Background & History
Battle Ridge Builders (BRB) was created out of necessity in 2006 by two guys who could not imagine holding a fulltime job and missing out on the epic skiing/fly fishing seasons Montana has to offer. We began simply as a drywall stocking company. Fast forward a couple of years, the Valley was booming and BRB was capitalizing on the residential construction market, subcontracting drywall, framing, siding, and roofing work. Contracts were coming in and priorities were changing. As we continued to successfully complete projects, it seemed the projects slowly became larger.
At this point, BRB had grown to four more than full time guys just trying to keep up with the projects. At the end of 2008, the bottom dropped out of the housing market, the Bozeman boom dried up and the local projects were gone. It was time to hit the road, and the North Dakota oil boom was the place to go. After connecting with some quality general contractors, we were able to procure contracts to side and roof hotels, multiplexes, and commercial buildings in North Dakota. Even with the downturn, business was accelerating because of our can-do attitude and our ability to survive North Dakota’s brutal winters.
Dakota Ham took the helm in 2010, when the other founder decided to chase another life. With a weak residential market, we decided to start bidding on civil projects. Beginning by working for non-profits and environmental groups on small infrastructure projects, BRB won its first bridge project in 2012. With just the right crew, the project went great and the Battle Ridge Builders Civil Division took off.
In 2011, the federal, state, and county contracts were rolling in and Kari Ham joined the company full time as the comptroller and office manager. With a solid leader in the office our administrative side quickly reached new heights allowing us to complete larger projects.
A Force for Progress
Battle Ridge Builders has grown rapidly in multiple markets across multiple disciplines over the past seven years. We have completed civil specialty projects in Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana. Developing a focus on in-water concrete structures, technical dam and bridge repairs, as well as new bridge and culvert construction. All the while BRB’s large-scale exteriors division has steadily grown into one of the most capable installers in the Northern Border states. BRB has completed multiple schools, hospitals, and other large-scale government buildings all over the Northern US, focusing on technical warrantied exterior envelopes, rain screen, and panel systems.
With 15 years of experience, we have managed to grow to a staff of 20 and build a stable subcontractor and supplier base. Headquartered in Belgrade, MT, BRB has found our key to success is our hands-on approach. Most times our project managers and superintendents are on site and physically involved in completing the work and forming solutions, which means less time trying to communicate between management levels and more time completing our clients work.