Like any good story, there’s so much more than meets the eye at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. Over the past 22 years, owner Todd Nelson, with the help of his family—high-school-sweetheart wife Shari and their five children, Todd Jr., Travis, Natasha, and twin daughters Alissa and Ashley—has grown his business from a pizza pub in The Wisconsin Dells to several sprawling properties that received the title of World’s Coolest Indoor Waterparks by Conde Nast Traveler in 2014.

“Kalahari is a result of hard work and love and represents my family’s dream come to life,” says Todd Nelson, of Nelson Family Holdings, owner of Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. “We aren’t content sitting on the sidelines, but understand that hard work guided by family principles is the key differentiator that has allowed us to partake on this whirlwind journey. It doesn’t get lost on us how lucky we are—sometimes we have to pinch ourselves.”

In 2020, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions celebrated its 20th anniversary and opened its fourth property in Round Rock, Texas. The Round Rock location is the new home of America’s Largest Indoor Waterpark Resort—with 223,000 square feet of wet and wild fun. The Nelsons have been the driving force behind the development, creation, and expansion of the Kalahari brand since its inception.

Having worked with the Nelson Family on numerous projects for Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in The Dells, it was only natural that the Nelsons reached out to Friede & Associates when they needed to build a hangar at the Baraboo-Wisconsin Dells Airport to house their corporate jet. The new hangar, designed by Integrity Engineering & Design, features an office space, a lounge, a kitchenette, a storage room, and in-floor heating. The 85-foot-wide sliding, stacking door facilitates the plane’s movement in and out of the hangar.

The Friede team has built several hangars at the airport in the past, so we were familiar with the site and the challenges it would pose. Because the site is very flat, drainage was a big issue. A drainage area between the new hangar and the adjacent hangar was added to improve flow away from the hangars to a nearby drainage ditch. Also, due to COVID-related supply chain issues, the metal building supplier had numerous material and delivery problems that caused the construction schedule to be adjusted to accommodate the delay. Despite these challenges, the project was completed in four months.

“We are delighted to assist the Nelson Family Holdings with their construction needs,” says Scott Truehl, Executive Vice President and Partner at Friede & Associates. “Kalahari Resorts & Conventions is a great asset to our community.”

Morgan Tribbey served as project manager and Ryan Fuhrman was the project superintendent.