Breese, IL, Feb 21, 2025 – Poettker Construction, an award-winning, family-owned business, has started a new drone program. This initiative improves pre-project planning, improves visibility during construction, enhances safety, and boosts operational efficiency.
“The drone program has been a great asset to use within the preconstruction department,” said Ryan Diekemper, vice president of preconstruction. “We utilize this technology to take current aerial images of potential projects and then place the proposed building plan onto the site to provide the client with a better understanding of options for how a building could be sited onto the potential property. We are also able to use the drone to obtain existing topographical information enabling us to make preliminary plans and prepare earthwork budgets early in the project design process.”
Poettker’s drone program also benefits the risk management department. “One of the most significant benefits of our drone program is its impact on our risk management efforts,” said Charles Wilson, vice president of risk management. “Drones enable us to cover larger areas more quickly and gather high-quality data. With a single flight, we can create 3D models, conduct thermal scans, perform quantitative takeoffs, and carry out surveys. This comprehensive data collection enhances the productivity of our risk management staff, allowing them to focus on critical tasks with greater efficiency.”
Drones help Poettker Construction check progress in hard-to-reach areas and examine elevated structures like powerlines. With AI, they can analyze drone footage to compute stockpile amounts. Drones equipped with thermal imaging can study roofs for leaks. One of Poettker’s teams recently used drone images to identify sites for 39 traffic barriers. The drones give on-site teams an extra way to review their work, allowing them to respond faster. This approach reduces rework and enhances the company’s quality assurance efforts.
Poettker’s drone program enables customers to monitor the progress of their project, a feature essential to customers who don’t reside in the same state as their new building. Customers also benefit from improved safety and quality monitoring, streamlined inspections, aerial photography, and videography.
Logan Decker, an FAA-licensed drone operator, oversees Poettker Construction’s drone program. He visits projects to capture progress through 4K video, still imagery, 2D site surveys, 3D models, and periodic thermal scans. His work encourages collaboration among project stakeholders and provides Poettker’s Marketing Department with photography and video for promotional efforts. Logan Decker said, “I enjoy being able to support multiple teams, visit different locations, and meet new people,” said Decker. “I appreciate the variety that the job provides.”Decker and Wilson collaboratively developed Poettker’s drone initiative. The program allows employees to submit a request for a drone flight via an online form, operate an app to browse images and videos organized by project, receive automated safety reports, and access 3D maps that enable them to click on specific points to view all images taken at that specific location. Poettker’s aerial fleet features various drone models, each with distinct capabilities, ranging from rapid deployment and thermal imaging to a larger, full-service model designed to endure intense winds.
“One day, I hope that our drone program will be so successful that I won’t be able to keep up with demand, leading us to hire a second drone operator,” said Decker. “That would be the ultimate testament to the success of Poettker Construction’s drone program.”
Source: Poettker Construction
About Poettker Construction
Poettker Construction Company, founded in 1980, is a family-owned firm headquartered in Breese, IL, with additional offices in MO and NC. Specializing in construction management, design-build, general contracting, and self-perform services, Poettker serves various industries, including industrial and manufacturing, commercial and corporate, distribution and warehouse, federal and defense, healthcare, education, retail, and utility infrastructure. The company emphasizes safety, quality, and client satisfaction, aiming to build lasting relationships through trust and collaboration. In 2024, Poettker reported revenue of $404 million, completing 94 projects across eight states and constructing 4.7 million square feet of new facilities. The company employs approximately 247 individuals and maintains a strong commitment to safety, conducting over 600 site inspections in 2024. Recognized for excellence, Poettker was ranked No. 54 on the St. Louis Business Journal’s 2024 Top 150 Largest Privately Held Companies list.
