Brad Leimer: Teaming Up for Cohesive Project Management

“I think our people truly differentiate Opus," said Brad Leimer, Director of Project Management. “From top to bottom, some of the sharpest people I've ever worked with are here at Opus."

Brad Leimer came to Opus in 2020 as Senior Project Manager and was recently promoted to Director of Project Management. Based in our Indianapolis office, his day-to-day responsibilities include leading a team of architects, engineers and subcontractors to deliver design-build projects. He ensures projects are delivered on time, on budget and meet quality and client satisfaction requirements. He also manages project pursuits and contributes to design.

Finding his Way into Construction

Brad has more than 15 years of project management experience in the construction industry. But he hasn't always worked in construction.

“I wish I could say that as a young child, I knew exactly what I wanted to do," he said. “But it didn't really happen that way."

After high school, Brad went to Tennessee Tech University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Administration. He worked in finance for a few years and then pursued and achieved a Master's of Business Administration, also from Tennessee Tech.

“As part of my MBA, I worked as an examiner for the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence," he said. “It was a great experience. In addition to learning about performance excellence and process improvement, I had an opportunity to work on the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award."

That led him to a position at J&S Construction in Tennessee where he managed process and performance improvement.

“I interacted quite often with project management teams at J&S," he said. “The work they did captured my attention. I thought it looked exciting and challenging."

It was then Brad knew exactly what he wanted to do. And he's been managing projects in the construction industry ever since.

Brad was at J&S Construction for eight years managing industrial and office building construction projects, as well as several military base projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. From there, he spent five years in Houston working at DLC Residential and Hines, where he focused on multifamily housing before coming to Opus.

“What I like about construction project management is being able to take an idea – a vision someone has in their head – get it down on paper, create the design, construct the building and deliver the end product," Brad said. “It's rewarding to consistently deliver projects on time and on budget – and see how excited clients get."

Better Together

What sparked Brad's interest and drew him to Opus was our integrated approach to development, design and construction.

“With our one-team model, there are no adversarial relationships between firms," Brad said. “We all work for the same firm on the same projects. It's more efficient from a process standpoint and brings greater value to clients – it also makes my job more rewarding."

“Working here, I get opportunities to help design, create and construct these buildings. Our teams work very closely together, which certainly gives Opus a huge advantage when compared to the traditional design-bid-build model. And at the end of the day, we've got a better product – because of our integrated model."

Integration Makes it Possible

Brad has worked on several noteworthy industrial projects at Opus including Bergen Industrial and Point 70 Logistics Park.

But they haven't all been easy…

For example, after Brad and his team finalized the design on an industrial project, the client asked to add features to make the building more sustainable and energy efficient.

“We knew we could certainly do it, but usually those elements are built into the design much earlier in the process. Regardless, client satisfaction takes precedence. So, I went back to our engineers and worked with our subcontractors to come up with about 10 ideas for the client."

The client chose to incorporate most of their suggestions into the project. Examples included automated HVAC equipment for higher energy efficiency and lower operating costs, electric vehicle charging stations, and low flow toilets, urinals and faucets.

“These features weren't in the plan, but we were able to pull our teams together quickly and come up with good options for the customer. And the project still delivered on time."

“I've known Brad for more than ten years now," said Rich Kauffman, Regional Vice President of Construction. “We were thrilled when he joined our team in Indianapolis. Brad conducts himself with a high degree of professionalism at all times and has earned the respect of his colleagues. He has a strong work ethic, is genuinely interested in understanding the client's needs, and continually makes their satisfaction his top priority."

In his free time, Brad enjoys hiking, especially in national parks. Big Bend, Yosemite and Zion are some of his favorites. He is also an avid runner. He's completed a few marathons and has his sights set on an ultramarathon. Brad also enjoys giving back to our communities by volunteering with Scouts BSA and Habitat for Humanity.

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Our associates are talented, dedicated and knowledgeable. They streamline complex projects and always deliver value to clients. Read more profiles of our team.

• More about Bergen Industrial
• More about Point 70 Logistics Center