About
Three generations, one standard of work.
01 / The story
Building the platform.
- First self-managed building1993
- Skilled nursing facilities operated8
- Supportive living facilities operated5
Sigmund Lefkovitz graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1949 with a degree in civil engineering. After seven years with established general contractors, he became a principal in his own construction and development firm in 1956. In 1964 he co-founded DiCom Corp, at one time the fifth-largest design-and-construct firm of nursing homes in the United States.
Sigmund built across the full spectrum of the industry: nursing homes and extended-care centers in fifteen states, high-rise apartment towers, planned communities, and manufacturing and distribution facilities for national clients. Nearly all of the healthcare work was built as an investment. The family financed and constructed the buildings, then leased them to qualified operators, and from 1993 ran its own skilled nursing and supportive living facilities from Colorado to the Carolinas.
A builder who will also own and operate a building makes different decisions. Mechanical systems are selected for long-term maintenance rather than first cost, envelopes are built to last, and budgets are set by people who have to live with them.
Glenn Lefkovitz joined in 1985 as construction superintendent on a 40-unit development in Wheeling, Illinois, learned the business trade by trade, from field supervision to municipalities to tenant relations, and rose to lead the Chicago operation. On May 22, 1996, LEF Construction, Inc. was incorporated in Illinois.
Chris Lefkovitz, the third generation, built his own record before taking this one over, founding LEFT Development in 2017 and co-founding Leftbank Holdings in 2019. He then completed a full buyout of Sig and Glenn Lefkovitz to own LEF Construction outright. As President, he leads the firm's growth and client relationships: one company responsible from planning through completion, priced and scheduled by people who have carried projects on their own balance sheets.
02 / Company history
From 1956 to today.
The record spans seventy years of continuous building. The same organization financed, designed, built and in many cases operated its projects, and that continuity still shapes how work is planned, priced and delivered today.
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1956
The first generation
Civil engineer Sigmund Lefkovitz (Illinois Institute of Technology, 1949) becomes a principal in his own construction and development firm.
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1964
The design-build years
He co-founds DiCom Corp, at one time the fifth-largest design-and-construct firm of nursing homes in the United States.
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1985
The second generation
Glenn Lefkovitz joins the family enterprise as construction superintendent on a 40-unit development in Wheeling, learning the business trade by trade, and rises to lead the Chicago operation.
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1996
LEF Construction, Inc.
The family's general contracting practice is incorporated in Illinois on May 22, 1996, formalizing four decades of building under one name.
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2017
LEFT Development
Chris Lefkovitz founds LEFT Development, a real estate investment and development company.
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2019
Leftbank Holdings
Chris Lefkovitz and partners launch Leftbank Holdings, a multifamily investment and development platform.
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Today
The third generation
Chris Lefkovitz completes a full buyout of Sig and Glenn Lefkovitz and leads LEF Construction as President, with the firm supporting his development companies Leftbank Holdings and LEFT Development.
03 / Leadership
The third generation.
YPO Chicagoland
Chris Lefkovitz leads LEF Construction as its third-generation President, pairing the family's field discipline with an institutional investor's standards for underwriting, risk and reporting.
Before taking the helm at LEF Construction, Chris built the development platform now operating as LEFT Development and Leftbank Holdings, whose partners have entitled more than 2,400 units across six states. He was a founding member of Grass Lake Capital EPV, an international real estate private equity fund with offices in Chicago and London that invested in more than $150 million of ground-up multifamily and retail projects across Ireland and the United Kingdom, where he was responsible for analyzing, underwriting and evaluating all projects.
He graduated summa cum laude in finance from Tulane University and lives in Chicago with his wife and son.
04 / The builders
The people behind the record.
LEF Construction was built by the people below across two generations. Today the firm is led by the third generation with the same standards of execution.
Sigmund Lefkovitz
Founder · Civil Engineer, IIT 1949Held principal responsibility for site acquisition, architectural design and engineering, finance and lease negotiations, from his first firm in 1956 onward.
Camille J. Koehl
CPA and Certified Financial PlannerWorked in the industry from 1964, with primary responsibility for operations, financing (conventional, HUD and Industrial Development Bonds), tax planning, compliance and investor relations. Recognized in Who's Who in Finance and Industry.
Glenn Lefkovitz
LEF and Associates · ChicagoJoined in 1985 as construction superintendent and learned every side of the business, from trades to municipalities to tenants, then led daily operations of the Chicago office across design, finance, legal and operations until his retirement.
Shelley Rosenberg
Construction SuperintendentMost of the properties in the ledger went up under his field supervision, with him on site holding the trades to the company's standard, through his retirement.
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