Helmkamp and Graycor Celebrate Topping Out Milestone at Wieland’s East Alton Expansion

East Alton, IL – Helmkamp Construction Co., alongside EPCM partner Graycor Construction Company, recently celebrated a major construction milestone at Wieland’s East Alton expansion with a topping-out ceremony marking the placement of the final structural beam on the new main building facing Route 3.

The ceremony highlights the progress of the 387,000 sq. ft. building visible along the Route 3 corridor and symbolizes continued momentum on Wieland’s multi-phase modernization and expansion initiative, one of the most significant industrial investments currently underway in the region.

The newly topped-out structure will serve as a cornerstone of the future manufacturing facility, supporting advanced heavy industrial operations and large-scale copper processing. This milestone brings the project team one step closer to delivering a facility designed to support long-term manufacturing growth, improved production capabilities, and modernized infrastructure.

The Graycor | Helmkamp team is leading construction of the new building while the team also continues to work on Casting Unit 6 (CU6), which remains underway as part of the broader expansion program.

For Helmkamp, the milestone is especially meaningful.

“Reaching this point on a project of this scale is a proud moment for our entire team,” said Rob Johnes, CEO of Helmkamp Construction Co. “Wieland’s facilities have been a major part of this region for generations, and so has Helmkamp. Being selected as a trusted, local construction partner on such a transformative industrial project and seeing this structure stand for the first time is incredibly meaningful for our employees, who live and work in this community.”

Helmkamp’s work on the project includes extensive preconstruction, civil operations, deep and complex foundations, and heavy industrial construction supporting large-scale manufacturing equipment. The company’s self-perform concrete capabilities and long-standing experience in heavy industrial environments have played a key role in advancing the project safely, efficiently, and in close coordination with active plant operations.

“This project truly reflects the kind of work Helmkamp was built for,” Johnes added. “From complex equipment foundations to the coordination required for heavy manufacturing installations, it showcases our team’s ability to execute complex industrial construction while delivering long-term value for our clients.”

The topping-out ceremony honored the field teams and trade partners whose craftsmanship brought the structure to completion.

“Every beam placed and every yard of concrete poured represents the dedication of skilled tradespeople who make projects like this possible,” Johnes said. “This milestone belongs to them as much as anyone.”

The Graycor | Helmkamp team is working in collaboration with design partners Vestal Corporation, providing civil, structural, architectural, and building MEP design services, and Salas O’Brien, providing process engineering design services, as part of the integrated project team supporting Wieland’s transformational investment.

Construction will continue on the new building with interior build-out, equipment installations, and utility upgrades, while progress advances on CU6 as well.

Helmkamp Construction Team at Wieland Topping Out Event