PREMIER Gives Back to Local Food Pantry

The Team Completes Covered Walkway to Better Serve Community Members Accessing the Glen House Food Pantry

July 7, 2025 (Glen Ellyn, IL)–PREMIER Design + Build Group recently completed a covered walkway for the Glen House Food Pantry in Glen Ellyn, IL. The project provides much-needed and long-awaited shelter from the elements to community members waiting in line for food pantry services.

During the groundbreaking ceremony for Sumitomo Drive Technologies’ facility expansion in Glendale Heights, the PREMIER team made a donation to the Glen House Food Pantry to support the local community. The idea was inspired by their client, Sumitomo Drive Technologies, a leading manufacturer of power transmission and motion control solutions for whom PREMIER has completed multiple projects in the Midwest and Texas. When team members learned about the pantry’s needs through this partnership, they saw an opportunity to make a meaningful impact. With PREMIER’s headquarters just 30 minutes away, the team felt a strong connection to the area and was eager to support a resource that plays such an important role in the lives of local families.

The food pantry was awarded a grant to fund construction of the covered walkway, and PREMIER committed to completing the project at no cost to the food pantry. The original design for the walkway featured a free-standing structure with structural steel and an overbuilt foundation, resulting in a cost nearly twice the amount of the available grant funding. Understanding the food pantry’s goals and budget constraints, PREMIER stepped in as a trusted construction partner to reimagine the project. By streamlining the design and identifying cost-effective alternatives, we delivered a solution that met the pantry’s needs, aligned with the grant parameters, and preserved the integrity and safety of the walkway.

“We took on the design and the value engineering to get the cost back to the grant amount,” said Zach Gadomski, Director of Construction of PREMIER’s Midwest Region. “We worked side-by-side with them, making sure all adjustments were in line with the language in the grant while also serving the food pantry’s needs.”

In June, PREMIER began constructing a covered walkway for the Glen House Food Pantry, complete with a new canopy and lighting. Back at the office, PREMIER held a company-wide food drive, with the Midwest team selecting Glen House Food Pantry as the recipient—a natural choice given the growing relationship between the two organizations. Recognizing that summer often brings a drop in donations for food pantries, PREMIER’s team stepped up to help supplement supplies. The value of this project is strengthened by a partnership that goes well beyond business transactions.

“To have the opportunity to build something for a good cause that gives back is very rewarding. It allows us to use our skill set for a good reason that benefits our neighbors,” said Joe Ahrens, Senior Vice President, Industrial Market Leader of PREMIER’s Midwest Region. “We're always working in and with communities, and are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the food pantry on a project that provides an immediate, positive impact.”

Construction wrapped up in July, and community members had a dry, shaded place to wait for food pantry services. Constructing the covered walkway for the Glen House Food Pantry is another way PREMIER thinks beyond the build, looking at all projects comprehensively to ensure they meet the needs of the project owner, all project stakeholders, and the community. 

About PREMIER Design + Build Group 

PREMIER Design + Build Group is a leading national design-build construction firm with regional offices strategically located in Illinois, California, New Jersey, and Ohio. With a strong track record spanning more than 20 years, PREMIER specializes in providing comprehensive solutions for industrial, commercial, healthcare, residential, adaptive reuse, and cold storage construction projects. An employee-owned company, PREMIER has an unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and customer service that has earned it a reputation as a trusted partner in the industry.