Ames Construction
The foundation of Ames Construction began with a family who dreamed big, followed opportunities, and passed on the values of hard work, integrity and perseverance to their children.
The Ames family has a rich history rooted in farming, a strong work ethic, and unshakeable determination. The lineage dates back to 1874 when John and Eliza Ames immigrated to America from their native England. Their personal integrity and dedication to family would influence generations to come, and become the core culture of Ames Construction.
John Stephen Ames and Eliza Lewell were both born and raised in England, attending the same school in Suffolk County where they met and later married in October of 1869.
An ambitious man with big dreams, John was raised on the family farm and later became a village shopkeeper in Sussex County. Determined to build a better life for his growing family, he set his sights on the land of opportunity—America. John sold his store and the family traveled from London to the United States aboard the S.S. France, arriving at the port of New York.
John began working on a farm in Illinois, eager to get back to his farming roots, with horses being an important part of John Ames’ life. They provided the power to farm the land and created additional income from breeding fees. He showed horses at fairs throughout the area, a tradition that would be carried on by his sons, Charlie and George.
Within eight years’ time, John had saved enough money to put a down payment on a 120-acre farm. Despite tough times, John’s dedication to farming and smart management of his property resulted in his paying off and owning the farm within 20 years of landing on American shores.
Parents
- John: William & Ann Ames
- Eliza: James & Sarah Levell
Children
- Anna Amelia
- Charles G.
- Nettie May
- George Arthur
Farming would become the common thread connecting generations of the Ames family in America, with the values of hard work, perseverance and integrity ingrained into their way of life. Through good times and tough times, the Ames family kept moving forward with a can-do mindset and the determination to never give up. This strength of character was modeled by George and Prudence Ames, and carried through to their children and their children’s children.
George Ames and his older brother, Charlie, worked the family farm with their father, John, and shared his passion for horses. When Charlie married Alice Archer, they moved to Iowa, where he farmed with his son and raised purebred Percheron horses. George married Prudence Hawbaker and together they had five children. During the early 1920s, George farmed with Charlie in Iowa. Together they continued to raise and show champion Percherons, winning enough ribbons and banners to fill a large steamer trunk.
With keen ambition, the brothers financed a 320-acre farm, tilled the land by hand and built a new house on the property. But the economy worsened and farmers struggled to be profitable. The investment Charlie and George had made overextended the brothers financially, resulting in the loss of the farm.
Charlie moved his family to Rockwell, Iowa, and George relocated his family to Farmington, Minnesota. Relying on the same Ames tenacity that pulled his father through tough times, George rented 470 acres of land and started farming again with the help of his four sons.
Parents
- George: John Stephen & Eliza (Levell) Ames
- Prudence: Christian & Ellen (Drury) Hawbaker
Children
- Lloyd Smith
- Millard Willis (Bill)
- Chester Christopher
- Ellen Eliza
- Burl George (Mike)
The most influential people in the Ames Construction family legacy were Chester and Ruby Ames. Carrying forward a farming work ethic and dedication to family first, Chester and Ruby taught their children to be honest, work hard, treat people right, help your neighbor, respect other people’s views whether you agree with them or not, and to never forget where you came from.
Chester was the third child of George and Prudence Ames, born and raised in Illinois. When Chester was seventeen years old, George moved his family to Farmington, Minnesota.
Farming was the family business with long days that left little opportunity for socializing. Yet, Chester didn’t have to go far to find his future bride. The farm across the road belonged to Glenn and Maggie Reisinger, who had five children. It wasn’t long before their youngest daughter, Ruby, caught Chester’s eye, and on July 3, 1928, Chester and Ruby were married. Chet leased farmland in Farmington, where he and Ruby raised their nine children.
Chet was a dedicated farmer with a no-nonsense approach to life, especially when it came to working the farm. He had high expectations but was short on patience. Ruby’s warm, caring and gentle nature balanced Chet’s stern temperament and defined a tightly-bonded family unit.
The Ames children shared characteristics with both parents, showing a strong work ethic and uncompromising commitment to “family first.” These fundamental values became foundational to the company culture and are the guiding principles to the company’s success.
Parents
- Chester: George & Prudence (Hawbaker) Ames
- Ruby: Glenn Lewis & Margaret Eliza (Smith) Reisinger
Children
- Richard John (Dick)
- Beverly Ann (deceased at the age of 18 months)
- Audrey Elaine
- Mary Ellen
- Peggy Lou
- Raymond George (Butch)
- John Alvin
- Thomas Gordon (Tom)
- Ronald Lee (Ron)
Carrying forward the work ethic and values learned while growing up in a farming family, Dick Ames excelled in everything he did, from competitive sports to working on machinery. At the age of 23, he transitioned from working the land to working in construction. Dick spent 10 years learning the business and making contacts until he struck out on his own and founded Richard J. Ames Excavating – which was soon renamed Ames Construction.
