About

History

Our construction experience and expertise is unmatched—but we didn’t earn it over night…

In the beginning, Frank O. Zeise earned a living building houses during the early 1920’s. His business thrived until the onset of the Great Depression. In 1945, he founded Frank O. Zeise Construction Company and began erecting barracks-style metal buildings called “quonsets”. These became increasingly popular as owners began to use them for warehouses and office space. In response, Frank started offering carpentry and masonry services. At this critical juncture in his business, he needed a new truck but could not afford to buy one. Frank’s wife Catherine, who had been secretly saving money from her second-hand store business, surprised him one day with enough money to buy a truck.

As the business grew, Frank’s son, Jerry, joined the company as a mason in 1947. Jerry became president of Frank O. Zeise Construction Co. in 1968 and worked until his passing in 1997. During his tenure, Jerry served on the AGC of Wisconsin’s Board of Directors.

Jerry’s son Tom, worked for the company as a laborer during his high school and college years. Upon graduating from St. Norbert College in De Pere with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Finance, he joined the company in 1984. In 1992, Tom became the company’s third president. Tom is committed to providing industry leadership by serving on the AGC of Wisconsin’s Board of Directors and the Carpenter’s Apprenticeship Committee.

The pursuit of excellence has been rewarded with the trust of our customers as we carry on that tradition of service.