Both companies had zero formal governance ties (no board seats or leadership roles) with the Greater Topeka Partnership, Go Topeka, or the Topeka Chamber of Commerce.
Torgeson Electric Company (2022) vs. Champion Builders (2018) Here’s a clear, side-by-side comparison of the two companies’ only documented awards or contracts with JEDO / Go Topeka, based on the official meeting documents, contracts, and public records.
| Aspect | Torgeson Electric Company | Champion Builders |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 2022 (Project Bolt) | 2018 (C1-2018 contract) |
| Type of Award | Performance-based cash incentive (standard economic-development deal) | Direct fixed-price construction contract (general contractor for public project) |
| Value | Up to $268,000 (paid in installments over years, tied to performance) | ~$3.183 million construction contract (part of a $5.5 million overall project) |
| Purpose | Business expansion / facility remodel in Topeka. Funds usable for construction, equipment, etc. | General contractor for East Topeka Learning Center renovation & addition (Washburn Tech East) |
| Key Metrics | • $7 million capital investment • Up to 44 new full-time jobs (avg. $40k salary + benefits) • Projected $156 million local economic impact over 10 years | • Workforce training facility project (public/private partnership: JEDO, GO Topeka, Washburn University) |
| Outcome | Ongoing and successful (incentives began paying out in 2023; still listed as active in later reports) | Defaulted — Company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Nov. 2018. JEDO/Shawnee County had to replace them via bonding company (The Hartford). Project delayed. |
| Company Background | Topeka-based, 100% employee-owned electrical contracting firm (long-time local business) | Topeka-based general contractor (owned by Greg Murray at the time) |
| Association with Greater Topeka Partnership / Go Topeka / Chamber | None in governance or leadership. They are a recipient/client only (publicly thanked JEDO and the Partnership; later a small-business award finalist). | None found. No board seats, leadership roles, or formal ties. Pure vendor/contractor relationship. |
Summary of Key Differences
- Torgeson received a classic Go Topeka/JEDO economic incentive designed to grow private businesses and create jobs. The construction/remodel work was just one allowable use of the funds — not the main purpose of the award.
- Champion Builders received a traditional public-works construction contract to build a specific community facility. This is the only time in the JEDO documents (2000–2026) where a construction firm was directly hired by JEDO as the general contractor for a project they funded.
Both companies had zero formal governance ties (no board seats or leadership roles) with the Greater Topeka Partnership, Go Topeka, or the Topeka Chamber of Commerce.
If you’d like me to pull the full PDFs of either contract, compare them to any other specific firm, or dig into a particular aspect (e.g., project outcomes, ownership details, or later JEDO payments), just let me know!
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