The Berglund story began in 1907, when a 16-year-old Swedish immigrant named Fred Berglund arrived in Chicago looking for opportunity. While working as a blacksmith alongside his uncle, Fred discovered that the shop clock had been quietly turned back to reduce workers’ pay.
He walked away.
That decision defined the company long before it had a name. Fred chose integrity over convenience and began building a new path - learning brick masonry cleaning and repair before starting his own company in 1911.
What began with one craftsman and a ladder would grow into a multi-state construction firm recognized nationally for both historic restoration and complex institutional building.
Yet the values that shaped the company’s earliest days - craftsmanship, accountability, and relationships - remain its foundation today.
A Trusted Partner Across Indiana
Berglund’s work continues to grow alongside the communities it serves, partnering with universities, healthcare systems, businesses, and nonprofits to shape everyday life across Indiana.
At Purdue University Northwest, projects like the Bioscience Innovation Building and Calumet Hall support student life and workforce development. Private sector work, including the Centier Bank Headquarters and renovations at Blue Chip Casino, contributes to regional growth, while projects like Journeyman Distillery help revitalize local downtowns.
Healthcare partnerships with University of Chicago Medicine reflect Berglund’s ability to deliver in complex, highly coordinated environments.
Equally important are community-driven projects, the Duneland YMCA Healthy Living Campus and Tolleston Opportunity Campus represent transformational investments in wellness, education, and opportunity across Indiana.
Because when you build where you live, the impact is personal.
A Rare Achievement in Business
As Berglund celebrates this milestone, the company joins an exceptionally small group of family-owned businesses that have successfully reached the fourth generation of leadership.
Statistics show just how rare that achievement is:
With Jeff Berglund now serving as President, the fourth generation of leadership continues a tradition that has been carefully stewarded for more than a century.
Both CEO Fred Berglund and President Jeff Berglund call Northwest Indiana home, reinforcing the company’s strong connection to the region and the communities its projects serve.
For Jeff, the milestone is both meaningful and humbling.
“Longevity isn’t something you inherit,” he says. “It’s something you earn every day through the people you work with and the trust your clients place in you.”
Building the Next 115 years
Berglund’s story is rooted in history, but its focus is firmly on what comes next. Across Indiana, growth is accelerating, driven by expanding universities, evolving healthcare systems, revitalized downtowns, and investment in community infrastructure, and Berglund is helping lead that progress.
From higher education and healthcare to adaptive reuse and community focused spaces, each project reflects a balance of forward thinking and respect for what came before. That approach is backed by a legacy in preservation, with work on some of the region’s most
iconic structures, including the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, Unity Temple, and Union Station, as well as ongoing restoration efforts like the House of Tomorrow, Bailly Homestead, and Good Fellow Camp Lodge.
With strong local leadership and community ties, Berglund approaches every project with a long-term mindset.
Because building in your own community means thinking beyond today.
And as the region continues to evolve, Berglund remains committed to shaping spaces that endure, for the next generation, and the next 115 years.
