About
Jon was formerly Owner and President of Wanzek Construction, a heavy industrial and renewable energy construction company. Currently, Jon is involved in film, real estate, ranching, technology, and venture capital.
Early Life
Jon was born on May 10, 1964, in Medina, North Dakota and raised in Fargo, North Dakota. Wanzek participated in Boy Scouts of America in his youth and earned the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 14.
He attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earning an undergraduate degree in civil engineering. He graduated with distinction in 1986.
Executive Career
​​​After graduating, Jon started his career as a project engineer for Mortenson Construction. He was eventually hired by one of their clients, Northwest Airlines (now Delta), to manage the construction projects of several national airports. Jon oversaw the construction and remodel of terminals at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, Boston’s Logan Airport, and the addition of a new World Club (flight lounge) at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
In 1989, Jon returned to Fargo, North Dakota to join his parents’ business as a project engineer eventually becoming President and CEO of Wanzek Construction. During his time at the company, he led the growth to over 1,000 employees, gaining ranking at 177 on the ENR Top 400 Construction Companies in North America. The company’s focus on renewable energy building wind farms and renewable energy farms accelerated the growth. In 2008, Wanzek Construction was sold to MasTec, a construction company based in Florida. Jon stayed on as President of the company until 2010.
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Philanthropy
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Wanzek established the Wanzek Family Foundation in 2009, supporting projects throughout the community, region,
and beyond.
Wanzek supported the following organizations:
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Cathedral of St Mary, Fargo, ND – renovations and additions including Wanzek Center, adoration chapel, acquisition and construction of new parking lot, south entrance and elevator addition, and fence and signage around the entire campus.
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Northern Lights Council – Boy Scouts of America, Fargo, ND – construction of the Jon L Wanzek Center for Scouting – Fargo, ND. In addition, Wanzek funded the construction of the Trading Post, Scout History Center, and Tornado Shelters at Camp Wilderness – Park Rapids, MN.
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Wanzek has also supported other organizations including Artists for Peace & Juice, Bonanzaville, Catholic Relief Services, Creative Coalition, Doctors without Borders, Fellowship of Catholic University Students, Ghana Catholic Church, Hennepin County Health Care (Burn center), Hennepin Health Foundation (Breast center/infusion room/stain glass artwork), Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Mayo Clinic, National MusicMuseum, Pioneer Trails Regional Museum, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, University of NotreDame, and many others.
Board Work
Jon has formerly served on the following boards: Board of Directors of Dakota Medical Foundation, Engineering Advisory Council at the University of Notre Dame, Executive Board of Northern Lights Council of Boy Scouts of America, and President’s Circle at University of Notre Dame.
Meadowlark Building
Pitchfork Ranch
Bad Medicine Films
Meadowlark Building is located in the heart of the Cathedral district in downtown Fargo, North Dakota. The building is home to dynamic companies including: Bushel (agricultural technology), MBN (engineering services, and Adshark (Digital marketing and e-commerce).
In 2009, Jon purchased property in the North Dakota Badlands. Pitchfork Ranch is a 4,000-acre, working black angus cattle ranch with a ranch manager onsite. The Pitchfork Ranch is located near Amidon, North Dakota, in the southwest corner of the state.
In 2012, Jon established Bad Medicine Films. The production company produces and finances independent films and is named after the lake in Minnesota where his cabin is located. Bad Medicine Films has produced a number of films including: Ten Thousand Saints, Valley of Bones, Human Capital, Pilgrim, and Doglike.