Program Spotlight

Contour Construction

Founded in 2015, Contour Construction is proudly owned by Kimberly Remmereid. Her team is a subcontractor of Hawkins Construction and was responsible for pouring a portion of the concrete on the CSO Saddle Creek Retention Treatment Basin Project.

During the past five years, small and emerging small businesses (SEBs) received nearly $16M in construction contracts and subcontracts, representing nearly 16% of the total construction amount contracted through the City’s CSO Program over the same period of time.

The CSO public outreach team recently sat down with Kimberly Remmereid, founder and owner of Contour Construction, to learn more about her business and experience working on one of the CSO Program’s largest projects to date. 

How did you get into this field? Why did you decide to start your own firm? 

I got involved in construction over 20 years ago. My husband was in the construction field, and I was involved in staffing and business development. I threw myself into enjoying every aspect of it. I’m a very independent, strong-minded individual, so I started Contour Construction around six years ago so I could lead my own company as a female-owned business. I wanted this company to focus on industrial projects as they relate to concrete and the carpentry field. 

What are some of the positive experiences you have had as an SEB contractor on this CSO project? 

We’ve been treated like part of the team with Hawkins Construction. These are projects that take a lot of strategic planning and preparation, and it’s been a great help to have a company like Hawkins that wants to establish mutually rewarding relationships. It’s been incredible how much we’ve learned and the opportunities we’ve had.

What have you learned that's unique to this project?

There’s so much planning that goes into placing this concrete. At times, we’ve placed over 200 cubic yards of concrete per hour, which takes a large number of people and pump trucks and organized logistics to make this happen successfully. 

We’re constantly growing throughout this experience. We’re using it to learn everything we can, and we’ll continue to be even better next time around.

What advice would you give to small business owners in this field? 

Always look for a good partner that can help you succeed and give you their best effort. Good things come when you surround yourself with good partners and good projects. I am a strong believer in standing as a woman in business, and that a person can be very successful if they place themselves in the right mindset with the right individuals, and I feel like we have. I’m very excited for future CSO opportunities.

What challenges have you faced along the way?  

There have been many challenges, from growing talent in the trade to weathering tough economic times. We stuck with what we did best, kept a clear path and gained trust to be able to handle large projects. It takes a lot of hard, dedicated work to do that. 

How did you get connected to this CSO project?  

In April of 2018, I attended an industry day as part of the design of the Saddle Creek RTB that CSO was hosting to see what opportunities would be available for Contour. Again, in August of 2018, I attended a CSO contractor outreach event specific to the Saddle Creek Retention Treatment Basin at the Scott Conference Center at UNO, where I connected with several individuals from Hawkins Construction.  

What are the most rewarding parts of your job and working on this CSO project?   

For my job, it’s the end result. For this project, it’s being treated with outstanding respect by Hawkins, a well-known and generational company. 

What advice would you give to small business owners in this field?  

Always look for a good partner that can help you succeed and give you their best effort. Good things come when you surround yourself with good partners and good projects. I am a strong believer in standing as a woman in business, and that a person can be very successful if they place themselves in the right mindset with the right individuals, and I feel like we have. If you really want the opportunity, you have to go for it, believing in yourself and your team. There were several high-profile companies bidding on this project, and we were all putting our best foot forward. It’s a risk going through the bid process, but it’s been more than worth it. I’m very excited for future CSO opportunities. 

_{Kimbery Remmereid, Contour Construction}

_{First printed in the Omaha CSO E-newsletter, Nov. 2020.}