While many builders lay claim to a tradition of old-world craftsmanship, few companies have the personal story to back it up. For Greg Werderitch of Werderitch Construction, the family tradition goes back four generations, to Austria. His great-grandfather, Alois Werderitch was a Master Builder-A prestigious title reserved for only the finest craftsmen.

With the next generation, the family tradition crossed the ocean. Greg¹s grandfather, also named Alois, arrived at Ellis Island in 1922. In spite of the skills he had learned from his father, it was difficult for a newcomer to find work as a carpenter, and Alois came to Chicago as an ironworker on the Chicago subway system. Later he worked as a superintendent for a large builder, and he taught his son Louis, Greg’s father, the family trade of carpentry.