Leopardo Celebrates 40 Years in Business
Leopardo celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Founded in 1977 by James A. Leopardo, the entrepreneurial construction company has grown continuously and today employs more than 400 professionals. Since its founding, Leopardo has completed over 75 million square feet and $6.5 billion in construction.
“Sure we’re a much larger company than we were 30, 20 or even 10 years ago, but as our clients get to know Leopardo they quickly find that customer service is still our top priority and it has truly been a key ingredient in our growth and success over the years,” said Leopardo President Rick Mattioda, who has been with the company for 35 years.
Throughout the 1980s and ‘90s, Leopardo quickly grew into one of the most respected and trusted builders in the Midwest. During that time, Inc. magazine ranked Leopardo three times for being one of the nation’s 500 fastest growing companies. Four decades after opening its doors, Leopardo is among the nation’s 100 largest contractors, according to Building Design+Construction magazine.
With a business strategy built upon continuous improvement, the company and its projects have earned countless accolades from peers, clients and the media, including numerous project of the year, safety, innovation and sustainability awards.
“Leopardo’s solid foundation and best-in-class reputation was earned by our team’s continued focus on meeting the evolving needs of our clients, the industry and the communities we work in.” said Mattioda.
Throughout the decades, corporate responsibility has remained a core value of Leopardo, as demonstrated by countless volunteer initiatives, fundraisers, non-profit partnerships, above-and-beyond services, a charitable foundation, a charitable band and good corporate citizenship. Leopardo’s community-minded approach to business stemmed from its founder and CEO, and has organically grown into an important distinguishing characteristic. Leopardo and its foundation have raised and donated well over $1.5 million and its employees have participated in more than 85 community service projects to date.
Leopardo also helped pioneer the green construction movement in the Midwest and is a recognized leader in sustainable building practices with extensive project experience spanning all Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification levels. In the last 12 years, Leopardo has built more than 3.5 million square feet of LEED space.
Over the past four decades, Leopardo’s portfolio of work has expanded to include projects for Fortune 500 companies and many of the world’s most recognized consumer brands like AMC, Apple, Canon, Lexus, Radio Flyer, Trader Joe’s, Walgreens and countless others. The company is also the trusted builder for nearly every major healthcare group in the Chicago area, as well as for municipalities across the state.
This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of Leopardo’s Chicago office, which houses the company’s award-winning tenant interior market and manages projects across all sectors, including technology, accounting, consulting, education, financial services, law firms, and retail.
