C2 Building Company has established its position within Nebraska’s construction market through a focused approach to growth, delivery, and client partnership. Based in Omaha, the commercial general contractor operates across a range of sectors, including office, retail, healthcare, education, and light industrial, with a portfolio that spans ground-up construction, renovations, and tenant improvements.
Founded in 2017 by Brent Clausen, Andy Callaway, and Jason Bauer, the company emerged from a shared decision to build a different type of contracting business. All three founders had previously worked for a national general contractor based in Omaha, and their objective was to deliver the same level of service, planning, and execution typically associated with larger firms, but at a scale more suited to small- and medium-sized projects. “We do offer services that a large national general contractor provides, but we do it on a scale that’s smaller to medium-sized,” Clausen said. “That was our focus, to provide clients with the level of service, detailed planning and execution that they can normally expect from a large general contractor but do it at a more cost-friendly approach.”
That approach continues to define the company’s position in the market. While C2 offers a broad range of services, including fixed-price and CM at risk contracts, pre-construction planning, construction delivery, and post-construction support, its leadership remains deliberate about the type of work it pursues. “Our sweet spot is projects that require a lot of strong pre-construction planning, clear communication and good disciplined execution,” Clausen explained. “We intentionally try not to be everything to everyone. Our goal is to be the best partner possible for the clients, working on project types that we know well.”
“Our sweet spot is projects that require a lot of strong pre-construction planning, clear communication and good disciplined execution.”
Since its founding, the company has grown steadily, reaching a number of milestones that reflect both operational expansion and increased project scale. One of the most significant came in 2021, when C2 secured a $35 million project, nearly seven times larger than the work it had previously undertaken. “It was definitely a little nerve-racking. It seemed risky,” Clausen said. “But with the people on our team, our abilities, and our experiences, I was confident we could handle it. We put together a good plan, and we went and knocked that project out of the park.” The project marked a turning point, contributing to both revenue growth and the development of the company’s internal team.
That growth has been supported by a continued focus on refining processes and procedures. As project scale has increased, the company has invested in systems designed to improve efficiency and consistency across its operations. This evolution is also reflected in its recent move into a new company headquarters, a milestone that signals a shift from early-stage growth into a more established phase of development. “That was a huge milestone for us,” Clausen said. “We rented space to start the business for the first three years or so. We then bought a building that worked really well for our shop and storage needs, and we made the office side of the business work in there. This is our first true building where we’ve got a very professional and nice office space where our people can collaborate, work and plan in a comfortable environment.” The impact of that change has been immediate. “I’ve already noticed a change in people’s attitude. It’s not so dark and dingy, it’s nice, and I can just see the change in their mood and the way they’re attacking their daily tasks.”
As the company has expanded, it has continued to build its portfolio across a range of project types. Within the commercial office sector, which accounts for approximately half of its annual revenue, C2 has progressed from smaller tenant improvements to securing work with national clients operating locally. A notable example is a large global accounting firm office renovation, a project that represented both a milestone in execution and a significant step in the company’s market positioning. “Winning and successfully completing that project was certainly a milestone. That’s obviously a large accounting firm with a large presence here in Omaha,” Clausen said. The project involved collaboration with a national architecture firm based in Chicago, providing an opportunity for C2 to demonstrate its capabilities within a broader professional network. “That stuff all helps build our resume and future client relationships we have with others from a reference standpoint.”
In addition to commercial office work, the company has delivered complex ground-up projects. At Ashland Brewing Company, C2 completed one of its first large-scale developments, involving significant civil and structural work. The project required the construction of large retaining walls, extensive earthmoving, and utility connections to public infrastructure, alongside the development of two new structures. Jason Galley, director of business development, described the project as both technically demanding and impactful for the surrounding area. “It created a really amazing environment and atmosphere that has improved the Ashland community,” he said. “It’s a fairly small town that’s growing, but it’s become one of the centerpieces of the community. In Ashland, it’s become a gathering place on weekdays and weekends, and it’s one of our signature jobs.”
The project also required a high level of coordination across multiple uses, including sports facilities, restaurants, and a brewing operation. “All those things had to go into consideration when you’re talking about coordinating, planning and building,” Galley said. Early involvement in the design phase proved critical in aligning the project with budget expectations. “Our pre-construction team did an excellent job at getting that project over the starting line,” Clausen noted. “It had some budget challenges on the front end. When we got involved during the schematic design phase, we were able to work with the design team and the client to create value in the design and get the project to the budget that they wanted to be at.” In total, the company spent approximately six months on pre-construction before construction began.
Across its portfolio, C2 attributes its success primarily to its people. The company has focused on building a team that combines experience with cultural alignment, recruiting both mid-career professionals and emerging talent. “It’s our people,” Clausen said. “We’ve always hired and brought in people who maybe were mid-career, but we know they have really strong experience and fit our team and culture really well.” For younger employees, the emphasis is on both capability and character. “We want to make sure first and foremost that they fit our culture and have some understanding and experience in construction, but it’s really about the type of people they are and how they work with the other people in our organization.”
This emphasis on people has also influenced how the company approaches business development. In one recent case, C2 secured a project without submitting a formal bid, instead winning the work based on an interview process that demonstrated its team’s experience and approach. “People build the projects,” Clausen said. “It isn’t the name on the door or the truck; it’s the people that do it.” That perspective is shared across the leadership team, with Galley highlighting the importance of early engagement in building client trust. “Having the right people with the experience and the background to have early engaging meetings, to start to build that foundation of trust is critical,” he said.
Looking ahead, the company is focused on maintaining steady growth while continuing to invest in its internal capabilities. With a strong pipeline of commercial office and light industrial work, C2 is already positioned to meet its sales targets for the year, with projected growth of between 15 and 20 percent. At the same time, leadership is taking a measured approach to expansion, focusing on process development and workforce training. “We’ve got to a point where we have slowed our growth curve down a little bit because our first handful of years were pretty vertical,” Clausen said. “Now we’re focusing on processes and procedures, training and development of our people and continued career growth for all of them.”
That strategy includes defining clear career paths for employees, ensuring that growth within the company is supported by long-term development. As C2 Building Company continues to expand within the Midwest market, its approach remains grounded in disciplined execution, careful planning, and a commitment to building both projects and teams in a way that supports sustained growth.
