The Minnesota Real Estate Hall of Fame was established by the Shenehon Center for Real Estate at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business to honor leaders in the local real estate community.  As we begin taking nominations for the 2011 Minnesota Real Estate Hall of Fame, we wanted to introduce you to the esteemed group of current Minnesota Hall of Fame members.  Meet Gerald Rauenhorst, 2010 Minnesota Real Estate Hall of Fame Inductee.

Gerald Rauenhorst
Mr. Gerald Rauenhorst’s high standards of business ethics are exemplified by his guidance of Opus, the company that he founded in 1953.  Opus revolutionized the building industry by being one of the first firms to unite the disparate worlds of architecture and construction into a team.  Mr. Rauenhorst has had a significant impact on the construction and real estate development industry in the United States –  Opus has constructed more than 2,000 buildings around the country. 

Mr. Rauenhorst has joked that in 1953, he started the ecumenical movement in Minnesota as a 25-year-old Catholic by winning a job to build a Lutheran church in his hometown of Olivia, Minnesota.  While some members of the building committee were reluctant to hire him because there was a Lutheran bidder, too, the committee decided that it would be fairer to honor Mr. Rauenhorst’s lower bid.  From there, Rauenhorst Construction (which later became Opus) built its new headquarters, a building designed by Mr. Rauenhorst himself.  Continue Reading