Killian Goes Commercial

Established in 1948, Killian Construction was founded by J.P., Robert G. and William F. Killian — Bill Killian’s grandfather, father and uncle, respectively. The company has gone from a giant home builder at that time in Springfield, Mo., to a national commercial contractor.r

After J.P. Killian retired in 1959, his son Robert took over as president until 1993. Bill Killian and his brothers worked at the firm from the age of 13. It was Robert Killian who in 1968 started the firm’s four-year transition into commercial construction. r

“He saw an opportunity to get into a different market segment in construction,” Killian said.r

After his father retired in 1993, Bill bought the business from several family members. He was fresh off a six-year stint of classes at the University of Missouri-Columbia and a hiatus from time as a diving instructor in the Cayman Islands. He worked as an estimator and superintendent and moved up to vice president and executive vice president before buying the company in 1993.r

Jim Anderson, president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, said the Killians have always been “first-class.”r

“[Robert Killian] was a quality individual who treated his customers right,” Anderson said. “Bill inherited those qualities and attributes.” r