PERFORMANCE-DRIVEN CONSTRUCTION

Cherne is a leading industrial contractor committed to delivering efficiency, value and client-focused solutions through every aspect of the project lifecycle — from estimate to completion.

View Our Projects

Cherne offers a full spectrum of self-performed, heavy industrial construction services, including: mechanical, equipment, civil/structural, electrical, instrumentation and insulation. Because we self-perform the majority of our work — using only union craft — we’re able to driver greater quality, schedule and cost certainty.

As a proven construction leader in the petrochemical and power industries, Cherne has successfully delivered projects of all sizes across North America.

Our Projects

COMMERCIAL POINT VAPORIZER PROJECT

Dorchester, Massachusetts

FIELDS POINT LNG FACILITY

Providence, Rhode Island

RODEO RENEWABLE FUELS FACILITY

San Francisco, California

CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA MAINLINE COMPRESSOR STATION

Hegins, Pennsylvania

Renewable Fuels Facility

Confidential, Confidential

AVON WHARF MOTEMS UPGRADE PROJECT

Martinez, California

See more of our work

OUR STORY

What began in 1916 as a modest plumbing and heating company has evolved to become one of the nation’s leading industrial contractors.

1916

Tony Cherne founded the Buhl Plumbing and Heating Company in the rugged mining town of Buhl, Minnesota and was awarded the $174,000 mechanical contract for Buhl’s municipal heating plant.

1923

Cherne continued to build his reputation through the successful completion of projects across Minnesota’s Iron Range, opening a branch office in the Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Ironwood.

1927

As the construction boom in the Iron Range was was winding down, Tony Cherne moved his operations to Chicago and began performing mechanical work for industry-leading corporations.

1931

The thriving industrial expansion gave way to the Great Depression and Cherne, weary from the struggles of the difficult economic times, returned to Buhl in 1931.

1935

Coming out of the Great Depression, Cherne transferred operations to the Cherne-Carlson Company — a newly formed partnership with ten-year employee Charles Carlson — and continued to bid projects all over the area, focusing on work for the mines, hospitals and schools.

1949

Al Cherne ignited the company’s shift toward industrial projects, performing the mechanical work for the Cliffs Power Company’s new 7.5 megawatt power plant in Ishpeming, Michigan. Success on this project brought larger industrial construction opportunities in the area.

1956

Cherne was awarded the mechanical work for Dow Chemical on a depropanizer and C3 splitter plant in Midland, Michigan. This would lead to several contracts with Dow over the next eight years accounting for more than 20 percent of the company’s volume during this period.

1961

Al Cherne became president and took over leadership of the fast-growing company in 1957. By 1961 he had acquired his father’s stock and began operating under the name Cherne Contracting Corporation.

1965

Cherne relocated operations to Minneapolis, Minnesota and continued to expand its presence, wining contracts in distant states such as Alabama, Ohio and Indiana.

1966

Cherne was awarded the mechanical work on General Electric’s Southwest Experimental Fast Oxide Reactor (SEFOR) in Fayetteville, Arkansas, marking its entrance into the field of nuclear power construction.

1978

Cherne continued to build its experience in the nuclear market and was awarded a $155 million lump-sum contract for the mechanical work at the Marble Hill Nuclear Plant in Indiana.

1980

As construction opportunities in the coal-fired power market began to evaporate in the early 1980s, Al retired from day-to-day responsibilities, transitioning leadership to President Gary Ratcliffe and Executive Vice President Bill Cherne.

1986

Cherne secured contracts for the mechanical work at Lake Superior Paper Industries’ new paper mill in Duluth, Minnesota and at Koch Refining’s facility in Pine Bend, Minnesota. While Cherne had done paper projects before, the Koch project was the company’s first experience in the refining industry.

1989

Texaco awarded Cherne a cost reimbursable contract at its Wilmington, California refinery.  Cherne’s performance on the Texaco job attracted the attention of other refiners and soon resulted in contracts with ARCO, Shell, Ultramar, Conoco, Chevron, BP Amoco, Ultramar, Sunoco, Tesoro and Equilon as well as additional work for Koch.

2000

Cherne Contracting confidently moved into the 21st century under the leadership of CEO Bill Cherne. Guided by its substantial refining, power and general industrial construction experience, Cherne continued to improve its processes and services to meet the needs of our clients.

2010

In 2010, Cherne joined the Kiewit family of companies. Kiewit is one of North America’s largest construction and engineering organizations and serves a variety of markets across North America.