Our People

Paul started working summers at 1901 Inc. while in high school. After high school, he started and completed the five year apprenticeship program and quickly became a top performing Foreman. In 2010, Paul became a Project Manager and excelled in that role as well. In 2011, Paul purchased 1901 Inc. and is now the sole owner.

As owner and CEO, Paul oversees all operations at 1901 Inc. Paul has over 20 years’ experience in Mechanical Contracting and is a steamfitter by trade. Paul has worked hard to improve quality control within the company while also improving efficiency and productivity throughout both the field and the office.

Paul is actively the President of Madison Area Mechanical & Sheet Metal Contractors Assoc., Vice President of Madison Association of Plumbing Contractors, Vice President of Mechanical Contractors Assoc. Of America, WI Chapter, Secretary/Treasurer of the National Certified Pipe Welding Bureau, Madison Big Step Steering Committee, Kids Building Wisconsin and the State of Wisconsin Apprenticeship Leaders Board of Directors

“Dedication and commitment to quality, value and safety is vital to our success. Our customers rely on our expertise in design and construction to provide them with safe, reliable, and efficient mechanical systems. Our goal is to be quality, cost and safety conscious at all times and we recognize that our customers are the most valuable and important assets we have.”

Mike has been with 1901 since 1994, he served as president for 20 years. Mike started his career with a full Steamfitter apprenticeship. Mike also worked as a Foreman and later as a Field Superintendent on several large projects for one of the biggest contractors in Indianapolis, Indiana. While Mike was President of 1901, the company won several AGC “Build Wisconsin” Awards for excellence and innovation in the mechanical trades. Mike retired in 2014 but still resides on the 1901 Board of Directors.

Jim has been in the construction industry since 1995. He served a full apprenticeship as a service steamfitter. Jim worked as a service technician, serving a mix of both residential and commercial applications, including a stint here at 1901. Then, for many years, Jim worked all over the country and even internationally, serving as a senior technician, handling factory startups and factory warranty work on more than 60 different brands of large commercial and industrial equipment.

In 2011, Jim returned to 1901 as the Service Manager. His 15 years of field experience has helped lead the service department to giving better quality, efficiency, and timeliness of service to our customers. In 2017, Jim was promoted to Vice President of Service and Sales which will allow him to build more personal relationships with our current and future customers while still overseeing the service department.

Jim graduated from the Sales Excellence Institute at University of Houston. He is a member of MSCA and sits on the Steamfitter Apprentice Advisory Committee, and on the National Service and Maintenance Agreement Oversight Committee for the state of WI.

Melissa Wood is currently our Controller and has worked for 1901 Inc. for a total of 9 years. She is responsible for directing and overseeing the financials, risk management, information technology and personnel activities for the Company. Melissa also serves as the Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for the Company.

Melissa began her career in accounting in 1993 while still in high school. She then joined the challenging and exciting construction industry in 1995 working for a residential builder. Melissa graduated from Lakeland College with a Bachelor of Art degree in Accounting in 2006.

Melissa became a member of 1901 Inc. Board of Directors in 2017. She is also a trustee for the MACET Health Fund.

Justin has worked in the plumbing industry since 1994 and has been with 1901 since 2000. He has completed a 4-year plumbing apprenticeship and holds three major construction licenses including Wisconsin Master Plumber, Commercial Inspector, and Designer licenses.

Prior to taking on the role of Plumbing Division Manager and Project Management, Justin led jobs as a Foreman on multiple large scale plumbing projects. This hands-on experience gives him excellent insight to all facets of Project Management from scheduling and labor management to material procurement and delivery schedules. Justin is also responsible for design assist, design build, change orders, estimating, communication with other trades and all operations of the plumbing devision.

Cale has been with 1901 since 1995. For the first six years, he did ductwork layout in our fabrication shop. In 2000, Cale began pricing sheet metal jobs in our Estimating Department. He currently works to ensure that jobs are quoted effectively and accurately.

He also coordinates with subcontractors and suppliers regarding their costs for our projects. Using cutting edge 3D estimating software that integrates with our CAD and fabrication departments, Cale and the estimating team play a critical role in the overall success and productivity of 1901.

Lee is an HVAC project manager/estimator with 49 years of experience in the construction industry and 30 years in the HVAC trade including sheet metal field supervision and shop fabrication. During his sheet metal apprenticeship, he quickly moved through the ranks of journeyman, foreman, superintendent, and on to become Project Manager of some of the most high-profile HVAC projects in the southern half of Wisconsin, including the Wisconsin State Capitol Renovations, Overture Center, Epic and major additions to UW Hospital.

