Our History

The Early Days

In 1934, James Thompson and his family moved to Ames, Iowa to start a construction business. James Thompson & Sons’ early projects included a creamery in Calmar, IA, a new high school in Tama, and the first of many projects at Iowa State University with the construction of Roberts Hall, Davidson Hall and the Metallurgy Building. During World War II the company built hemp mills for the government’s War Hemp Industries Department and several airfields in Missouri. Superintendent Woodrow “Woody” Buck emerged in the early years as a skilled builder and problem solver and would be a leader in the company and the Ames community for decades.

The Post War Years

In the 1950s and 1960s, James Thompson & Sons firmly established themselves on Iowa State’s campus with construction of Spedding Hall for the Atomic Energy Commission, the Towers Residence Complex, Maple/Willow/Larch residence halls, and Hilton Coliseum. Following Russel Thompson’s tragic death from a train/car accident in 1961, James and Kenneth Thompson opened partial ownership to select employees of the company. James Thompson passed away in 1968, leaving Kenneth Thompson as last of the original partnership with the company.

Ownership Transition

In the 1970s, James Thompson & Sons became Story Construction and the company became totally owned by five employee owners: Woody Buck, Ted Heggen, Norm Riis, Dick Johnson and Dean Porath. The company then sold stock to several additional employees, some of whom worked in field operations – a unique concept at the time.

In the 70’s and 80’s, Story Construction’s impact in central Iowa continued with construction of the initial ISU Veterinary Medicine complex, the ISU Research Park, and Green Hills Retirement Community. In identifying water and wastewater treatment plants as an Iowa market dominated by out of state contractors, Story Construction also began pursuing and building treatment plants across the state, growing a talented self-performing workforce in the process.

The 1990s and 2000s

Story Construction added design-build services in 1996, adding a significant delivery method to continue to serve a wide variety of commercial markets with its in-house design team. Major projects in the 90s and 2000s include the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center and Wellness and Recreation Center at UNI, and the USDA High Containment Large Animal Housing Facility in Ames.

Dick Johnson retired from Story Construction in 2005, ushering in a new era of leadership of the company. Mike Espeset (president), Pat Geary (COO), and Steve Tenney (CFO) became the third major leadership team in the company’s history.

Recent Years

Story Construction occupied its newly-built headquarters at 2810 Wakefield Circle in Ames in 2017. The new building provides the technological capabilities and collaboration necessary for building in the 21st century.

In 2018, Story Construction completed a new manufacturing facility for East Penn Manufacturing in Oelwein, IA via design-build delivery. This was the largest project in Story’s history until new high schools for the Ames and Cedar Falls school districts were completed in 2023 and 2024.

In 2022, Story Construction sold the company to its employees. Through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), all employees benefit from the financial success of the company.

Story Construction celebrates 90 years of business in 2024 after achieving a record year in revenue and job site safety in 2023.

Build Your Story and help write our next chapter

Visit our current openings on our Careers Page.

If you don’t see an opening that’s right for you, apply anyway or reach out to us. We’re always looking for smart people to join our team.