“Constructing A Legacy is a great story of a family business which persevered through economic ups and downs for over 100 years. Not only did the Weitz Company survive through this period, but it thrived, providing jobs for generations in the Des Moines area, as well as quality buildings and public places throughout Iowa and the country.”
Mary Vermeer Adringa
president and CEO, Vermeer Corporation in Pella, Iowa

“Outstanding cities go hand in hand with important families, adding greatly to the institutions and prosperity of the community. Such is the case with Des Moines and Weitz: This fine book is detailed and unvarnished. It tells you how things really happened through thick and thin.”
J.C. “Buz” Brenton
Retired bank executive and longtime philanthropist

“Very few family-owned businesses survive into the fourth generation, and every survivor is testament to the power of unwavering focus, clear-eyed foresight, peerless ethics, and a lasting commitment to quality and service. From one generation to the next, the Weitz Company was a business that benefited from these attributes. Constructing A Legacy is rich in lessons about sharing a vision, trusting in family, adapting to change, and planning for an unknowable future. Bill Friedricks has captured the unique culture of the Weitz Company and the qualities of the Weitz family who built one of the nation’s great construction companies.”
Steve Zumbach
Belin McCormick

William B. Friedricks is professor of history at Simpson College, where he also directs the Iowa History Center. A leading Iowa historian, Friedricks is the author of six books, including Covering Iowa: The History of the Des Moines Register and Tribune Company; In for the Long Haul: The Life of John Ruan; Investing in Iowa: The Life and Times of F.M. Hubbell; and The Real Deal: The Life of Bill Knapp. He is the editor of the Iowa and the Midwest Experience book series at the University of Iowa Press.

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