A Better Way to Build: A History of the Pankow Companies
“Charlie Pankow had an important impact on late-twentieth-century  building development. His companies created a powerful niche market that  kept his clients happy and the enterprise profitable. Pankow’s clients  weren’t vainglorious developers seeking to create monuments for  themselves. They wanted handsome, lasting buildings, delivered on time  and at budget. And that Pankow accomplished time and again. Moreover,  Pankow became as much an innovator in the systemic use of concrete as a  building material as Gustave Eiffel had been in the late nineteenth  century with cast iron.”—Timothy Tosta, Partner,McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP“Charles Pankow was an innovator who embraced the design-build  concept, and he served as a champion of the approach while restoring the  master builder to the commercial building site. He believed the  contractor needed the ability to integrate cost- and time-saving  construction methods. This book describes the ‘Pankow Way,’ a  collaborative approach in which the contractor works effectively with  the architects, engineers, and subcontractors to meet owners’  expectations. It is an interesting history of a company and the man who  created a unique business culture, and I recommend it as a great read  for engineers, architects, contractors, and business people.”—Patrick J. Natale, Executive Director,American Society of Civil Engineers“In the history of construction in the second half of the twentieth  century, Charles Pankow stands out as the man who led the design-build  revolution. Michael Adamson develops a fascinating portrait of a  community leader, philanthropist, creative businessman, perceptive art  collector, and major figure in the history of civil engineering. Read  this book to learn about the visionary after whom the American Society  of Civil Engineers recently named its prestigious competition in  architectural engineering—and about the ‘renaissance man’ behind the  vision.”—Jeffrey S. Russell, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin“[This book] is a story of one man’s vision and the companies he  created to carry out that vision. As a young architect I was taught that  the general contractor was the opponent of good design. Author Michael  Adamson shows how Charlie Pankow turned this idea on its head by  reestablishing the historic partnership between design and construction.  This is an excellent book for architects, engineers, and contractors.  It shows how one visionary was able to turn an entire industry toward a  better way of working together. I recommend it most highly.”—Patrick MacLeamy, CEO,HOK Architects“This is a great read—anyone and everyone in the architectural,  engineering, construction, or development business should read this  book. Design-bid-build as a delivery method is broken! Charlie Pankow  saw this many years ago with his colleagues at Kiewit. Over forty years  ago he embarked on the formation of the design-build/design-assist  delivery method for construction. He succeeded in a way that no one  could have ever predicted. I am pleased to be able to have the  opportunity to review this book and to advise everyone in the industry  to read it.”—Charles H. Thornton, Chairman,Charles H. Thornton & Company LLC“Michael Adamson chronicles the erratic genius of Charlie Pankow and  the construction empire he built in defiance of management conventions.  As a ‘Master Builder,’ Charlie believed in people, not management  doctrine. He attracted platoons of individualists, self-starters whom he  motivated and inspired. He taught them to cut costs and schedules, to  develop stunningly innovative construction techniques, and to enervate  centuries-old design-build methods, thrusting them onto the world of  modern construction. If you want a gripping, bare-knuckled story about a  man who successfully changed an industry, you’ve selected the right  book.”—Walker Lee Evey, Former President, Design-Build Institute of America