Breese, Ill., April 1, 2025 – Poettker Construction, an award-winning, family-owned business, promoted six of its employees to better address the needs of the growing business.

“Poettker Construction Company’s mission statement is ‘Our quality relationships build your quality projects,’” said Ryan Poettker, President. “Building those lifetime partnerships with our customers begins with building solid relationships with our employees. We invest in our employees’ futures by providing them with the resources, training and mentors they need to build successful careers at Poettker Construction.”

Poettker Construction’s first promoted employee is Ryan Fuhler, who quickly rose through the ranks in his 14-year tenure with the company. He joined Poettker Construction as a Project Engineer before being promoted to Project Manager, then Senior Project Manager in 2022 and now to Project Director. As the primary project lead, Fuhler will spearhead the overall direction, management and financial outcome of multiple projects. Fuhler earned his Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE).

With a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from SIUE and a Green Building and LEED Fundamentals certification, Ben Evelsizer began his construction career in 2011 as an operations project engineer and was later promoted to Project Manager. With an increased interest in connecting with contractors early in the project planning process, he transitioned to the Preconstruction Team in 2021 and was recently elevated to Senior Preconstruction Manager. Evelsizer specializes in strong communication skills and constructability analysis for complex projects contracted through the Construction Management delivery method. His expertise includes keeping clients informed about project progress, conducting risk analyses, developing budgets and schedules, and engaging trade contractors.

In his new role as Project Manager, Kris Groves will provide project leadership and technical direction, manage the project finances, communicate with stakeholders daily, and ensure construction adheres to the design, budget and schedule. Groves joined Poettker Construction in 2018 as a Project Engineer and earned a promotion to Senior Project Engineer in 2021. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University.

Poettker Construction hired Nic Perkins in 2021 as a Project Engineer, and with his promotion to Senior Project Engineer, he will ensure the accurate preparation of shop drawings, material, fabrication, erection drawings and other submittals, as well as assist the project manager with financial tracking and subcontractor coordination. Perkins earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Drury University and has his OSHA 30 certification.

Samantha Atkins joined Poettker Construction in 2022 as a Project Management Administrator, and after she expressed interest in pursuing an on-site role, she has been elevated to Project Engineer – Operations. Her new responsibilities include assisting the project teams with the overall management of projects to ensure projects meet all specifications. Atkins received her bachelor’s from Christopher Newport University and her master’s from SIUE.

Poettker Construction prides itself on investing in the next generation through hands-on internships, and Johnny Leigh received one of those coveted opportunities as a Project Engineer Intern. Eager to increase his involvement with the company, Leigh is being promoted to Project Management Support, a role he will fulfill full-time while pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Construction Management at SIUE. As he expands his knowledge of the industry, he will assist with project scheduling, meeting planning and subcontractor coordination.

By nurturing its employees’ professional development and rewarding performance with promotions, Poettker Construction employees stay with the company they can trust, leading to an impressive 10-year career average.

“We congratulate this year’s class of promotions and look forward to further strengthening our team of experienced leaders with more career advancements next year,” said Ryan Poettker.

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About Poettker Construction: Established in 1980, Poettker Construction is an award-winning, family-owned business specializing in construction management, design/build, general contracting, and self-perform services with an emphasis on exceeding the client’s expectations. Poettker Construction is dedicated to providing safe, quality, sustainable, and technology solutions to clients in the distribution, warehouse, federal and military, healthcare, education, industrial and manufacturing, commercial, hospitality, retail, utility, and infrastructure markets. The company prides itself on building long-lasting relationships with their clients, business partners and the communities in which they work, with an impressive 88 percent of Poettker’s revenue stemming from repeat clients.