For over 70 years, third-generation family-owned Rice Companies, Inc. has been shaping communities across the Upper Midwest through innovative construction and design. What Founder Jack Rice established in 1953 in Tenstrike, MN, has grown to six locations across the Midwest in Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, and North Dakota.
To Fargo President Marius Rygg, bringing Rice Companies to Fargo was about providing better service to customers in the Red River Valley. “The biggest reason [for the expansion of our new Fargo branch in 2020] is to take care of both our new and longstanding customers—many of which have headquarters here in Fargo where decisions are made,” he said. The second reason for bringing Rice Companies to Fargo is the growing market in Fargo. “We’re excited to serve our customers, create solutions for them, and be a part of the market growth in the Fargo-Moorhead area,” Rygg said.
Rygg and Rice Companies have reason to be excited for Fargo’s new location—in the last four years, the Fargo Metro has grown by 7.62% (World Population Review) and is projected to grow 35% to 340,000 by 2045 (Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development). Rice Companies is the perfect addition to the Fargo market; not only do they offer commercial (and occasional residential) construction, but they also provide architectural, engineering, and design services—all in-house.
A Walkthrough of the Newly Completed Fargo Branch
Walking into Rice Companies’ Fargo branch, you’re immediately greeted with modern styles, mixed with a clean, industrial look. Secure access meeting rooms and frosted floor-to-ceiling glass windows offer a lot of natural light while maintaining privacy and quietness. Throughout the building, walkways run around the perimeters of the main spaces while offices with floor to-ceiling glass windows keep the space feeling open and inclusive.
Additionally, open meeting areas and a design room offer a great experience for collaboration and client meetings. Inside the main level conference room, plaques of Rice Companies’ values hang on display, which are a core part of their culture; Family Forward; Remarkably Collaborative; Continuously Accountable; Passionately Innovative; and Relationship Driven.
Did You Know?
In addition to being a full-service contractor with in-house design, Rice Companies also offers real estate development in-house and a service maintenance department.
A Thriving and Growing Culture
As Rice Companies continues to build up its Fargo branch, Rygg and General Manager Shane Steckler are excited to build upon Rice’s rich culture, and eager to welcome new faces to the Rice family. “For me, a huge reason of why I love working here is the people, both company-wide and especially here in Fargo. We have a good group of people—a good blend of experience, youth, and good field staff, which makes the working dynamic here fun,” Steckler said. “In our industry, labor is one of the biggest challenges, so when you come to work and have good people, it makes a huge difference.”
A huge reason of why I love working here is the people.” – Shane Steckler General Manager, Fargo
3 Facts you didn’t know about Rice Companies
- Full-Service Construction and Design
From architectural design and engineering to real estate development and construction, Rice Companies does it all in-house, making for a seamless single-source experience for clients. - Not a Small Company
Despite being a newer name in the Fargo metro, Rice Companies is far from a small company. With six locations across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa, Rice Companies has a large reach for projects across the Midwest—and beyond. - Service Department
Rice Companies doesn’t just do construction projects, they also do repair, modeling, and roofing for just about anything. Have a door you need replaced? Rice Companies can even help you with that.
Hear from some of Fargo’s Team Members on Why They Love Being a Part of the Rice Companies Family
Tom Aspelund, Architectural Associate
“Rice Companies is a great company to be a part of for many reasons—especially because of the wide range of experienced building professionals and resources we have available. We are a design-build company, which means that we have the opportunity to assist our clients from the early conceptual stages of project design all the way through finished construction. For me personally, being on the architectural design team, it’s great to work alongside so many construction-related professionals who are able to provide insight on how the designs I produce will come together in the real world.”
Tony Fischer, Project Manager
“I started working at Rice Companies for an opportunity to work again with long time esteemed colleagues. Rice Companies’ persistence for customer satisfaction, safety, work-life balance, and team development is a culture that I stand behind.”
Brooke Jawaski, Assistant Project Manager
“I appreciate working at Rice Companies due to our familyforward culture. Rice is not only flexible and supportive of allowing time for your own family, but it also serves as your second family. I can approach anyone in the office with questions, and they will gladly assist me because we genuinely want each other to succeed.”
More Than Just Construction
Rice Companies is a general contractor in the commercial construction industry and a manufacturing metal building dealer for Butler. Although Rice specializes in pre-engineered metal buildings, it offers all types of construction, from masonry, to bar joists, membrane roofs, stick-framing, and more.
“At Rice Companies, we have a ‘Yes, and’ approach to making projects happen. We build our culture based on three characteristics; humble, hungry, and smart. Since Rice was founded in 1953, our mission has been to build around that, always finding a way to make things happen.”
-Marius Rygg, President, Fargo
Current & Recent Local Projects By Rice Companies
- U-Haul, Dilworth, MN
- Moorhead State University’s Alumni Center, Moorhead, MN
- Red River Refrigeration, West Fargo, ND (Addition Under Construction)
- Grease Monkey, Fargo, ND (Project Under Construction)
- Additional Projects Across the Midwest
Join our Fargo team!
Roles we are hiring for:
- Experienced Estimator
- Field Operations Manager
- Steel Foreman
- Experienced Carpenter
Visit ricecompanies.com/careers to start building your career!
Rice Companies
5301 Veterans Blvd S, Fargo
701-809-7187
ricecompanies.com
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