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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowRevenue growth FY 2022 to 2024: 108.21%
2024 revenue: $754.67 million
Doubly happy: Specialty contractor BMWC Constructors Inc. is celebrating its 70th year in business and its second consecutive year on the Fast 25 list. President and CEO Chris Buckman notes that while fast-growing companies typically are either relatively young or have a new product, “We’ve been doing the same type of thing for 70 years, so we’re really proud that the growth has come at the same time when we’ve been in business for 70 years.”
What’s in a name? The name BMWC comes from the three men—Jack Baker, Pat McHenry and Bob Welch—who bought the small mechanical contractor they worked for and renamed it Baker-McHenry Inc., then later Baker McHenry and Welch. Buckman picks up the story: “As legend has it, Jack thought that sounded too much like a law firm. So, he officially changed the name to BMW. And then as we expanded across the country, there was enough confusion with BMW, the car company, and BMW, the construction company. To eliminate some of that confusion, we added a C to the end. We’ve been BMWC everywhere in the country since about 2012.”
Nationwide: BMWC is headquartered in Indiana, and 50% or more of its revenue comes from Indiana and the greater Midwest, Buckman said. But the company also has nine offices in seven regions, including Seattle; Portland, Oregon; and Arizona. It’s also in Munster and Evansville, as well as Toledo and Lima in Ohio, and North Carolina.
At work: BMWC handled the piping and HVAC sheet metal work for the new EV battery plant in Kokomo. That was the company’s largest project ever and its first venture into that industry, Buckman said. “We didn’t build the building, but when you walk inside the building and you look at all the machinery and equipment and piping systems and duct work that’s in there, we were responsible for delivering most of that.”
Keep going: Buckman said BMWC’s footprints in pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, EV batteries and hyperscale data centers will keep the company busy and growing. “Those industries are rapidly expanding right now. Looking into the future, that’s where the bulk of our revenue will come. None of those industries show any sign of slowing down anytime soon.”•
Check out more of IBJ’s ranking of Indy’s fastest-growing companies.
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