Dick Ames was the firstborn child of Chester and Ruby Ames. A hard worker and talented athlete, Dick excelled in competitive sports and aspired to be a coach. However, life had other plans for Dick and, in 1949, he married his high school sweetheart, Norma, left college, and the couple moved to Farmington, Minnesota, where Dick farmed with his grandfather, George.
In 1951, Dick’s father encouraged him to secure a stable job off the farm to support his growing family. Dick spent 10 years working for V. J. Volden Highway Construction Company where he learned all that he could about the business and advanced to become Verdie Volden’s right-hand man.
In November 1961, Dick was ready to start his own business. He purchased a used Caterpillar D8 13A bulldozer and spent the winter repairing the undercarriage and tracks. A family-run business from the start, Norma, who was a CPA and worked for the Farmington school district, managed the office and did the bookkeeping, while Dick’s 13-year-old son, Larry, helped out after school and on weekends.
Relationships Dick had developed with local officials while working for Verdie helped secure his first job to grade two miles of township road, which led to further opportunities in the area. In August of 1962, Dick asked his brother, Butch, to partner with him in the business, and the company was renamed Ames Construction. Within a few short years, other family members joined the business, each one driven to keep the company going—and growing.
Together, the family built Ames Construction into one of today’s premiere full-service heavy civil and industrial general contractors in the nation.
Parents
Spouse
- Norma Lewis (m. 1949; div. 1967)
- Georgiann “Lollie” Curtiss Thomas (m. 1968)
Children
- Larry Ames
- Bruce Ames
- Alan Ames
- Marilyn Ames
- Lara Ames
Step Children
- David Thomas
- Richard Thomas
- Toni Thomas Walsh
Although Audrey Ames Brennan was not involved with Ames Construction directly, the Brennan name has left a lasting imprint in the company’s history. Audrey’s husband, John (Bud) Brennan, was the company’s first labor foreman, their oldest son, Mark, became one of the company’s principals, and another son, Terry, spent more than 30 years with the company.
Audrey was the second daughter born to Chester and Ruby Ames. She grew up on the family farm with her eight siblings where they all worked together, shared responsibilities, and developed an unbreakable family bond.
In 1952, Audrey married John R. (Bud) Brennan and together they had seven children of their own. Although the family was still involved in farming, Bud hired on with a local residential housing builder for about a year in the late 1960s. In 1970, he joined Ames Construction when the young company was starting to pick up more work around the area.
Bud became the company’s first labor foreman and liked working alongside the crew rather than just overseeing the work. He was a great mentor to his workmates, conscientious and dedicated. Bud always arrived on a job site an hour early to plan the work for the day, setting an example for the entire crew.
After 20 years with the company, Bud retired in 1990. With the same work ethic and care for the company as the Ames family, John was a role model to both his family and his coworkers.
Parents
Spouse
Children
- Mark Brennan
- Michael Brennan
- Deborah Brennan
- Todd Brennan
- Terrance Brennan
- Rebecca (Brennan) Schwanenberg
- Beth (Brennan) Tatge
In August of 1962, Butch Ames became a partner in his brother, Dick’s, fledgling earthmoving business. Sealed with a handshake, the partnership launched a lifelong dedication to the company and to each other. With the belief that every problem has a solution, Butch inspired those around him, confident that, together, they could overcome any challenge. Although Dick founded the business, he has always acknowledged that it is Butch who led the company to the level of success it holds today.
Twelve years younger than his brother Dick, Butch Ames was a high achiever in everything he attempted, from sports, to the classroom and on to business. As a farm boy, he learned valuable lessons that served him well in both life and business: that hard work is its own reward, you finish what you started, and your word is your bond.
Butch left the farm for construction work when he graduated from high school in 1959. A year later, he married his childhood sweetheart, Karen, and took a position with a nearby engineering firm. But Butch soon realized that working indoors was not for him and found work with a local contractor in the spring of 1961. A year later, Dick asked Butch to partner with him in his construction business, with other family members joining the company over the next few years as more opportunities came their way.
