Locations
Sheehy Construction Co., Inc.
President
Key Contacts
Owners, Principals & Senior Executives
Blair Juliar's Bio
Blair started developing his passion for construction when he was 15 years old. Throughout high school and his college career Blair was involved in many facets of the residential construction industry. Blair received his Bachelor of Science degree from Mankato State University in 1990 and started his career with Sheehy Construction Company in March of 1991.
Although Blair has completed a wide variety of projects in both the public and private sector, he finds his work with private clients to be the most rewarding. Buildings are a tool that help our clients do what they do best more efficiently. Our process creates an environment that ensures the goals of our client are attained.
“Our superintendents are a big reason for Sheehy’s success.” Blair understands that their high level of expertise is what allows Sheehy to take on complex projects that other contractors might walk away from. “Our project superintendents are what set us apart from our competition.”?
Outside of work, Blair resides in Shoreview MN. Blair has been actively involved in the community where he has coached youth baseball and hockey for several years. His coaching days are likely over but he has moved on to helping organize baseball opportunities for children with special needs, volunteering at his church, and was recently certified as a Firearms Safety Instructor. Blair enjoys passing his passion for hunting and the outdoors to anyone who will listen. When Blair isn’t busy helping teach, he enjoys cycling and spending time with his four children.
Dan Krause's Bio
Dan Krause grew up in a tradition of craftsmanship and building projects. As a young boy, Dan observed his grandfather and father crafting everything from bookshelves to wooden pens. He spent hundreds of hours alongside of them learning the patience and dedication it takes to turn out a superb project. In his teenage years, Dan moved on to bigger projects working with his uncle building homes in the Fairmont area. After graduating from high school his mentors encouraged him to enroll at the Dunwoody Institute. He graduated in 1978 at the top of his class with a degree in Architectural Drafting and Estimating.
His first job was at Sheehy Construction as an Assistant Project Manager/Estimator. After years of excellent work and dedication he was promoted several times, most notably to Vice President in 1991 and President in 2007. What he enjoys most about his position as President is working with the ideas and skills of his entire staff “to make us a stronger and better company.”
Dan feels that the most notable projects he has worked on are the iconic Weisman Art Museum with its unique architecture, Concourse B at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and several projects at the Metrodome. Dan sees the diversity of Sheehy’s projects as a testament to their talent. “We are able to take on the riskier and challenging projects because we have the staff to build them and our project managers and superintendents have the experience needed to get the job done. Our depth of talent allows us to take on some of these once in a lifetime projects.”
At home, Dan can usually be found working on a household project, washing or waxing his collection of vintage cars (his favorite being a 1970 Chevelle), reading a book, or taking off on his Harley Davidson for a week-long trip out west.
Jim Schoenberger's Bio
Growing up, Jim liked watching things being built and then began building things himself. As he got older, that never wavered and he knew this was the line of work he wanted to pursue. After graduating from high school he took some college courses in architecture and then headed to Dunwoody Institute for an Architectural Drafting and Estimating degree.
Jim had worked in the construction industry for 10 years before joining Sheehy Construction. Now he can’t imagine working anywhere else. Because of Sheehy’s broad base of knowledge, he enjoys a variety of projects. Among the more difficult projects Jim has experienced was the Mill City Museum. “When we started that project, it had boarded up windows, crumbling walls and had been home to many pigeons and other animals. It was a mess, but we were able to finish the renovation on time, beautifully and with no injuries on the job.”?
Working for Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railway all across the country has also been a great source of pride in Jim’s career. Sheehy’s track record of safety and uninterrupted service is not easy to accomplish when you are working around moving trains and busy schedules. In the 200,000 plus hours clocked over the span of five years with the railroad, Jim has had no lost time accidents. “Being able to go in and make a client’s job hassle free is about the best thing we can do,”? Jim says. “We get our job done and stay out of their way.”?
When Jim isn’t building something for Sheehy, he is busy working on his lake home up north or helping one of his three daughters remodel their homes. At the lake, he does put down the hammer to spend time with his wife, children and grandchildren golfing, fishing, snowmobiling and jet skiing. Jim lives with his wife in Cottage Grove where they spent years running the Cottage Grove Athletic Association and helping with the youth soccer program.
Ned Blankenship's Bio
In college Ned was a Chemistry major who had set his sights on a career in medicine, until a phone call came that altered his plans. His brother was working on constructing a golf course and they needed more help. Ned joined his brother on the project and once he got a taste for construction, he knew it was what he wanted to do. He changed his major to Construction Management and graduated with his degree from the University of Nebraska College of Engineering and Technology.
Ned joined Sheehy Construction in 1987 as a Project Manager and was promoted to Vice President in 2007. He attributes much of his success in the business to his ability to problem solve; whether it’s in the pre-construction phase of a project when he can catch an issue before it becomes a problem, or during a project when an unforeseen challenge can arise. Ned understands that success isn’t determined by whether or not a problem comes up, but how it is handled.
I don’t think any of us would succeed on a job if we didn’t work together. We can do our job better when we support each other and view the project as a team effort.
Collaborating as a team with the owners and field staff is also important to Ned, “I don’t think any of us would succeed on a job if we didn’t work together. We can do our job better when we support each other and view the project as a team effort.” This approach has served Ned well in his numerous and ongoing projects at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, where he spends much of his time. He is also proud of his work on the Weisman Art Museum and considers his time spent working with the famous architect Frank Gehry as an honor and a highlight of his career.
On the weekends, Ned can often be found refurbishing his latest house project or spending time with his family. His two sons take part in various sports through the Edina Athletic Association and Ned and his wife are actively involved in their activities. They also enjoy spending time on the golf course together, and Ned admits to being as passionate about his golf game as he is about construction.
Operations
Eric Matthews's Bio
Growing up, Eric’s family was always working on a project. From a project around the house to repairing cars, they were hands-on. He was interested in the construction industry but when it came time to go to college, Eric decided to pursue a degree in Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Wisconsin Stout. After graduation he worked as a Manufacturing Engineer, and in 2002 he joined Sheehy to pursue his interest in the construction industry.
Eric enjoys a true sense of accomplishment from his work. When a project is completed, he knows he helped build a productive, functional space. Having managed a variety of projects at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Eric is proud to know his work is seen and used by thousands of travelers daily.
Eric believes Sheehy’s success can be attributed to their experience in a variety of markets and superior craftsmanship. “We are always working on something new and we know there isn’t a project that we can’t handle. Managing a construction project is dealing with a thousand pieces and knowing how to skillfully handle every detail is what allows us to be successful.”
When he’s not in the office, Eric is often working on projects at his house in Inver Grove Heights where he resides with his wife and three kids or running one of his kids to hockey, baseball, soccer or football. He also finds time to take the occasional ride on his Harley and volunteer as a youth football coach.