The Weitz Company celebrated its 150th anniversary May 12 at its headquarters in Capital Square in Des Moines with an estimated 500 people in attendance.
Charles H. Weitz founded the company in Des Moines in 1855.
In addition to colleagues and associates consisting of fellow contractors, subcontractors, architects, and engineers, several Weitz family members attended the event, including great-grandson Fred Weitz and his wife Emily, Fred's brother Steve and his wife Linda, Fred's children Alice and Fritz, and Fred's cousins Elizabeth Weitz Johnson and Charles H. Weitz.
Glenn DeStigter, chairman, president and CEO of The Weitz Company, paid tribute to Charles H. Weitz, lauding his "vision and appetite for risk." DeStigter also praised the family's role in ensuring the company's growth and success. "The Weitz Company has been fortunate to make the transition from a family-owned company to an employee-owned company," DeStigter said. "You have to give the family credit for setting that up. That is not a simple thing to do and there have been a lot of failures in the industry of those who have tried it."
In honor of the 150th anniversary, DeStigter announced a $150,000 national scholarship program to provide scholarships for construction engineering degree candidates throughout the country. The company contributed $125,000 toward the endowment and Weitz' management contributed the remaining $25,000. The Associated General Contractors of America will administer the perpetual endowment.
Other speakers at the celebration included Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and Des Moines' Mayor Frank Cownie.
The Weitz Company operates offices across the country. A full-service general contractor, design-builder and construction manager specializing in commercial construction, including retail, office, multi-family residential, and senior living facilities, the company's revenues exceed $1 billion per year.