Our Promise: Create Certainty Every Step of the Way
How The Knutson Experience Builds Partnership
Clients and design partners create the vision - Knutson’s role is to provide confidence. From there, our construction leaders and trade partners bring it to life. Success is not achieved solely by the end result, but by the experience throughout. The journey should be fun, and partnership is the key.
You have dreams. We know how to make them real. We are committed to you through trust, communication, flexibility, respect, and teamwork. We will provide certainty, confidence and represent your interests at every stage of the journey, and always keep you in the loop of what’s happening and what’s to come. Your project is unique – we will tailor our approach to the nuances of your vision & surroundings and our interactions with your employees, customers, stakeholders, and neighbors will make you feel proud. Your goals become ours – we will work in partnership to achieve success together.
We are only as strong as the relationships we build with our trade partners. Whether we’ve partnered in the past, or we’re building together for the first time, we are committed to you.
We will provide a fair and open bid-award process, and conduct a kickoff meeting to collaborate and align expectations. We strive to provide strong project leadership to foster safety, respect, support, communication, collaboration, mutual accountability, timely payment, productivity, and a positive work environment. We are committed to close-out projects in a timely manner, and seek to earn your trust and build a lasting relationship.
We’re in awe of what you do — create a vision out of mere space. And right alongside you, we see the possibilities. Construction is guided by your design, and we will earn your confidence and leverage our knowledge, experience, and technology to make your design real.
We are committed to providing you with innovative and workable solutions to project challenges, and you can count on us for responsible cost and change management. We will gain your trust by acting with integrity and reliability, and will work with a cooperative, positive, and solutions-centered approach. We are committed to concise, open, and frequent communication and encourage a constant exchange of ideas and information.
At Knutson, we are grateful to have you as part of Team Blue. Here, everyone plays an important role, and we believe in supporting & recognizing our employees — this is our commitment to you. We strive to offer a welcoming and effective onboarding program when you start your journey, and will provide clearly defined job responsibilities, along with ongoing training and development to promote personal growth. Knutson leadership always seeks your input and ideas on how to ensure that this remains a great place to work, promotes a positive work environment, and makes you feel assured, inspired and appreciated.
2005
The Knutson Experience Started
80%
Work From Repeat Customers
50+
Clients and Partners
Knutson’s Long-Held, Long-Practiced Beliefs and Values
This term has grown out of Knutson’s long-held, long-practiced beliefs and values and was coined in 2005 following extensive research with clients. Knutson commissioned the research to understand how clients view the construction experience and to ensure that The Knutson Experience gives them confidence and peace of mind. This research was expanded to include architects, trade partners and employees to ensure they also feel assured, inspired and appreciated at every stage of our journey, together.
Dedicated Difference Makers
Before starting any project, we ask ourselves: “How can we deliver the outstanding construction experience our clients and people deserve?” View examples of how we step up to the plate every day to make a difference for our clients.
Continual Success in K-12
Knutson has been honored to hold years-long partnerships with both Northfield Public Schools and Rochester Public Schools, stemming from initial bond referendums successfully passing to push multiple construction projects attached to them forward. While each project is unique, consisting of renovations, fresh builds, expansions and more, all challenged the Knutson team by requiring completion within very short timeframes outside of regular school year operations, as well as with minimized disruption to the school and its local community.
Navigating Your Project
Rochester Public Schools and Northfield Public Schools both had large-scale projects ongoing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Knutson was tasked with navigating the uncertainty surrounding each project’s safety, staffing, and subsequent supply chain issues.
Knutson’s project teams increased communication to remain transparent with both the school districts and the trades, ensuring timely delivery of building materials and appropriate subcontractor manpower as well as decreasing the likelihood of project delays. We also took great care to coordinate work to avoid student disruptions and keep disturbances to all school operations minimal; our previous healthcare experience also allowed our teams to jump swiftly into action with new protocols and initiatives intended to limit spread on-site and keep workers and job sites safe.
Unique Partner Solutions
For the Northfield Public Schools project, community communication was a large key to the project’s success. We provided weekly updates to community members, installed live on-site cameras easily accessed by the public, and held regular meetings to inform those local to project happenings. Team members personally fielded concerns from neighbors as well, listening to feedback and making appropriate modifications to the project’s scope. These added touches are always an option for clients who want to ensure their local communities are informed and safe when it comes to Knutson-led projects.
At Rochester Public Schools, Knutson’s team worked diligently to become the district’s general contractor of choice over the course of several fast-paced projects. They continue to work with us in different capacities, most recently hiring our team to oversee a $40 million major mechanical infrastructure and indoor air quality project at the district’s largest high school.
Leading the Way
From renovating small elementary schools to building new best-in-class university facilities, Knutson is proud to lead the way in education construction. We take pride in crafting inspired learning environments for students of all ages, and are dedicated to bringing meticulous care to every phase of construction.
Dr. Matthew J. Hillman, Ed.D.
"Throughout the entire [project] process, we routinely felt we had made a sage decision to partner with Knutson Construction. They managed to finish [our] projects on time and under budget; keep in mind that almost 60% of these projects were completed during a global pandemic. Their scheduling acumen is the highest caliber. As the Superintendent of Schools, I never lost sleep about any part of these projects (or the budget) because Knutson earned my implicit trust. They are a fantastic construction management firm with the highest integrity, and I give them my highest recommendation without reservation."
