“We at Beacon are very fortunate to be surrounded by compassionate, caring people – people who never cease to amaze us with their kindness and who find great joy in giving others their time, talents and treasures,” the non-profit stated in its press release.

Since 1968 Beacon Therapeutic continues to provide hope, healing and empowerment to at-risk families and children. From addressing the needs of homeless children via its Shelter Outreach Services Program to its Intensive Outpatient Programs, Beacon is relentless in assuring fulfillment of its mission: “Empowering children and families by helping them find their way to a better future by providing accredited educational, mental health, and social services.” Beacon seeks to accomplish this mission through the provision of innovative services to the most fragile children and their families in the metropolitan Chicago area.

Formed in 1999, Liquidated Damages is a group of musicians from Leopardo and its business partners. It plays an eclectic set of music across every genre. The band was organized primarily for the purpose of playing fundraisers and helping to make a difference in the community. To date, the band has helped raise more than $1.2 million for various charitable organizations, such as City of Hope, UPS for DownS, Alzheimer’s Association and Beacon Therapeutic. Watch Liquidated Damages 2010 REACH Social performance, held at the House of Blues, with special guest Jim Peterik.

CHICAGO, Illinois (November 8, 2011) – The Sullivan Center, formerly the Carson Pirie Scott building, recently received Landmark Illinois’ 2011 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Restoration Project of the Year.

The juried award honors excellence in historic preservation. “The level of detail of this project sets the bar for future restoration projects of this scale,” stated the awards jury.

In 2007, Leopardo began gutting eight floors and 600,000 square feet of old retail space as the Sullivan Center began its interior repositioning by Joseph Freed & Associates into a modernized space for retail, commercial and educational tenants.

In 2010, Leopardo completed the interior build-out of 20,000-square-foot at the Sullivan Center for Walgreen Co’s first-ever downtown offices, which housed 65 marketing and technology employees.

In 2011, Leopardo managed nearly 150,000 square feet of white-box build-outs at the Sullivan Center for the retail spaces that would eventually house Target and DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse.

In addition to the Restoration Project of the Year, the Sullivan Center has earned 10 industry awards, including the Friends of Downtown 2010 Best Restoration Award and Landmark Illinois’ 2009 Outstanding Preservation Award.

Built in 1898, 27 years after the Great Chicago Fire, 6 N. Michigan was the original Montgomery Ward headquarters and remains a historical icon of Chicago’s early “skyscraper age” as it was Chicago’s tallest building for 20 years. Serving as general contractor, Leopardo helped reposition the building into a residential condo tower with 119 one-, two- and three-bedroom units and space for two first-floor retail tenants.

More information about the building, which stands over the heart of Millennium Park, can be found at sixnorthmichigan.com.

A full-page, color Leopardo advertisement appears in today’s national edition of The Wall Street Journal, within the Money & Investing section. The ad speaks to the talented people who make our company stand out. Click here to view a web optimized version of our ad.

“Our clients say Leopardo is different. We tell them it’s because of our people. We believe our talent, professionalism and employee bond are the reasons for our success. That’s why hiring and retaining the right people are Leopardo’s highest priorities,” writes CEO Jim Leopardo and President Rick Mattioda in the ad. “If you’re interested in working with construction experts who care — as a client or as a part of the Leopardo team — we’d personally like to hear from you. It won’t take long for you to realize why Leopardo is different.”

Behind our Wall Street Journal advertisement, Leopardo lives up to its every word about quality service and craftsmanship. Don’t just take our word for it, take our clients. Click the video below to watch a montage of Leopardo clients explaining their experiences building with us.

Video link: Client Testimonials – Leopardo Companies, Inc.

The inaugural Hall of Fame class features 60 commercial real estate veterans from 14 states.

One industry peer was quoted as saying, “Jim’s company reflects everything about this business that Jim believes is important: integrity, exceeding expectations and flexibility. It doesn’t surprise me that Leopardo has remained such an important player in the construction world.”

A pioneer in the construction industry, Jim provides a focused business approach and a deep commitment to quality, innovation and leadership. His drive, pledge to client service, and standards for excellence are the staples the company was founded on more than three decades ago.

Jim served on the Board at YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago and received the Volunteer of the Year and Family of the Year Awards.  He also served on the Board at JFK Health World, a non-profit children’s health education museum.  An alumni member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO), he served as the organization’s Chicago Chapter Chairman, Chapter Treasurer, Day Chair, Education and Membership Chairman.

Leopardo’s community-centric approach to business  helped his company win the 2010 Communitas Leadership Award for Corporate Responsibility and Community Service, which recognized Leopardo for unselfishly giving of itself and its resources to benefit other communities.

Since 2004, he has been an active member of the World President’s Organization (WPO).  Jim received the Entrepreneur of the Year award from Ernst and Young in 1990 and has twice been a featured speaker at Harvard Business School’s Annual Entrepreneurship Conference.

According to Crain’s description of the video, “the latest forecast shows construction activity is slower than initially expected this year. But at least one local contractor [Leopardo] says the market is improving.”

“Leopardo is breaking ground on several new projects this year.  The company has hired about 10 people recently,” said Chicago Business Today Host Lisa Leiter.

In recent months, Leopardo has been awarded about 20 projects totaling approximately $70 million worth of construction.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Illinois (March 25, 2010)

The Project of the Year Award was in recognition of the Mount Prospect Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which was one of three projects Leopardo built simultaneously on three different sites in Mount Prospect.  The projects were 1) the new 24,000-square-foot fire station No. 14, which is seeking LEED Gold certification; 2) the EOC, which was designed in accordance with Miami-Dade building codes; and 3) two new additions to the existing public works building, a renovation of existing office space and a new storage facility. Combined, the three projects totaled 35,000 square feet and $11.85 million. Leopardo served as construction manager with SRBL as the architect.

This is the fourth “project of the year” award Leopardo has won in recent weeks. Leopardo’s Children’s Specialty Care Clinic at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital won Project of the Year by the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA).  The Aurora Police Headquarters won Build to Suit Project of the Year at the Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards, and Project of the Year by the Construction Industry Service Corporation (CISCO).

CHICAGO, Illinois (March 19, 2010)

The Project of the Year Award was in recognition of Leopardo’s Children’s Specialty Care Clinic project at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital.  The 24,000-square-foot renovation project included a substantial renovation to the fourth floor of the children’s hospital, exterior façade replacement, a stair tower addition, and installation of a new air handling unit and chillers in the existing building shell. The emergency room and hospital remained open around the clock during construction.

According to HACIA, its awards banquet is consistently recognized as the largest construction industry event in the Midwest.

In addition to the two HACIA awards, Leopardo has recently received multiple prestigious honors from its peers, clients and the media, including:

>> 2010 Communitas Leadership Award for Corporate Social Responsibility by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP)
>> 2009 Build to Suit Project of the Year by the Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards for the Aurora Police Headquarters project
>> 2009 Safety Award for Excellence by the Fox Valley Associated General Contractors (FVAGC)
>> 2009 Robert M. Farrell Memorial Safety Award, presented to Leopardo’s safety director by the FVAGC
>> 2009 Project of the Year by the Construction Industry Service Corporation (CISCO) for the Aurora Police Headquarters project
>> 2009 Award for Business Excellence by the Business Ledger, a suburban Chicago business publication
>> 2008-2009 Outstanding Project by the Association of Subcontractors and Affiliates (ASA) for the Ronald McDonald House project
>> 2008 Interior Contractor of the Year at the Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards (Leopardo has won this award four of the last eight years)