Having kicked off $500 million in building projects from 2009 to 2013, University of Notre Dame was only warming up for a bigger game day.

While most Midwest builders are eager to rev up, Menasha, Wis.-based Faith Technologies Inc. is ramping down—albeit not for long.

Misalignment of star markets plunged its regional revenue into a free-fall in the wake of the recession, but Southfield, Mich.-based contractor Barton Malow Co. has soared back on the strength of a better business model and organizational blueprint.

Springfield, Ill.-based engineer Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc. (CMT) has a transformative effect on the design issues it encounters.

Century-old City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) is rebuilding from the ground up.

Many reasons can explain why Indianapolis-based electrical contractor ERMCO Inc. has emerged as the go-to firm for high-wattage projects in the region, but Greg Gossett, the firm's vice president of operations, says rocket science isn't among them.

It wasn't that long ago that BMW Constructors Inc., an Indianapolis builder known for down-and-dirty industrial projects, wasn't especially well known among up-and-coming talent in the region.

Trends ranging from resurgent residential markets to emerging energy markets could prove profitable to many Midwest builders and help the region's construction industry heal its wounds after a long downturn.

By its own admission, Kansas City, Mo.-based designer Burns & McDonnell can be a bit of a plodder when branching into new practice areas, a tendency it says sometimes requires patience from management.

In 45 seconds it came and went. Ballast from atop the roof rained down, shattering windows, sending glass shards flying.