💯 Celebrating a CENTURY of valuing people and building dreams! 🎊

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Celebrating 100 Years

Celebrating a CENTURY of valuing people and building dreams!

This once-in-a-lifetime milestone is made possible by the commitment of our employee-owners and through relationships built over time with our clients and partners.

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Community Involvement

At W.E. O’Neil, building goes beyond the jobsite. For decades, we’ve worked to create opportunities, challenge the status quo, and find new ways to better the industry and the communities we serve.

Community Growth

Opening Doors in the Trades

In 1969, during a turbulent period in Chicago’s construction industry, Art O’Neil helped lead efforts to open doors for minorities in the trades. As vice chairman of The Chicago Plan, alongside Mayor Richard J. Daley and Jesse Jackson, Art became a voice for contractors, engaging in tough negotiations across City Hall, churches, and union halls. The result was a landmark agreement to bring underrepresented groups into the building trades, addressing barriers that had persisted for generations.

Innovating for Affordable Housing

In the early 1970s, W.E. O’Neil answered a call for innovation, exploring new ways to tackle the housing crisis. Partnering with Paul Depondt, a forward-thinking French designer, we developed an industrialized building system to construct high-quality, low-cost housing more efficiently. The team delivered 500 high-rise units in Chicago and 300 low-rise units in Rochester, New York. Though the system faced resistance from trade unions wary of its labor-saving design, it was a bold effort to rethink how we build for those most in need.

A Commitment to Ethics

Art O’Neil believed that integrity was the cornerstone of success—not just within W.E. O’Neil, but across the industry. In the 1970s, he helped set new standards by funding a chair in business ethics at Notre Dame and leading efforts to promote accountability and fairness in construction.

Giving Back

Since the very beginning, W.E. O’Neil has prioritized giving back to the communities where we live and work. Through charitable contributions and volunteer efforts, we continue to support organizations that make a real difference. Learn more about our initiatives here.

$533k+
Total amount donated to organizations since 2021
144
Supported organizations since 2021
670
Employee-owners actively participating in our volunteer activities

Building beyond the jobsite

Construction Innovation Moves the Needle in Affordable Housing

Art O’Neil, together with Ken Naslund and Paul Depondt, led Component Building Systems, Ltd. They introduced a lightweight housing system to the U.S. through Chicago’s 'Operation Breakthrough,' a 459-unit project. It promotes efficiency, job creation, and Black community involvement.

Education for the Educators

In the early 2000s, W.E. O’Neil partnered with DePaul’s Egan Urban Center Built Environment Partnership to support Chicago public high school teachers preparing students for construction careers. As part of the program, O’Neil hosted teachers for discussions and construction site tours on DePaul’s campus, helping raise awareness of construction career paths and the skills students need to succeed in the trades.

Supporting Local 130 Plumbers Union Hall

Since 2017, our Chicago office has supported our building partner, Local 130 Plumbers Union Hall—hosts of the parade and the legendary river dying—by building a float for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Our team has such a fun time at this Chicago tradition that brings people together. Sláinte!

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The O’Neil Family

Leadership

People First

Market Expansion