Jim Caesar

LEED AP

Regional Vice President, Construction

Jim brings active listening, strategic thinking and problem solving – along with a deep understanding of our design-build model – to each construction project.

Responsibilities

Manages the design-build construction operations for the Chicago market, including Michigan and Wisconsin
Leads the construction team working on projects across multiple sectors, including industrial, residential, institutional, office and retail
Oversees project design and construction activities from conception to activation
Proactively identifies potential issues with schedule, quality, clients, associates, vendors and subcontractors, and collaborates with all team members to implement effective resolutions
Leads and demonstrates a commitment to a Safety First work environment for all team members through development and reinforcement of safety best practices that meet or exceed industry standards
Develops short- and long-term plans for the growth and development of our design-build construction teams
Actively promotes and supports a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment on projects

Experience

Jim began his construction career in 1994 and found his way to Team Opus two years later.

Clients have said he is easy to work with and the person you want when challenges arise on a construction project.

Adept at our unique design-build project delivery model, Jim has led many successful projects. While working with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on their headquarters in Itasca, Illinois, the client couldn’t decide how best to allocate their resources to deliver the best building to their associates. In conjunction with the external architecture firm, Jim’s team developed baseline costs for a standardized office building and provided a weighting and voting system for their associates to decide where the premium costs would go in the building. This allowed the AAP to bring their entire team into the process and communicated to their associates how and why AAP resources were allocated to different areas of the building.

Jim and his team committed to delivering value for clients and have successfully delivered projects that no other design-builder or contractor would be willing to attempt. For example, on the Fresh Express Food Processing Facility in Streamwood, Illinois, the team successfully delivered the renovation and addition of an existing industrial building into a food processing and cold storage facility. The team retrofitted an existing ESFR sprinkler system to a polypropylene glycol ESFR sprinkler system, saving the client the $400,000 in demolition and installation costs for a new system.

The stats of Jim’s career speak volumes about his capabilities. He has completed over 20 million square feet of industrial projects, including warehouse, manufacturing and food processing; 2,300 multifamily units; two million square feet of office space and one million square feet of tenant improvement projects.

Outside of the office, Jim enjoys sailboat racing; skiing (snow and water); mountain biking; hiking; travelling; winemaking and tennis, pickleball and paddle tennis.