We Are Richard

The Richard Group was officially founded in 2014, but its mission was decades in the making.
   

Growing up in a family of construction specialty contractors, Jed Richard watched his grandfather teach his father and uncles the art of masonry, excavation, utilities, drywall, a hard day’s work, and a job well done. Inspired by the determination of blue-collar entrepreneurs, Jed was called to make a difference in the world, first by graduating from West Point and then by serving as an Army captain who led Airborne Infantry units during three tours in Afghanistan.

While in Zabul and Kunar in 2005, he and his men built some of the most cohesive small teams in the Army to fight against the Taliban insurgency. Over the span of a year, these teams often had nothing but each other and the mission, living in mud huts and off the land, without a proper meal or shower for weeks. In conditions that would have brought out the worst in people—hunger, battles, homesickness, physical and mental stress—these soldiers stood apart, laying every ounce into what the mission required.

“It was the culmination of talent, grit, and determination as well as the utmost respect for each other, their leader, and even their enemies,” said Richard, who returned to Afghanistan again in 2007 and 2008. “It became clear to me what talented, motivated, and accountable people can do when challenged, motivated, and acknowledged.”

After being honorably discharged in 2009, Jed went on to lead design-build programs for new embassy compounds, traveling to more than 20 countries to support major construction operations from Beirut to Jakarta. He led his construction teams with the same unwavering trust and transparency of his Army career, believing better and faster outcomes were a result of stronger leadership, clear communication, and higher participation in the process. 

Today, Richard Group is a premier general contractor serving public and private sector companies throughout the Midwest. Since beginning its construction operations in 2015, the firm’s project experience now includes mission-critical, data center, senior living, emergency patient care, government building, and civil roadway projects. In 2018, Richard launched a self-performance division with a concentration on critical path management. One year later, the U.S. Federal Government awarded Richard with over $350MM in multiple-award task order projects.

Throughout its aggressive growth, Richard remains relentlessly committed to its projects, services, and outcomes through its dedication to—and of—its team members, all of whom are driven to exceed every expectation of quality, safety, timeliness, and client satisfaction.