In the early 1970s, Butch moved from the field into the office and assumed primary responsibility for bidding while still managing some of the fieldwork. Determined to provide a good life for his family and for the families of the company’s dedicated workers, Butch used his keen instincts to look forward, assess the direction the industry was headed, and decide how the company would meet those challenges. He traveled throughout the country alongside the company’s first civil engineer, Jerry Everson, to evaluate potential opportunities and problem-solve challenges on current projects.
The company’s slow and steady growth paved the way for expanding capabilities and entering new markets. By the end of the 1980s, the company had four regional offices, each headed by a family member. In the decades that followed, Ames Construction built vital infrastructure projects that would have a lasting impact on the communities they serve and, eventually, the nation.
Butch remains a company owner and Chairman of the Ames Board of Directors.
In 1963, John Ames joined Ames Construction. Demonstrating the same work ethic as his siblings, John worked tirelessly to ensure that promises made were promises kept, and that clients were satisfied with the end result. Broadening opportunities gradually led the company to expand its geographic reach in the 1980s, and John moved to Arizona to open and run the regional office in Phoenix.
The work ethic learned while working on the Ames family farm was proving to be the best preparation for a career in construction. In 1963, John Ames joined brothers Dick and Butch at Ames Construction. He quickly became essential in helping to grow the small family business as it slowly expanded its capabilities and moved into new geographic territories.
One of John’s most challenging out-of-state projects was in 1981, when he led a team of more than 200 workers to complete a North Dakota job in blizzard-like conditions. With wind chills often registering 70 degrees below zero, the equipment was never shut down from the day they arrived to the day they left. The commitment and mutual loyalty that had been established between John and the workers led the team to successfully complete the project. This combination of commitment and shared loyalty became the catalyst for the company’s growing success.
By 1986, John believed that a market for Ames existed in Southwestern United States. He pursued projects that aligned with the company’s capabilities and, within a few months, Ames Construction was awarded its first Arizona project. Confident in the prospects for additional business, John moved to Phoenix in 1987, where he opened and ran the Southwest regional office for the company.
The family pulled together to weather the many industry changes and economic challenges over the years and, under John’s leadership, work in the Southwest region grew exponentially over the next several decades. As opportunities were identified further west into the California market, in 2012 the company opened a satellite office in Corona.
John remains a company owner and member of the Ames Board of Directors.
Parents
Spouse
- Sharon (Brueck) Ames (m. 1965)
Children
- Jason Ames
- Laurie Ames-Husband
- Ellen Ames Handel
In 1965 at the age of 19, Tom Ames joined his brothers in the family business. Tom excelled in the field with the inner drive and ambition that was instilled in him while growing up on the family farm. Within 10 years, he was traveling to South Dakota to start up the company’s first out-of-state project, then went to Iowa to start and run another. After following multiple projects to multiple states, in 1982 Tom settled in Denver, where he headed up the Colorado regional office.
Farm life prepared Ames family members for working in the construction industry with long hours, hard work, and working side by side as a team to overcome difficult challenges. In 1965, Tom Ames joined his brothers in Ames Construction full-time and together they worked through good times and tough times to keep the business going.
In 1975, the company was awarded its first out-of-state contract for the earthwork on a new civic center in Rapid City, South Dakota, and Tom was sent to start the project. His ability to manage field operations led to his traveling to set up a chain of out-of-state jobs, moving from one to the next. Along the way, he mentored other young ambitious workers, many of whom also came from a farming background. By the early 1980s, the company started setting up offices in specific regions where they believed they could compete, and in 1982, Tom settled in Colorado to head up the regional office in Denver.
The move to Denver proved to be a good fit for the company as Ames established itself as a reliable and efficient earthmover. In 1989, all of the experience gained and risks that Ames took to grow and expand paid off when the company broke ground on what would come to be referred to as “the world’s first superhub”—the new Denver International Airport. The highly visible project put Ames in the spotlight and solidified the company’s position as one of the leading transportation construction companies in the United States.
A year into the Denver airport project, Tom decided to leave Ames Construction to start his own business, SEMA Construction. Today, the two companies sometimes work together and sometimes bid against each other, but the strong family bond remains intact.
Ron Ames started his career with Ames Construction immediately after high school in 1968. With the can-do attitude that has become a hallmark of the company, Ron looked at challenges as opportunities, never once believing that Ames couldn’t achieve what they set out to do. When expansion in the 1980s resulted in family members relocating to multiple locations, Ron stayed in Minnesota to head up the Midwest regional office.
