For the past 20 years, Larry Weigand has kept one eye focused on the projects at hand and one aimed at the next job that might materialize.

And some of those projects have been nothing short of eye-popping, including Parkview Regional Medical Center, $500 million plus; Jefferson Pointe shopping center, $75 million; and Parkview Field, the $30.5 million home of the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

The president and CEO of Weigand Construction this fall decided to devote his 50 to 60 hours a week to the big-picture CEO post while shifting the detail-laden president’s job to Jeremy Ringger, who has been with the company for about nine years.

“I’m as excited about this as any move I’ve made in the organization,” Weigand said. “What that really allows me to do it focus on our strategic initiatives.”

That will include being more engaged with clients and prospective clients as the 44-year-old company owner looks for ways to expand the firm’s geographic reach while submitting competitive bids for work that maintains Weigand’s commitment to quality.

Weigand was just 23 years old when he bought the company from his father, Robert, in 1993. He found lenders to finance the sale over 15 years – but paid off the loan in five.

Under his leadership, Weigand’s workforce has grown from 35 to 250 – with seasonal fluctuations up to 325.

The 106-year-old, privately held company doesn’t release revenue figures, but Weigand said revenue has grown to more than 10 times what it was when he took over.

Expanding the business will require winning more business close to home while also casting a wider net, he said.

The construction firm traditionally has worked within a 150-mile radius of Fort Wayne. Weigand hopes to build on existing client relationships by bidding on their projects outside the region.

He is now looking at potential projects in Atlanta and sites throughout Ohio and Michigan.

sslater@jg.net