Lee makes use of all the tools at his disposal at 1901, including the latest CAD/BIM/Revit designs, sheet metal and steamfitting prefabrication, value engineering, along with a concerted company-wide LEAN effort, and most importantly the talents of a very qualified and hard-working workforce practicing safety in their every movement. There is nothing more rewarding than providing a superior product to a very pleased customer.

His project management responsibilities include purchasing of equipment, subcontracting, jobsite coordination, safety policy oversight, system redesign for value engineering and plain old problem-solving.

1901 is a tight-knit family with our eyes on the horizon. If your family has a need, let our family help you.

Mike joined the 1901 team in 1995. He started as a pre-apprentice and went on to be an apprentice, journeyman and foreman of the sheet metal sector of the business. Mike was promoted to Project Manager in 2005 and currently manages our Special Projects HVAC Division with projects ranging from $1,000 to $500,000. As Project Manager, he prepares proposals, coordinates the delivery of equipment and materials, and manages on-site labor and scheduling.

Mike specializes in small to large scale design/build projects, including historic restorations. He often meets one-on-one with building owners and facility managers to accommodate their needs, Mike has proven to be a valuable asset in servicing some of our most demanding and intricate projects including pharmaceutical laboratories, food service distribution, churches and printing facilities, just to name a few.

Dave has been in the construction industry since 1984. He started his career in the sheet metal trade and later became a service steamfitter serving a mix of both residential and commercial applications. Before joining the 1901 team in 2016, Dave had ownership in Maximum Mechanical where he developed a large client base of satisfied customers.

As Service Manager for 1901, Dave oversees our Service Department that services Dane County and surrounding areas with up to twelve service technicians. The majority of our work is for commercial customers. We provide emergency service as well as preventive maintenance.

Randy began his career with 1901 while attending Edgewood High School. For the past 41 years, he has worked for 1901 as Mechanical Superintendent (2 yrs.), Plumbing Department Manager (4 yrs.), Service Manager (12 yrs.), and has been Chief Estimator since 1995. Randy is well known and respected in HVAC circles as a knowledgeable resource to projects of all size and scope.

Randy’s years of experience ensure that 1901’s estimating software is kept to date with current pricing metrics and enables us to accurately and competitively quote projects. He is a past President of the Madison Association of Plumbing Contractors and holds a B.A. in Business Administration from UW Whitewater

Jeff started at 1901 in 2015 as a Commercial Service Plumber. He is a Journeyman Plumber by trade with 22 years of field experience prior to joining 1901. In 2017, Jeff took over the position as our Plumbing Division Estimator where his responsibilities include bidding all plumbing related projects ranging from small retail office buildings to large healthcare, educational, and industrial facilities. His vast experience has proven to be a valuable asset when it comes to turning out accurate and competitive bids.

Jeff currently holds a Wisconsin Journeyman Plumber’s license, a Cross Connection Control Tester license, and is designated as a nationally recognized ASSE Service Plumber.  He is also a ASSE Instructor and Proctor.

Andy started at 1901 in 2012. He helped coordinate jobs between many departments including inbound and outbound deliveries, inventory, service, and our sheet metal and fabrication shops. With his eagerness to learn and dedication, Andy was quickly promoted to plumbing estimator and later to HVAC estimator.

His start in the warehouse helped him gain an understanding of how the trades work and provides him with a unique understanding on putting together complete and accurate bids. Andy has completed courses at Madison College in mathematics, business, and computer science, and he oversees and maintains our estimating software.

Bob is a 2016 graduate from University Wisconsin Platteville in Building Construction Management. Bob joined the 1901 team as a full-time employee after graduating from UW Platteville. While still in school, Bob had interned part-time at 1901 for three summers and during his winter breaks. He was promoted from Project Manager Assistant to Project Manager in 2018. He is responsible for processing change orders, reviewing drawings/documents, writing RFIs, scheduling, submittals, and coordination along with other management duties.

Justin has more than 12 years of experience in the HVAC & Construction industry. Before joining 1901 Inc, Justin was an HVAC Designer/Construction Administrator and Project Manager for a consultant engineering firm.  Justin has several years of experience in the design of HVAC systems, construction administration, commissioning, and project management for a variety of projects types including healthcare, K-12 & higher education, office buildings, industrial facilities, correctional institutions, and laboratory buildings. 

Mike has been employed at 1901 since 1995. Working as a Steamfitter Foreman since 1998. Mike completed the five year apprenticeship program and was in his class “Apprentice of the Year“. Mike is also an instructor to apprentices in the Steamfitters Training Center. Mike handles many of our largest and most complicated projects such as St Mary’s Hospital Expansion, School of Human Ecology, and Madison College Truax Campus as foreman. He holds several certifications in the HVAC field in refrigeration and welding. His experience in the field made his promotion to Project Manager in 2013 a smooth transition.