Ron Ames was the youngest child of Chester and Ruby Ames. The values of hard work, taking responsibility and appreciating the strength of family were ingrained in him early on while helping out on the family farm, and working long hours to finish a day’s work became second nature. These fundamental characteristics would prove to be invaluable as he followed in his brothers’ footsteps and joined Ames Construction after graduating from high school in 1968.
Ron took every challenge given to him head on—the harder it was, the greater the satisfaction. He learned fast and he learned well as the company grew and expanded into new markets and regions. First and foremost was the respect the principals had for each other and for the family of people who worked for the company. Ron’s passion and positive, can-do attitude was evident in everything he did and was infectious to those around him.
In 1979, Ron ran one of the company’s largest projects in the Midwest region at the time—excavation for the Metrodome stadium in Minneapolis. It was a high-visibility project for the company and exposed Ames to a network of general contractors and engineers for future work. In a full-circle moment for both Ron and the company, Ames crews were back at the site 35 years later to tear down the Metrodome and make way for its replacement—the new U.S. Bank Stadium.
As Ames Construction rose up to meet new challenges in the 1980s, the company expanded into multiple regions with family members relocating to serve each region. Ron remained in Minnesota to continue the work established in the company’s home state, and lead the pursuit of growth opportunities in the Midwest region.
Ron remains a company owner and serves as member of the Ames Board of Directors.
Parents
Spouse
- Debra (Braun) Ames (m. 1971)
Children
When Dick Ames started his construction business in 1962, his thirteen-year-old son, Larry, would help on weekends and during school breaks. Five years later, Larry joined the company full-time and became an integral part of building the company’s success. In 1976 after running numerous projects in Minnesota, Larry, just 25 years old, moved his family to Washburn, North Dakota, where he served as the manager of the company’s first regional office.
From the first day that Dick Ames started his construction business, family was involved. Larry Ames, Dick’s thirteen-year-old son, helped after school and on weekends, lending a welcomed extra set of hands, and Dick always referred to Larry as his first employee. When Larry graduated from high school in 1967, he joined the family business full-time.
Larry learned every aspect of a job from putting bids together in the office to working in the field. Seizing opportunities at every turn, the company secured a power plant project in the mid-1970s and Larry moved his young family to Washburn, North Dakota, to open an office. While there, they kept picking up work and making connections. When the power plant boom ended, the office closed in 1983, yet, the company had solidified existing relationships and forged new ones with big engineering firms and general contractors.
In 1989, the company was awarded multiple contracts for the infrastructure work on “the world’s first superhub”—the new Denver International Airport. A year into the project, Larry took over as regional manager of the Denver office and project manager for the massive airport project.
The airport project attracted national visibility and Ames Construction continued to widen its reach into varied markets and bigger projects. However, Larry preferred managing smaller projects that allowed personal involvement in day-to-day field operations. In 1995, he left Ames Construction to launch Bemas Construction alongside his son, Bill. While it was bittersweet for both Larry and his dad, Larry considers his 30 years with the company as one of the greatest experiences of his life.
Parents
- Richard J. Ames
- Norma (Lewis) Ames
Spouse
- Marcia (Makousky) Ames (m. 1970)
Children
- Amy Ames
- Anne Ames
- Bill Ames
- Tony Ames
While attending college, Mark Brennan spent his summer and winter breaks working for Ames Construction—the business founded and run by his uncles. Following his graduation in 1974, Mark joined the company full-time. Willing to travel wherever the company needed him, Mark spent more than a decade on the road overseeing projects, making valuable connections, and searching for new opportunities. In 1986, Ames opened an office in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Mark settled in as the regional manager.
The oldest son of Audrey (Ames) and John Brennan, Mark attended Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter, Minnesota. During summer and winter breaks, he worked for Ames Construction, the company founded and run by the Ames family. Following graduation in 1974, Mark joined the company full-time.
During the mid-1970s, the livelihood of the company depended on partnering with general contractors and Ames was willing to travel to wherever the work would take them. Within a year of joining the company, Mark was sent to run a project in South Dakota, and two years later he was on his way to Iowa to run the first of many power plant projects for the company.
By 1982, Mark was in Denver, pursuing work for their new regional office. Landing three jobs set the stage for expanded work in the region. Mark developed strong relationships and instilled a mutual loyalty with clients, vendors and employees. He inspired confidence in others, and his positive approach to problem-solving made him a well-respected leader. As Mark quickly advanced through the company, he became instrumental to its successful growth and expansion into new markets.
