Denver, CO, October 2, 2023 – Industrial Constructors/Managers, Inc. (ICM), a licensed general contractor specializing in industrial construction and plant maintenance, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this October. ICM was started in October of 1983 by founder Burnie Zercher who is now the Chairman of the Board.
Burnie founded ICM with just a handful of employees, with the Pueblo Steel Mill as its main client. While ICM’s history is steeped in millwright services, as well as steel erection and fabrication, the company has vastly diversified its project base over the past 40 years, now employing over seven different trades, all of whom are unionized. They collectively work on over 500 projects each year, which have ranged from helping Molson Coors build a new state-of-the-art fermenting, aging, filtration and cellaring system at the company’s Golden, Colorado brewery, to installing over a mile of new pipe in Cheyenne Mountain, to renovating the baggage handling system at Saipan’s international airport.
“I always said that if anyone can do the job, then it’s not our job,” said Zercher. “The more challenging it is, the better we do. That’s where our motto, ‘we love a challenge’ comes from. We take on projects that are unique and require innovative thinking because we excel at coming up with new solutions, while still getting the job done on time and on budget.”
While ICM originated in Pueblo, Colorado, it now has an office in Commerce City north of Denver, which came with its acquisition of Precision Industrial in 2018. The company employs close to 300 people, and it generated $63 million in revenue in 2022.
“A lot of our growth has come from our belief in hiring for culture and training for performance,” said Ed Myers, president of ICM. “Because you can teach people the skills they need, but if they lack character, the skills don’t matter. Having character and integrity goes a long way in our industry, which is why we invest in our people, treat them like family and create opportunities for them to grow and succeed in their careers.”
ICM has a long history of philanthropy, focused on improving the communities in which it works. The company is particularly passionate about early childhood development and education advocacy. Zercher helped start an organization in Pueblo called EPIC – Executives Partnering to Invest in Children, which brought in $1.5 million worth of books to distribute during the Covid 19 pandemic. ICM’s Commerce City office also just recently assembled 75 bikes for second graders at Alsup Elementary School as part of Wish for Wheels, which donates bikes and helmets to second graders at Title 1 schools.
ICM also regularly provides support and resources to United Way of Pueblo County, Greater Pueblo Chamber, Heritage Christian Center, Boys and Girls Club of Denver, Let Your Light Shine, Junior Achievement, Pueblo County High School Hockey and CSU Pueblo’s Civil Engineering Technology program.
“Our dedication to ‘loving a challenge’ and to giving back to the community has led us to develop many long-lasting relationships,” said Jamie Hodges, executive vice president of ICM. “We look forward to continuing to nurture and grow these relationships, our services, our people and our community outreach for many years to come.”
Key stats about ICM’s 40 years of service are below:
- Founded in 1983
- Offices in Pueblo and Commerce City
- $63 million revenue generated in 2022
- 522 new projects awarded in 2022
- 286 full-time employees
- Employs seven unionized trades – iron workers, millwrights, pipe fitters, carpenters, cement masons, operators and laborers
