Boldly Expanding
Boldt Construction expands operations, moving into State's first 'Green' office building.
When Martin Boldt opened his humble carpentry shop in 1889 in Appleton, Wis., he likely never envisioned the construction company bearing his name would be building the type of office facilities Boldt Construction Company built for its Southern Operation Headquarters in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City employees for the privately held company recently moved into the facility off Hefner Road and Broadway Extension. The new office building consumes 42,000 square feet and is considerably larger than the company's previous office space off Memorial Road.
Costing $6.5 million and designed by Studio Architecture, the striking, glass-wrapped Boldt building is the state's first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) facility and includes everything from hookups for electric cars to internal processes that recycle water and use natural light to keep operating cost down.
LEED standards are established by the U.S. Green Building Council. And, as part of the achieving the standards, Boldt also incorporated low-emitting glass and sustainable materials into the construction and design of its new headquarters, as well as numerous other 'green' features.
The company's president for its Southern operations, Jerry Ennis, said it cost the company only about $275,000 more to build its new headquarters to LEED specifications. However, the company anticipates to get a return on that investment in just four years in the form of lower utility costs, he said.
"We look forward to that savings but most of all we're excited about the tremendous work environment the building has created for our employees," Ennis said, indicating Boldt currently employs 300 people in Oklahoma.
The chairman of Boldt, Oscar Boldt, flew in from Wisconsin to assist in the October dedication of the facility, and told those in attendance ' which included Gov. Brad Henry, Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin, state Secretary of the Environment Miles Tolbert and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett ' that his company building this type of facility in Oklahoma City was a symbolic commitment of Boldt to the state of Oklahoma.
He also said he hoped Boldt customers would follow Boldt's lead, and start contracting with Boldt to construct green structures themselves.
"We're on the cutting edge," Boldt said. "I can tell you we're excited to have a role in the growth of Oklahoma. It's a state that had core values that we share."
Boldt expanded its operations to Oklahoma 25 years ago. In that time, the company has been the general contractor for such high-profile projects as the SBC Bricktown Ballpark, the North Bricktown Canal, the Will Rogers World Airport expansion, the National Weather Research Center in Norman and the Conoco-Phillips Alumni center at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. In addition, the company currently is the contractor for the MAPS for Kids projects, building three new high schools for Oklahoma City Public Schools system ' Douglass, U.S. Grant and John Marshall high schools.
Just two years ago, Boldt announced it was choosing Oklahoma City for its Southern Operations Headquarters and would be building a new facility for its expanded operations. The regional headquarters oversees the company's operations not only in Oklahoma, but also in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.