John founded Redmond in 2013 with $10,000 in capital and a few promising commercial leads. Over the last decade, John has been the leading force behind Redmond’s growth from a one-person shop to a 40+ person team that serves clients in Chicago and Denver as well as on a national scale. With a 2023 revenue of nearly $100 million, Redmond’s market share has grown substantially, placing the firm among the top four interior contractors in Chicago.
In the firm’s early stages, Redmond found its niche in partnering with startup and emerging growth companies specifically in the tech sector, including Pinterest and G2. As the firm reached its 10th year in business, its strong reputation, consistent growth, and longstanding relationships have opened the door to a new world of client types in the legal, financial, banking, lab, and healthcare sectors—among others—that require complex construction projects led by experienced and trusted teams. Positive relationships with building owners have helped expand Redmond’s portfolio to include landlord redevelopment work such as lobby, amenity, and corridor projects at notable buildings across Chicago and Denver. Behind John’s leadership, Redmond’s premier portfolio of notable clients has expanded to include Squarespace, Snapchat, Warner Bros Discovery, Northwestern Mutual, Norton Rose Fulbright, and BakerHostetler. In addition to direct client relationships, John has built strategic relationships with leading real estate and development groups.
John is a donor to Make-A-Wish Illinois and Lurie Children’s Hospital and he serves on the Board of Directors for the Redmond Foundation. He is committed to creating a firm with intentional diversity practices—a quarter of Redmond’s team is nonwhite, 33% of leadership is female, and 50% of the project team is female. Redmond has cultivated a strong diverse-owned trade partner list, and the firm annually awards roughly 20% of its contracts to diverse-owned trade partners.
Did you know?
John is a Ken Burns documentary enthusiast.