Every company has a story to tell . . .
Charles Christopher Brandt was born in Falmouth, Kentucky in the fall of 1880; the same year that the first payphones were rolled out, and the Panama Canal began construction. The son of German immigrants Charles William Brandt and Magdalena Ernst, young Charles worked each day on his father's farm where he began to love working with his hands. As most boys do, Charles fell in love with a beautiful girl who he later married in May of 1905.
Charles and his wife relocated to Indianapolis with the hope of fulfilling the All-American dream. Upon moving to Circle City, Charles got his first job as a carpenter at 1511 Massachusetts Avenue. His knowledge and passion for the business quickly allowed him to transition to a management position, and began to think about starting his own construction company.
It was in 1907 that Charles C. Brandt Construction Company was officially established at 1505 Mass Avenue. A philosophy of hard work, treating people with respect, and always holding true to your values led to the continued growth of his business. Family was extremely important to Charles and his wife as they raised their five children; Catherine, William Charles, Ralph, Louise, and Charles Edward.
Charles' three sons; Bill, Ralph, and Charlie eventually followed in their father’s footsteps of running the business. From there, Bill and Charlie’s sons were brought in during the '60s, ’70s, and ’80s. Charlie's son, Charles Christopher Brandt II, worked at CCB through college, graduated from Ball State, and eventually started his own architecture firm in Indianapolis, Architectural Concepts. Bill’s son William Charles Jr., who went by "Chuck", served as president until 1989, bringing us to CCB’s next generation of ownership.
In the late 1980s, one of Brandt's son-in-laws Bill Freeman, who was a graduate of Purdue's mechanical engineering program and owner of many mechanical engineering patents, was looking for something new. Although he was unsure he would fit in the construction industry, he took the first job that presented itself, and it was then that Bill began working as a truck driver in the CCB warehouse. From there, he fell in love with the industry and couldn't imagine doing anything else. Bill went on to become a project superintendent and then the general superintendent, eventually working his way into the office. Bill became Vice President of the company and later served as President & CEO from 1989 until 2001.
In 2001, a similar story of growth and passion took Charles C. Brandt into its current era of ownership. Starting out as a project manager in 1984, Steve Lankton began at Charles C. Brandt after relocating to Indianapolis from Illinois with his wife (now CCB project manager) Lee Ann. Around the same time, an energetic young man from Wyoming Jack Lautenschlager joined the company and started as a superintendent in the field. Jack and Steve got close throughout their years at Charles C. Brandt, and between the two of them, they knew every facet of the business. When it was time for Bill Freeman to move on to retirement, Steve and Jack quickly jumped at the opportunity to own the company where they had spent a combined 50 years working at. Cathy Bickle was promoted to Vice President, and the ownership triangle was complete.
After Cathy’s retirement in 2014, Steve and Jack were eager to continue the triad of ownership. Lindsay Fernandez, who began at CCB as an intern in the late 1990s, had quickly made a name for herself by holding the titles of field engineer, project manager, and director of project management. In 2018, Lindsay was brought in as an owner and the triad was once again complete.
In 2020, Lindsay was promoted to President of Charles C. Brandt Construction, taking the place of Steve Lankton. Jack and Steve were very excited to have Lindsay at the helm of Charles C. Brandt Construction and is a key component to their company succession plan currently in place. Lindsay continues to lead the CCB team while Steve and Jack phase-out of their respective roles, and into the next chapter of their lives.
CCB was awarded the Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) State Certification in April 2023. A WBE certification validates that the business is at least 51% owned, operated, managed and controlled by a woman. This has been CCB’s goal ever since Lindsay Fernandez, LEED AP, became the majority owner of CCB in 2021! We look forward to a future of growth, opportunity, and delivering the same excellent service that CCB has always been known for.
