River City Construction Home Office

Our Leadership

Bernie KochBernard J. Koch, President

  • B.S. in Construction with minor in Business Administration, Bradley University, 1983
  • 28 years construction experience; LEED AP

Professional Organizations: Central Illinois Builders of AGC (Industry Relations Committee); Southern Illinois Builders of AGC (past Board of Directors); Greater Peoria Contractors and Suppliers Association (past President, Board of Directors); Center for Emerging Technologies in Infrastructure – Bradley University (Chairman – Industry Institute); and Tri-County Construction Labor Management Council

Previously responsible for all construction and project management activities originating from our Peoria, Illinois office

Project experience includes: correctional facilities; waste water and water treatment plants; healthcare facilities; military construction, as well as educational and university projects

Lu OriLuigi Ori, Vice President, Estimating

  • Founding principal, River City Construction 1984
  • B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Michigan
  • Registered as Illinois State Professional Engineer
  • President of Greater Peoria Contractors and Suppliers Association
  • President of Builders Association of Tazewell County
  • 41 years construction experience

Member: Builders Association of Tazewell County, Greater Peoria Contractors & Suppliers Association, Central Illinois Builders of AGC

Mr. Ori has been with RCC the past 22 years, previously working at the Greater Peoria Sanitary District, V. Jobst & Sons, and Hensel Phelps Construction

Jeff LongJeffery Long, Vice President

  • 38 years construction experience

Experience in construction supervision, scheduling, water and waste treatment construction, concrete construction, parking structures and repairs, and coordination of all trades and subcontractors

Main area of responsibility is coordinating and supervising project superintendents for all construction activities originating from the Peoria, Illinois office

Professional Organizations: Greater Peoria Contractors and Suppliers Association (Labor Committee); Central Illinois Builders of AGC; Central Illinois Carpenters (Health and Welfare Trust Fund)

Randee LyonsRandee J. Lyons, Vice President

  • 34 years construction experience

Member: Southern Illinois Builders of AGC, Illinois Association of Wastewater Agencies

Currently serving as principal in charge of projects located in Southern Illinois and Missouri, Mr. Lyons has been involved in the construction and/or acquisition of nearly all of RCC’s water and wastewater facilities

Experience includes a variety of parking structures, correctional facilities, and military, commercial and institutional construction

John HoelscherJohn C. Hoelscher, Vice President, 
Finance & Accounting

  • Certified Public Accountant; BA, Accounting and Business Administration from Illinois State University
  • 26 years construction experience
  • Past President, Greater Peoria Contractors and Suppliers Association

Mr. Hoelscher is responsible for the company’s finance, accounting, insurance, and IT systems

Eric BursottEric Bursott, Vice President

  • B.S., Construction major, Business Administration minor, Bradley University
  • 27 years construction experience; LEED AP

Member: Central Illinois Builders of AGC, Greater Peoria Contractors and Suppliers Association

Mr. Bursott’s duties include quantity take-off pricing, subcontractor procurement, and packaging of financial bids. He is also responsible for maintaining a detailed historical cost system derived from field data sources, assuring that bids are current with actual productivities

In addition to his extensive experience in wastewater/water treatment, correctional facilities, and parking structures. Mr. Bursott is also quite practiced in developing and preparing bids for industrial customers, athletic facilities, universities, military installations, and zoos. He is skilled in preparing estimates from completed documents and has worked with architects on design/build projects, preparing conceptual estimates frompartially completed documents as well

John SutherlandJohn Sutherland, Vice President

  • B.S., Construction, Bradley University
  • 18 years construction experience

AGC Kansas City Chapter (Board of Directors); Construction Specifications Institute-Central Missouri Chapter (President Elect); University of Central Missouri (Construction Degree Advisory Board); Macon, Missouri RI Schools of Vocational Center (Building Trades Advisory Board); The Builders Association-Kansas City; The Construction Leadership Council; Southern Boone Chamber of Commerce (Board of Directors)

Mr. Sutherland currently serves as the principal in charge of projects located in Missouri

Project experience includes: Design-build; health care facilities; correctional facilities; industrial work; as well as educational and university projects