June 1, 2023 Tribally Owned Civil Engineering Firm Certified

WBK has over 25 years of civil engineering and related consulting experience including transportation, bridge and structural, & much more.

St. Charles, IL – WBK Engineering LLC (WBK), headquartered in St. Charles, Illinois, has been certified through PACE as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) in the state of Illinois. WBK has over 25 years of civil engineering and related consulting experience including transportation, bridge and structural, municipal, environmental and water resources, planning and development, and construction oversight services.

“This recognition has been a long time in the making,” said Greg Chismark, president of WBK. “Becoming a DBE in Illinois provides the recognition and opportunities our ownership deserves. It has been a key element of our plan to grow and expand since 2016 and our initial partnership with the Pokagon Band. This enables WBK to apply our experience and expertise to more projects and clients improving infrastructure in our region and communities.”

WBK Engineering is owned by Mno-Bmadsen, the non-gaming investment enterprise and a wholly-owned instrumentality of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi. WBK became 100% owned by Mno-Bmadsen and the Pokagon Band in 2019.

WBK is listed as a DBE in the Illinois United Certification Program (UCP) directory for Illinois Districts 1-9 and NAICS Codes covering engineering, drafting, environmental consulting, and office administrative services. DBE status will provide the firm additional opportunities in pursuing planning, transportation, bridges, environmental, and construction oversight projects as a prime consultant or subcontractor in Illinois with Metra, Illinois Tollway, and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

In addition to DBE status, WBK is certified as a U.S. Small Business section 8(a) small business and is qualified as an Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise. This has enabled WBK to significantly grow its business outside its regional market, including work across the country with federal agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Education, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Veterans Administration.

“WBK is critical to the infrastructure services Bodwé offers,” said Jeremy Berg, president and chief operating officer of the Bodwé Professional Services Group of Mno-Bmadsen. “Our mission is to build sustainable professional services businesses that grow the economy and legacy of the Pokagon Band and DBE status for WBK helps us do just that by leveraging the sovereignty of the Band to make a positive impact on the communities we serve.”

ABOUT WBK ENGINEERING
WBK Engineering is a team of civil engineers, structural engineers, wetland scientists, land planners, ecologists, and infrastructure specialists. We work with clients to develop and implement a shared vision through service and stewardship, bringing a high degree of expertise and sustainable infrastructure solutions to municipal, public, private, and Tribal projects. Our civil engineering, planning and environmental resources professionals are dedicated to building infrastructure, communities and shaping and restoring the land in ways that are respectful and protective of our environmental resources. Learn more at: www.wbkengineering.com

ABOUT BODWÉ PROFESSIONAL SERVICES GROUP
Bodwé is the Professional Services Group of Mno-Bmadsen, the non-gaming investment enterprise of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi. Bodwé Group is comprised of four separate companies including Seven Generations Architecture + Engineering, WBK Engineering, The Steelhead Engineering Company, and Blue Star Integrative Studio. Bodwé teams provide architecture, interior design, master planning, environmental consulting, and structural, civil, and MEP engineering design and staffing services. We partner with Indigenous, healthcare, federal and municipal government, community, and private clients across the country. Learn more at: www.bodwegroup.com

ABOUT MNO-BMADSEN
Mno-Bmadsen is a wholly owned instrumentality of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, launched in 2012 and independently managed with the mandate to diversify the Tribe’s business interests, revenue streams, and wealth for future generations. The Mno-Bmadsen Family of Companies is comprised of four actively managed investment portfolios, including Bodwé Professional Services Group, D.A. Dodd Construction Services Group, Mno-DREK Manufacturing Services Group, and Red Tail Properties Commercial Real Estate Services. Learn more at: www.mno-bmadsen.com

ABOUT THE POKAGON BAND OF POTAWATOMI
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi’s sovereignty was reaffirmed under legislation signed into law by President Clinton in September of 1994. The Pokagon Band is dedicated to providing community development initiatives such as housing, education, family services, medical care and cultural preservation for its approximately 5,000 citizens. The Pokagon Band’s ten-county service area includes four counties in Southwestern Michigan and six in Northern Indiana. Its main administrative offices are located in Dowagiac, Mich., with a satellite office in South Bend, Ind. It owns and operates a variety of business via Mno-Bmadsen, the tribe’s non-gaming investment enterprise. More information is available at www.pokagonband-nsn.gov

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