Built Different: Inside the Culture of JDI Contracts in Grand Rapids, Minnesota

Grand Rapids, Minnesota, is the kind of place where people build things that last. Big projects. Hard problems. Real results. It’s home to JDI Contracts, a team that brings engineering know-how and hands-on experience to every site they touch.

A Different Kind of Engineer

For Dave Schaeffer, Project Manager and Contract Coordinator at JDI, no two days are ever alike. “Every project is exciting and different,” he says. “Different problems, different opportunities — every day there’s something new to figure out.”

He’s quick to point out that engineers aren’t all cut from the same cloth. “You’ve got the ones who want to maintain systems, the ones who enjoy making incremental improvements — and then you’ve got project engineers. The people who wake up in the morning and think, what’s in front of me today that I can take apart and put back together?”

Those are JDI people. They thrive on forward motion — the kind of engineers who don’t want to sit behind a desk all day adjusting spreadsheets. “Field engineers are built differently,” Dave says. “They’d get bored if their job was just data and routine. It’s a different mindset entirely.”

“Free with Boundaries”

JDI’s culture can be summed up in three words: free with boundaries. It’s an idea that sounds simple, but it’s what makes the team effective. Everyone knows their limits, but within those guardrails, they have the freedom to move fast and make decisions.

“As a project manager, I don’t have to wait for approval to answer a client’s question,” Dave explains. “I’m empowered to respond right away. That kind of flexibility is rare — and it’s what makes JDI so responsive.”

Clients feel that difference immediately. They know they’re working with people who can give real answers in real time, backed by deep technical experience. And when something does need tracking down, JDI’s engineers aren’t spinning their wheels — they’re already on the phone with the right person to get clarity.

Communication Is the Secret Sauce

If you ask Dave what kind of problems JDI solves, he’ll tell you most of them don’t start with machinery or materials — they start with communication. “A lot of project issues are just people not talking to each other,” he says. “Once we get the right folks in the same conversation at the right time, things fall into place.”

At JDI, documentation is treated as seriously as design. The team keeps meticulous records of conversations, decisions, and changes — not for paperwork’s sake, but because it keeps projects aligned. “It’s how we make sure everyone knows how we got here,” Dave adds. “Good communication is what keeps a project from drifting off course.”

Translators Between Worlds

JDI’s team isn’t just technically sharp — they’re bilingual in the language of the field and the office. They can talk to millwrights, ironworkers, and operators, understand what they’re asking, and turn that into precise, actionable direction for engineers and project teams.

“We know a little bit about a lot of things,” Dave says with a grin. “We can walk into a facility, listen to what’s going on, and translate it into something the technical side can act on.”

That bridge-building ability is what sets JDI apart. They turn field experience into engineering solutions — fast. When a client is under pressure, JDI’s people don’t just relay the question; they refine it, define it, and push it toward resolution.

Why Clients Keep Coming Back

Many of JDI’s clients come to them because they don’t have full in-house engineering departments or need extra hands to coordinate across multiple partners. That’s where JDI shines.

They track change orders, manage documentation, and advocate for both the contractor and the client. “We sit in the middle — we’re not just managing timelines; we’re making sure communication and documentation are solid all the way through,” Dave explains.

Unlike large “big-E” firms that design everything from a distance, JDI gets out there. Their engineers and coordinators walk the site, ask questions, and listen. It’s a boots-on-the-ground approach that earns trust — and keeps projects running smoothly.

The Grand Rapids Way of Life

Ask anyone at JDI why they stay, and their answers go beyond the work. Grand Rapids offers something that’s hard to find elsewhere: space and connection.

“There are people here who love living outside the big cities,” Dave says. “You get to be outdoors, you get more time with family, and your money goes farther. You see more deer than cars — and honestly, that’s how we like it.”

It’s not just the slower pace — it’s the relationships. The morning coffee crowd includes the same faces, day after day, and there’s comfort in that. “You get to actually know people,” Dave says. “You sit down, talk about life, and maybe solve the world’s problems before 8 a.m.”

That sense of community bleeds into the work itself. Projects at JDI don’t just succeed because the team is technically excellent — they succeed because people care. About their clients. About their teammates. About building things that last.