Understanding Your Needs
Hawkins, Inc. in Rosemount, MN is a manufacturer and distributer of bulk specialty chemicals for a wide variety of industries. Aspects of their specialized work could very easily be derailed or negatively impacted by standard construction processes, so it was extremely important to them to find a trusted partner like Knutson who understood and took the heart of their work into consideration during the entire course of a project.
A True Partner
After completing previous projects to establish a solid relationship with the Hawkins team, Knutson dug into the details of a recent expansion at their facility. Upon review of the plans, the project team knew they would have to get creative to achieve the project’s proposed end goals. Working in tandem with Hawkins like true partners, Knutson managed the project beyond the initial scope of work as it underwent continuous changes based on on-site staff requests, additional funding opportunities, and frequent plan revisions.
Budget discussions with the team are frequent and provided in real-time, enabling Hawkins to make sound fiscal decisions more quickly to ensure work is not delayed. A member of the team has even noted, “I’ve been really pleased thus far. [Knutson’s Superintendent] has been excellent to work with. That is key for me.”
Going Above + Beyond
Knutson has served as an advisor to Hawkins beyond the typical capacity in an effort to save them cost, time, and energy. We’ve also taken on coordination with their external vendors to ensure our work occurs effectively without affecting operations, and even provided hand-drawn visuals for new project items that did not have design pinned down to get things moving more efficiently.
Our team of experts knows what it takes to work in the most sensitive spaces with minimal disruptions to facility activities. We also build around the unique business needs of each client, delivering economic and inspirational workspaces designed with you in mind.
Proven Partnership
For over 25 years, the Prairie Island Indian Community (PIIC) has entrusted Knutson for all of their construction needs, including work done at Treasure Island Resort and Casino.
From the early beginnings of a small bingo hall to what is now one of Minnesota’s most-trafficked resort and casino destinations, Knutson has partnered with the PIIC for hundreds of projects including minor labor assistance to large-scale hotel and water park expansions. This relationship is based on both parties’ mutual appreciation for Knutson’s dedication to transparency, integrity, and respect, as well as our understanding of the importance and impact of the tribal community’s participation in construction.
Partnership Beyond Projects
On principal, Knutson assumes ownership of each project and treats it with a personal touch; your dream becomes ours once we partner together. Seeing this mentality come to fruition throughout multiple projects led to the PIIC and Treasure Island gaining complete trust that Knutson would be there to fully support the tribal community as they continue to grow and prosper in the southeastern Minnesota region. The PIIC and TI know that they can count on us to deliver value, quality, and complete professionalism within all projects we work on.
Our partnership also extends beyond construction projects. On numerous occasions, Knutson has been proud to sponsor various charity organizations and other events held by the PIIC. We know this support is appreciated by the local community, and our involvement in such endeavors only increases our understanding of the tribal community’s needs and goals — making us a more well-rounded project partner.
Darrell Breuer
“Knutson Construction is a highly-regarded partner, and I am happy to recommend them to any owner for any project now, and in the future. The Knutson team has demonstrated their core values while working with us, which have consistently lead to one successful project after another. Knutson always takes a proactive approach to solving problems and overcoming challenges, while keeping the lines of communication open and everyone working as a team. While working with Knutson, they have demonstrated that our best interests is their top priority.”
Putting You First
For years, Knutson has worked with recognizable healthcare organizations throughout the midwest, becoming a leader in the field for safety and innovation on the construction site. At M Health Fairview St. John’s, we’ve worked to provide The Knutson Experience to every single individual on the job site — including medical professionals like charge nurses, who our project teams felt needed to be informed of operational disruptions due to construction processes as it impacted their work on a critical level.
Ensuring Safety + Serviceable Conditions
As with any of our projects, our communication plan was strong with the St. John’s team to ensure everybody on-site was safe and able to continue their work with minimal disturbance. It was especially important to our project team to take diligent care in their work by making adjustments on the fly to accommodate the needs of medical professionals who needed to work throughout construction. We opted to split work into nearly 30 phases, with construction crews working within specific timeframes to keep noise minimal and allow regular operations to continue as close to normal as possible.
Continued Success in Healthcare
As a result of Knutson’s work with the St. John’s team, M Health has chosen to partner with Knutson for multiple projects, including St. John’s Cardiovascular Vertical Expansion.
It is our honor helping build places that expand the medical services our community members have access to, as well as work alongside healthcare professionals. Our teams always put the needs of patients, staff, and visitors first, and we are committed to making every effort to minimize disruption and maximize convenience for those who work to save and improve lives everyday.
Staff Member
"When the construction crew was laying new flooring in the hallway, it took 4 rooms out of service for us on a very busy, tough day. We had a full census in NICU, and every available bed in MCC was occupied. I asked the construction supervisor if Knutson could speed up the flooring installation as we needed the beds, and only a few hours later, the team turned the space over to us. This extra effort by this crew was all in the spirit of making it possible for us to meet patient needs... what a great crew and great effort in the spirit of patient care by the construction team. Knutson's group is part of our team, and is dedicated to making things work for our patients."