers set the Sphere Within Sphere sculpture in the American Republic Insurance Building courtyard. Designed by Arnaldo Pomodoro, it is one of only 10 in the world.

Virgil M. Hancher Auditorium, 1966

West Grand Tower, 1962

Kmart Building, 1968

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Page 11: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Changing the Skyline1970-1979 In 1972, Arthur H. Neumann and Brothers transitioned to Neumann Brothers, Inc. and continued to work hard and diligently in its efforts to define the Des Moines skyline and community. While political ambition was defined by events at the Watergate Hotel, the company demonstrated a different kind of ambition by completing such projects as the Ruan Center, Southgate and Westown Shopping Centers, the 7th Street parking ramp, the Des Moines Botanical Center and the Des Moines Marriott Downtown hotel. The decade drew to a close as the world’s attention focused on Des Moines for a Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II at Living History Farms.

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Des Moines Botanical Center, 1977

Ruan Center construction, 1973 Ruan Center, 2012

Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence

Des Moines Marriott Downtown, 1970Marshall County Courthouse, 1974

Page 12: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Monticello Hospital, 1916

Clemmons Auto Building, 1985

Continued Expansion and Growth1980-1989

The decade blasted off with the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in 1980, an appropriate beginning for a booming business period. In this time, a third generation of the Neumann family began to make its mark as C. Arthur Wittmack, Marshall G. (Bruz) Linn III, John E. Neumann and Scott N. Linn took the helm with the renewed drive to ensure the company’s stability and future. With Art and Bruz leading the charge, Neumann Brothers strengthened the company throughout the decade with a commitment to quality and service that has been part of Neumann since the beginning. As American culture was forever branded by the debut of MTV, the building culture in central Iowa was further clarified by such structures as Neumann Brothers’ new offices at 1435 Ohio Street, the Polk County Jail, Clocktower Square, Dial Finance/Norwest Financial, Governor Square, the Za-Ga-Zig Shrine Temple and Ramsey Pontiac — truly a decade of achievement.

Scott N. LinnJohn E. NeumannMarshall G. (Bruz) Linn IIIC. Arthur Wittmack20 Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence

Za-Ga-Zig Shrine Temple, 1989

Polk County Jail, 1981

Park Place, 1987

Page 13: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Meredith Publishing expansion, 1995

Sticks Gallery, 1998

Claes Oldenburg’s Plantoir was moved from an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to Des Moines. Neumann Brothers set this piece of sculpture at the Meredith Publishing headquarters to commemorate the publishing firm’s 100th anniversary and to celebrate its noted role in gardening through its flagship publication, Better Homes and Gardens.

Finishing the 20th Century with Flair1990-1999 Indeed, the 90s were historic, accented by a 1993 flood that covered downtown Des Moines and put seven feet of water in Neumann Brothers’ new headquarters. With the dissolution of the USSR and Cold War, the age of information shifted into high gear as millions of people began to connect with the Internet.

Meanwhile, Neumann Brothers celebrated its own milestones by completing such notable structures as the EMC Insurance Companies building, an addition to Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, Urbandale High School, a segment of Wesley Acres, the Meredith Flight Center, Old Main at Grand View College, and additions to the Des Moines’ skywalk system.

Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence

Prairie Meadows addition, 1995EMC Insurance Companies, 1996

22 Terrace Hill renovations, 1998

Grand View College Old Main interior renovation, 1997

Page 14: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

In 1984, Neumann Brothers began the long process of restoring the Iowa State Capitol after the landmark had experienced decades of neglect. The multi-phased effort continues today as the grand structure is returned to its original state, including replacing the gold leaf on the dome, restoring the limestone exterior and refurbishing legislative chambers while incorporating energy-efficient measures and modern-day technology.

Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence24

Restoring an American Classic

Page 15: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

New Challenges for a New Century2000-2011 As the new millennium emerged, so did a wave of prominent buildings built by Neumann Brothers, including the new Science Center of Iowa; Grinnell College’s new residence halls, the Campus Center and Charles Benson Bear ’39 Recreation and Athletic Center; the Iowa Speedway in Newton; Southeast Polk High School; and the renovation of the former Des Moines Public Library into the impressive new headquarters of the Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Hall of Laureates in Des Moines. Neumann Brothers completed projects that instilled greater pride in the community and, in many cases, the entire country.

Science Center of Iowa, 2002Grinnell College Charles Benson Bear ‘39 Recreation and Athletic Center, 2007

Iowa Speedway, 2005 Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence26

Des Moines University Student Education Center, 2003

Page 16: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Josephs West Glen, 2004

EMC Parking Ramp, 2004 Grand View College Rasmussen Center, 2002Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence

Iowa National Guard Freedom Center, 2006

EDS Interior, 2001

Neal Smith Federal Building exterior facade renovation, 2010

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Page 17: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Neumann Brothers The Standard of Excellence

Claxon’s Smokehouse and Grill, 2004

Iowa State Bar Association, 2007

Ankeny First United Methodist Church, 2007

Chad R. BunnerMarshall G. (Bruz) Linn III John E. NeumannMichael G. Simpson Thomas J. Walter

Farmers Mutual Hail, 2006

Southeast Polk High School, 2006

Linweld, 2008

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Building Upon a Foundation

The Neumann Brothers management structure is shifting smoothly, welcoming the first non-family member into the ownership group by naming Michael G. Simpson as Chief Financial Officer in 1999. Art Wittmack moved to his current role as Director in 2008 and Marshall G. (Bruz) Linn III continues to operate the company from his post as CEO. Years of strategic planning and succession development have been critical to this group as the fourth generation of Neumann Brothers management is evolving to ensure the Neumann Brothers legacy for decades to come.

Page 18: 100th Anniversary Commemorative Book

Expansion of a Decisive Iowa FootprintSince 1912, Neumann Brothers has been making its mark on the buildings of central Iowa and beyond — helping shape businesses, cities and an entire industry. From state-of-the-art construction to meaningful historical projects, Neumann Brothers has proudly distinguished itself during the last 100 years as a company that believes in restoring this community’s past, as well as developing its future. A future of excellence.

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