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"Opportunities here are amazing. There's no better place to work. (I've looked - I know!) The environment, leadership, technology: all the best you'll find anywhere."

Employee Hall Talk

"Your project manager had endless pricing options to help make a tight budget work. The changes in scope didn't end until the project did. What was amazing is that your company had savings to return to the owner at the end of the project."

Brent Whitney, Amy Fetters, The Weitz Company

"I've been here a long time because there's no better place to work. We always have the newest and greatest, and we work together across branches - Omaha, Wichita, Atlanta... everywhere."

Employee Hall Talk

"Your crew's good work habits and attitudes were a big help in getting our project done on time. When we encountered a problem, they responded 'I will take care of it.' They didn't wait for answers; they found solutions and moved forward."

Brent Whitney, Amy Fetters, The Weitz Company

"Your foremen were great. It's encouraging to see young men with such talent coming up in a company. These guys worked hard to get what was needed when we needed it. We look forward to working with Waldinger on our next project."

Brent Whitney, Amy Fetters, The Weitz Company

"I worked for a company that The Waldinger Corporation acquired. The transition was smooth - just a change of paperwork. We now have more company outings and more opportunities than with my previous employer."

Employee Hall Talk

"I want to compliment the men who worked on the D/19 Upgrade at the John Deere Des Moines Works plant. All did an outstanding job of completing this project on schedule. I appreciated their dedication to the job. I applaud the whole crew."

Jim Floersch, Project Manager, John Deere

"At Waldinger, you get to do your job without people standing over you. When employees stay for 30-plus years, you know that there are good things going on here."

Employee Hall Talk

"Your project managers did an excellent job setting up a timely project schedule and assigned knowledgeable tradesmen. Once the coils arrived, the crew from Waldinger started demolition and worked around the clock until heat was restored."

Gerald Larson, National Animal Disease Center

"Thanks to the diligence and professionalism of your team, our coil replacement project came in well ahead of schedule and with no problems in spite of our administrative delays and one of the coldest Octobers on record."

Gerald Larson, National Animal Disease Center

"I want to let you know of our great satisfaction with your work on the Adventureland Inn expansion. Thanks to your team's expertise, I am more than proud of the finished product and look forward to working with Waldinger in the future."

Jack F. Krantz, CEO, Adventureland Inn

"I just want to let you know that the electricians that have been here today moving wire for our Information Services department are WONDERFUL. They are polite and considerate of our working areas. They even vacuumed up any mess they made!"

Sue Hicks, Colliers Turley Martin

"As an employee, it's good to know that if you want to move to a different location, there's opportunity to move. If you want to stay, there's opportunity there, too. We won't hold you back!"

Employee Hall Talk

"I want to express appreciation for one of your technicians. He takes the time to explain how things work and what to do in case of problems. He is conscientious and dedicated - I appreciate him very much. Thanks for the outstanding service!"

Debra Grabinski, KS Children's Service League

"This is a people company. You can call any of the locations across the country and get help, or just walk down the hall and grab someone if you have a question. Everyday is a field trip and it's never boring."

Employee Hall Talk

"Your crew accomplished its task despite losing two days and having the completion date shortened by four days. They were not only thorough and professional in completing their job, but were also friendly and cooperative."

Jim Floersch, Project Manager, John Deere

"When I have friends considering a job change, I say, 'Come on, come work for us - we're always looking for good people. They'll take care of you and it's fun!'"

Employee Hall Talk

Project Spotlight...

Hyperion Waste Water Treatment Plant

Projects Details »

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History

History

Harry Waldinger, a 30-year-old Austrian tinsmith, founded our company as Capital City Tin Shop in 1906. He immigrated to the United States four years before that, having to leave his wife and young children behind. By doing furnace repairs and spouting work, he soon saved enough money to bring his family to the United States.

The business continued as a small family operation, changing its name to Capital City Sheet Metal in 1928. When Harry Waldinger died in 1935 at age 59, the company had four employees, including his sons Mose and Joe Waldinger. Mose handled bidding, while his older brother Joe performed and managed the work.

In 1940, the young Waldinger brothers made a bold decision that proved to be a turning point in the company’s history. Against the advice of their banker and bonding agent, they formed a partnership to bid on a job ten times larger than anything they had done before.

The new partnership, Iowa Sheet Metal Contractors, was the successful bidder on the $150,000 barracks project located at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. They completed seventeen similar jobs in the Midwest over the next five years, and Iowa Sheet Metal Contractors soon became one of the largest sheet metal companies in the United States.

In 1948, our company was the successful bidder on the Mutual Benefit Life building in Omaha, Nebraska. In order to get the job done efficiently, Iowa Sheet Metal Contractors purchased Skilman Sheet Metal and employed its 25 skilled workers. This new branch was named Nebraska Sheet Metal Contractors.

In 1959, the company moved its operations to our current headquarters on Bell Avenue in Des Moines, and two years later, expanded its capabilities by adding a piping division. Then in 1969, to honor its roots, the company changed its name to The Waldinger Corporation.

Other milestones in company history include: expansion into other market areas in Wichita, Tampa and Atlanta in 1987; Kansas City in 1990; Orlando in 1997; Springdale, Arkansas and Ft. Myers in 1998; St. Louis in 1999; Ft. Lauderdale in 2001; and St. Joseph in 2002; as well as adding an electrical division in 2001.

We also have operations in Cedar Rapids, Tallahassee and Jacksonville… and we’re continuing to grow and expand into new markets. Our project list covers 42 states and includes five nuclear power plants, the Houston Astrodome, the Louisiana Superdome, and the Vehicle Assembly Building at Cape Kennedy, to name a few.

Today we're a full-service mechanical, electrical and sheet metal contractor in the Midwest and Southeast U.S. We design, fabricate, install, maintain and repair commercial, institutional and industrial HVAC, refrigeration, electrical, plumbing and piping systems. Employing about 1,500 professionals, our annual revenues are around $300 million.

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