NEW: Primetime breaks ground on $1.2B mixed-use tower in Fulton Market — Read announcement

Founded by a bricklayer. Built by a city.

Primetime Construction Inc. was founded in 1972 by Anthony "Tony" Marchetti, a third-generation South Side bricklayer who believed Chicago deserved a contractor that put the trades — and the neighborhoods that produced them — at the center of every job.

From a single jobsite trailer on Cermak Road, Tony grew the company one project at a time: a corner storefront in Bridgeport, a parish school in Bronzeville, a new emergency room in Humboldt Park. Every contract was a handshake. Every workforce was local. Every promise was kept.

Five decades later, that founding philosophy still defines us. We've grown from a five-person operation to one of the largest privately-held general contractors in the Midwest, with 4,200 Chicago-area employees and $18 billion in annual construction volume. But the way we work hasn't changed: we hire local, we deliver on time, and we leave every neighborhood better than we found it.

The Marchetti family still owns the company. The ironworkers who built our first office tower trained the apprentices building our newest one. And every project — from a community health clinic to a 92-story skyscraper — gets the same answer when we're asked who's accountable: Primetime is.

54 Years. 2,400 Projects. One City.

1972

The Cermak Road Trailer

Anthony Marchetti founds Primetime Masonry Contracting with $4,200 in savings and a single jobsite trailer in Pilsen.

1981

First Million-Dollar Contract

Awarded the masonry package for the Bronzeville Senior Center — Primetime's first job over $1M and its first public-sector client.

1989

General Contractor License

Renamed Primetime Construction Inc. and licensed as a full-service general contractor. First high-rise project: a 22-story office tower on LaSalle Street.

1998

Healthcare & Aviation Practices

Established dedicated practice groups for healthcare construction (Rush University Medical Center expansion) and aviation (O'Hare Concourse renovation).

2007

Loop Headquarters

Moved corporate offices to 233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 4400. Surpassed $5 billion in cumulative project volume.

2014

Sustainability Commitment

Pledged that 100% of new commercial projects will pursue LEED certification. Joined the Chicago Climate Charter as a founding contractor signatory.

2019

Apprentice Pipeline Launch

Launched the Primetime Pathways apprentice program with Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges, and the Chicagoland Regional Council of Carpenters.

2024

$18 Billion Volume

Reached $18B in annual construction volume across 320 active projects in the Chicago metro area, employing 4,200 local team members.

2026

Lakeshore Vista Tower

Broke ground on the $1.8B Lakeshore Vista Tower — the largest single project in Primetime history and the tallest LEED Platinum building under construction in the Midwest.

The People Who Lead Us

Our executive team brings together more than 200 combined years of construction experience — the vast majority of it in Chicago.

DM

Daniel Marchetti

CHAIRMAN & CEO

Second-generation owner. Joined Primetime in 1994 after earning his civil engineering degree from UIC. Sits on the boards of the Chicagoland Chamber and World Business Chicago.

RP

Renata Patel, P.E.

PRESIDENT & COO

25 years in commercial high-rise construction. Led delivery on three of the five tallest buildings completed in Chicago since 2010. Northwestern McCormick alumna.

JW

Jamal Washington

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Joined from Crowe LLP in 2018. Architect of Primetime's $2.4B annual MBE/WBE subcontracting program. Booth School of Business graduate.

EO

Eileen O'Brien

EXECUTIVE VP, OPERATIONS

Started as a field engineer in 1999. Now oversees all 320 active jobsites across the metro area. Past Chair of the Chicago Building Trades Council.

CN

Carlos Navarro

CHIEF SAFETY OFFICER

Architect of Primetime's industry-leading 0.42 EMR. 30+ years on Chicago jobsites, including a decade as Safety Director at the Chicago Building Trades.

SK

Sarah Kim

CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER

Joined from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2021. Leads Primetime's Net Zero by 2035 commitment and the Chicago Decarbonization Coalition.

MR

Marcus Robinson

EVP, PEOPLE & CULTURE

Leads talent strategy and the Primetime Pathways apprenticeship program. CPS graduate, Loyola MBA, third-generation Chicagoan.

AT

Ava Thompson

EVP, PRECONSTRUCTION

25-year veteran of Chicago healthcare construction. Led the preconstruction effort for the Lurie Children's expansion and Northwestern Memorial Pavilion.

BG

Brian Gallagher

GENERAL COUNSEL

Joined Primetime in 2015 from Mayer Brown. Oversees risk management, contracts, and the Subcontractor Engagement program. UChicago Law graduate.

The Six Things We Hold Sacred

These are not posters in a breakroom. They are the criteria we use to make every decision, hire every team member, and choose every partner.

1. Local First

If a Chicago firm can do it, a Chicago firm should do it. We hire the city's tradespeople, partner with its subcontractors, and source from its suppliers. 94% of every dollar we earn stays in the metro area.

2. Safety Is Sacred

No project, no schedule, no client matters more than the people on the jobsite going home unharmed. Our 0.42 EMR is less than half the national average — and we're not satisfied with it.

3. Schedule Is a Promise

When we commit to a date, we honor it. 96% of our projects deliver on or ahead of schedule. The other 4% — we own the reasons why and the costs that come with them.

4. Diversity Is Excellence

The best workforce is one that reflects the city. 38% of our team identifies as Black, Latine, AAPI, or Indigenous. 32% are women — well above industry average and climbing.

5. Sustainability Is Standard

Every commercial project we take pursues LEED certification. We've committed to net-zero operations by 2035 — five years ahead of Chicago's municipal goal.

6. Owners Are Partners

We don't disappear after the punch list. Our Owner Care program supports clients for 10 years post-occupancy with warranty work, building intelligence, and capital planning.

A workforce as diverse as the city itself.

Chicago is one of the most diverse cities in America. Our workforce should be too.

We've spent the last decade rebuilding our pipeline from the ground up — recruiting from Chicago Public Schools, partnering with the City Colleges, sponsoring apprenticeships through the Chicagoland Regional Council of Carpenters, and putting hard targets on every job we run.

It's working. In 2024, we directed $2.4 billion in subcontracts to Chicago-based MBE and WBE firms — the largest commitment by any general contractor in the Midwest. And our DEI report is published, audited, and publicly available every year.

38%BIPOC representation across all levels
32%Women across the company
$2.4BSpend with MBE/WBE firms (2024)
147Active apprentices in Pathways program

Net Zero. By 2035. Without exception.

The buildings we put up today will define Chicago's carbon footprint for the next century. We take that responsibility seriously.

Every commercial project we take on pursues LEED certification — minimum Silver, with most targeting Gold or Platinum. We've embedded embodied carbon analysis into our preconstruction process, source 78% of our concrete from low-carbon Chicago-area suppliers, and run the largest construction-waste recycling program in the metro.

Our internal commitment goes further: net-zero operational emissions across all Primetime facilities and fleets by 2035. That's five years ahead of the City of Chicago's own decarbonization target — and we're publishing our progress every quarter.

Download 2025 ESG Report
87%Active projects pursuing LEED Gold or higher
2035Net-zero operations target — 5 years ahead of Chicago
92%Construction waste diverted from landfill
78%Low-carbon concrete sourced from Chicago suppliers

Build with us.

If you want to spend your career building the city you love, alongside the people who taught it how, we want to talk.

See Open Roles
147Open positions
4.7★Glassdoor rating
92%Tenured retention
$0Healthcare premiums