When one of Mark’s contacts invited the company to bid on a large power plant in Delta, Utah, Ames was awarded the contract and Mark moved to Utah in June of 1982 to run the project. Within a few years, Ames had also secured work at a copper mine in Salt Lake City, and the company’s performance on the initial contract earned the company ongoing contracts with the mining company. In 1986, Ames opened an office in Salt Lake City to primarily serve the mining and energy industries, and Mark stayed in Utah as its regional manager.
Mark remains a company owner and member of the Ames Board of Directors.
Parents
Spouse
- Shirlee (Peterson) Ames (m. 1982; died 1997)
- Dana (Coker) Ames (m. 2001)
Children
- William (Bill) Brennan
- Michael Joey Brennan
- Anthony Brennan
- Michelle Tuminaro
- Christine Heidel
- Jennifer Hildebrand
Step Children
- Michael Coker
Terry was the son of Audrey Ames Brennan and John “Bud” Brennan. Growing up on a farm in Minnesota, he learned about working hard and committing to a task until it was finished. That attitude never changed, and Ames Construction benefited from his dedication to the work, and his loyalty to the company for 37 years.
Although Terry officially started his career at Ames in June of 1982, he was working for the company long before then. His father Bud and brother Mark were part of the Ames team in Minnesota and Terry joined them during summer vacations during his last two years of high school, working as a laborer in the field. When he graduated, Terry joined Ames Construction full-time.
Terry primarily worked with his uncle, Ron Ames, in the Midwest Region for the first 20 years of his career, advancing from a laborer, to an operator, to a foreman and superintendent. In late 2001, he moved to the Southwest Region where he had served as Regional Construction Manager until his passing.
Parents
Spouse
- Robin (Malecha) Brennan (m. 1984; div. 2015)
- Karin Brennan
Children
- Amy Brennan Rosenbaum
- Valerie Brennan Stangohr
"My brothers are resourceful, risk takers, hard workers, ethical, competitive, fair minded and active community leaders. They demonstrate a strong regard for family and employees. All of these qualities helped them build a successful business that has allowed them to live the American Dream. I’m very proud of them."
Mary was the third daughter born to Chester and Ruby Ames, growing up alongside her eight siblings on the family farm in Minnesota. Working together through both good times and tough challenges, the family bond remained strong, united by the values of honesty, integrity and persistence instilled in them by their parents.
Mary earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987, followed by a rewarding career in Human Resources. Although Mary was not involved in the business, she has always been encouraging and supportive of her brothers and nephew as they built Ames Construction from the ground up, guided by the same values they all share.
Parents
Spouse
- Ralph Curtis (m. 1954; div. 1962)
- Richard Soderholm (m. 1963; died 2021),
Children
- Juli Ames-Curtis
- Pamela Weier
- Brian Soderholm
Bruce Ames, Dick’s second oldest son, started working for Ames Construction after he graduated from high school. However, after working for the company only a short time, he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed in San Diego, California. There, he met and married Lorene Kimbrel. In 1973, Bruce had finished his service in the armed forces so he moved his young family back to Minnesota and returned to work for Ames Construction in the Burnsville office.
When the company began to expand out of state, Bruce moved his family to Bismarck, North Dakota, where he ran the Washburn office, and worked closely with his older brother, Larry. By the early 1980s, the company expanded into Colorado, and Bruce moved to Denver, stepping into the role of the region’s office manager. The milder climate suited Bruce’s interests and, as an avid runner, he often participated in marathons throughout the area.
After battling a three-year illness, Bruce passed away on July 7, 1988, three months before his 38th birthday. Bruce is missed by family and friends and is remembered fondly as a bright, kind and caring person.
Parents
- Richard J. Ames
- Norma (Lewis) Ames
Spouse
- Lorene Kimbrel (div. 1984)
Children
- Heather Ames
- Shane Ames
"It took guts and determination–and likely many sleepless nights–for my brothers and nephew to build a successful company. I’m proud to see the dream live on. Without doubt, the work ethic fostered by our parents and having faith in family members to succeed has been fully realized."
Peggy was the fourth daughter and middle child of Chester and Ruby Ames’ nine children. Raised on a Minnesota farm, Peggy and her siblings learned the value of having a deep-seated work ethic and the strength that comes from faith and family.
Peggy married Gene Tonsager in 1962. She spent most of her career in real estate, relocating multiple times across the U.S. as Gene advanced in his career in the railroad industry. In 2010, Gene joined Ames Construction part time and spent ten years as an advisor for railroad and government relations. His invaluable connections in the industry helped the company to further its reach in the railroad market and become an active participant in industry associations.
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Daughter of Mark Brennan
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Stepson of Dick Ames
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