Pepper Construction

As senior vice president, Jay leads our K-12 and manufacturing operations teams, and he plays a key role leading the safety and quality teams. Jay’s career in construction began with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Illinois University. Since joining Pepper Construction, Jay has served in many areas of operations, developing a broad level of experience in a wide variety of markets including healthcare, retail, K–12, and commercial and institutional work. He has also managed our self perform market, expanding the reach outside of Pepper Construction and developing the infrastructure and team for that market.

Jim began his career with Pepper Construction in 1988. Since then, he has worked in nearly every market we serve and on some of our largest projects. Jim provides team leadership to our Barrington office, particularly for senior living, higher education and institutional projects. He has played a leadership role in developing strong teams and enduring client relationships. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering from Iowa State University and is a LEED AP BD+C. He is also an AIC-Certified Professional Constructor.

As senior vice president Mike leads our teams on hospitality, cultural, civic and retail projects. He is responsible for the overall profitability and growth of the markets he supports, as well as supporting and developing the teams in his group. Over his lengthy career at Pepper, Mike has been instrumental in expanding our geographic reach, developing new clients, and taking existing relationships to a new level. Through his leadership, Mike and his team have significantly grown our institutional and higher education markets. Mike earned his construction engineering degree from Iowa State University and his MBA from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

As senior vice president, Rich specializes in the healthcare market in Chicago and the surrounding areas. He leverages more than 30 years of experience to partner with clients and help the entire team collaboratively navigate projects from preconstruction through turnover. In addition to the healthcare market, Rich lends executive guidance to Pepper's integrated construction services. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois, is an American Hospital Association Certified Healthcare Constructor (AHA-CHC), LEED AP and holds a certificate in both ASHE Healthcare Construction and ASHE The Next Generation of Infection Control. 

Bob leads our interiors group as well as our teams working in retail and mission critical/data center markets. He brings more than 27 years of construction expertise to every project, leveraging insights from his years spent in healthcare, commercial office and interiors to improve the both the end product and the customer's experience during construction. Bob has played a crucial role in developing Pepper's interiors market through strong client and team relationships. He holds a bachelor of science in economics from Indiana University and serves as a member of the board of directors for the Science and Math Excellence Network and is on the board of trustees for the Contractors Rallied about Servicing and Helping (CRASH).

As president, Scot is responsible for setting Pepper Construction Company's mission and vision and allocating the resources required to achieve its goals. Scot provides strategic oversight and support for every area of the company, making sure Pepper Illinois’ teams have the right opportunities and tools in place to excel. Since  joining the company in 1989, Scot has served in a variety of roles including overseeing Illinois operations, safety, marketing and Integrated Construction Services. 

Scot serves the community on the boards of the Metropolitan Planning Council and Harper College Educational Foundation.

As senior vice president, Scott provides leadership for Pepper’s Centers of Technical Excellence. With 30 years of experience, Scott provides some of the industry’s most compelling thought leadership in the disciplines under his guidance. His expertise leads to compelling solutions and counsel for the most discerning clients, drawing on his years in self perform work, estimating and project management. Scott holds Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering from Iowa State University, a Master of Science in Civil Engineering and is a LEED AP.

With more than 25 years of experience in the Chicago construction market and a history of managing over $1 billion in concrete shell construction, Scott Kennedy leads Pepper Construction's Self-Performed Labor Group in Illinois. His expertise includes the full integration of BIM into the logistic planning, estimating, detailing, coordinating, layout and construction process to bring efficiencies to our work.

Scott holds a BSAS Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds a City of Chicago Department of Buildings - Mason Contracting License, and he is a member of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), Post-Tension Institute (PTI), Midwest Wall and Ceiling Contractors (MWCC) and Finishing Contractors Association of Illinois. Scott leads PTI Certification Training - Unbonded Post-Tensioning (PT), OSHA 30-Hour Outreach Training and BIM Tekla Structures Basic & Advanced Training.

Tim began his career with Pepper in 1995 as a project manager, where he served our healthcare, secondary education and corporate headquarters clients in both private and public sectors. He has developed strong teams who have managed several of Pepper's most long-standing client partnerships. Over the years, Tim has grown into various leadership positions and today serves as executive vice president of our Chicago and Milwaukee operations. He also has played a key role in the company's strategic planning initiatives with an emphasis on improving operations and continuing to enhance Pepper's approach to Lean construction. Tim holds an MBA from Indiana University, and he earned his Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Purdue University. He is a LEED AP BD+C and is ASHE Healthcare Construction certified.

Jake oversees operations for Pepper Construction Company in Barrington, Illinois. In addition, he leads the Integrated Construction Services (ICS) team, bringing our preconstruction services, technical services, and high performance/sustainability capabilities together and in alignment with our safety, quality and self perform programs in a way that best serves our clients. This group is comprised of people that represent some of the most advanced thought leadership in our industry—investigating new technologies, evaluating new methodologies and creating innovative solutions in the field to help our clients recognize their vision. He works closely with IT to align project technology with business applications, and his experience in project management benefits operations by providing integrated platforms designed to bring efficiencies at both the business and project level.

Starting in 2002, Jake worked at Pepper in various summer internships. But after graduating from college, Jake decided to explore different opportunities in the fields of engineering and finance. By the Spring of 2013, he felt ready to bring his new perspectives on the business world back to Pepper and joined the company as a project manager. In 2015, he began working with the IT department to provide strategic direction on business-critical initiatives. Jake also provides support and insight to our virtual construction and high performance groups, and is leading initiatives related to our long-term facilities plans.

Jake completed his MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business. In addition to serving as a guest speaker for the Masters of Project Management program at Northwestern, he is an active member of CMUG, CMiC’s user community, as well as the Urban Land Institute. Outside of work, Jake volunteers as a math mentor for students involved with the POSSE Foundation and has a passion for environmental issues, including clean water and sustainable urban farming.