“Raise the Roof” Celebrates a Winning Bet

by Tom Finan, Publisher

If you make your living in the construction industry, you must have a certain amount of risk tolerance.

What odds would you have given in July of 1969 when the 46-year-old former owner of an automatic door company with a wife and
seven children — the eldest of whom was a junior in high school - decided to start a local construction newspaper ... in the middle of
an Ironworkers strike?

Who would have thought then that we'd recently be hosting a 40th birthday party for St. Louis CNR?

On Thursday, Oct. 29, the team from CNR and about 150 of our closest friends celebrated the big dream of my Dad, Thomas J. Finan Jr. His was a larger vision for the St. Louis construction industry and for the St. Louis region. He believed passionately in the ability
of management and labor to work together. He believed in diversity. He believed that St. Louis could be something greater, because of
the people here.

Len Toenjes, CEO of AGC of St. Louis; Tom Finan; Josh Foster, president of J.E. Foster; Courtney Pittman, director of resources, Habitat for Humanity St. Louis; and Matt Lampe, business agent, IBEW Local One.

"There has long been a crying need for a strong voice that will speak for men and women in the construction industry of
St. Louis, " he wrote in a page-one editorial in the first issue of CNR. He called his publication, "The Voice for the St. Louis Construction
Industry."

Dad died in 1976, so he never got to see the amazing changes that have since occurred in our city and in our industry.

Oct. 29th was a celebration of all that my dad believed in. That's why CNR's 40th birthday party, held at the downtown Missouri Athletic Club was a benefit for Habitat for Humanity. We called the event "Raise the Roof". Sponsor, auction item, and ticket sales for the The Habitat for Humanity/CNR Anniversary celebration benefit raised approximately $10,000 to further the work of Habitat St. Louis.

Event sponsors were:

Master Constructor Sponsor ($3,000)

The St. Louis Electrical Connection (IBEW Local One/St. Louis Chapter NECA); and Pipefitters Local 562/Sheetmetal Workers Local 36.

Builder Sponsor ($1,000)

Associated General Contractors of St. Louis; Arteaga Photography; Arch Engraving; Masonry Institute of St. Louis; Site Improvement Association; Stone Carlie; and Washington University - Sever Institute.

Superintendent Sponsor ($500):

Aschinger Electric; Fabick-CAT; and Kozeny-Wagner.

Kimberly McKinney, CEO of Habitat St. Louis thanked the contractors, union members, and suppliers in the audience for the role they
have played in Habitat St. Louis' programs here. The gratitude of Habitat St. Louis was expressed without words by the simple fact that
McKinney and her senior staff were all at our construction industry event instead of at the Missouri Botanical Garden, where the St. Louis
Business Journal was honoring Habitat as a "Hero of the Planet" that same evening. Habitat St. Louis was responsible for the construction
of 27 LEED Platinum-certified houses in 2008, and is completing 24 more this year.

My youngest sister, Teri Finan, who has been actively involved with Habitat for over five years, told movingly about ways
in which Habitat exemplifies Dad's beliefs in cooperative effort, diversity, and the rebuilding of St. Louis. We recognized the team effort that Dad so much believed in with the presentation of our 2009 CNR Regional Excellence Awards. The awards recognize projects that represent
successful team collaborations which advance our region and exemplify excellence in design, construction, and management.

A lively and engaged crowd of friends of CNR caught up with one another while supporting Habitat for Humanity St. Louis.

Honorees were:

Neighborhood Redevelopment:
14th Street Mall
Owner: Crown Village Partners, Old North St. Louis Restoration Group & Regional Housing & Community Development Alliance
Architect: Rosemann & Associates
General Contractor: E.M. Harris Construction Company

Historic Renovation
Cannon Design Headquarters – Powerhouse Building
Owner: Cannon Design
Architect: Cannon Design
General Contractor: R.G. Ross
Construction Company

Infrastructure
Coldwater Creak Treatment Facility
Owner: Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District
Engineer: Black & Veatch
Construction Manager: KAI/Jacobs-Joint Venture
General Contractor: Goodwin Brothers Construction Co.

Public Building
Cottleville City Hall
Owner: City of Cottleville, MO
Architect: Kostecki Architects
Construction Manager: Paric Corporation
General Contractor: C. Rallo Contracting

Transportation
Gateway Multi-Modal Transportation Center
Owner: City of St. Louis
Architect: KAI Design & Build
General Contractor: K&S Associate

High-Tech
Pfizer Building MM
Owner: Pfizer
Architect: Flad Architects
General Contractor: McCarthy Building Companie

Creative Renovation
Shock City Studios
Owner: Blueprint Concepts, LLC
Architect: The Lawrence Group
General Contractor: The Lawrence
Group Projects

Editor's Choice:
Corporate Headquarters
Solae
Owner: Clayco, Inc.
Architect: Cannon Design
General Contractor: Clayco, Inc.

We also presented a first-ever special award, which we plan to make annual. The Thomas J. Finan Jr. Humanitarian Award was presented
to IBEW Local One and the St. Louis Chapter, NECA. Steve Schoemehl, business agent for Local One, and Doug Martin, executive
director of NECA, noted the commitment that their members have displayed to the people of the St. Louis community and to Habitat for
Humanity in particular.

Since 2003, IBEW/NECA have completed more than 150 Habitat homes - representing about a $760,000 community gift - and have
attracted more than 500 electricians to work together with NECA contractors to build the Habitat homes. They've also made significant
electrical repairs to about 260 homes owned by low-income, elderly people -- completed by nearly 700 IBEW and NECA volunteers - at
a value approaching $400,000. My Dad would have been tickled to see the folks that we decided to recognize with an award named
after him.

Dad used to say, "The 'News' depends upon its friends." Corny? Sure. Sincere? You bet. The truth? We have survived, and grown, and learned, and prospered in more ways than we can ever count, with help from more people than I can possibly name here. YOU
have made CNR, "The Voice for the St. LouisConstruction Industry" for the past 40 years.Thanks to you our readers, our advertisers...
our friends. Thanks for being willing to bet on Dad's big dream.

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