JLG Architects, which began in 1989 as a small company with big ideas, has become a highly respected design firm. It specializes in education, health care, sports and community and civic projects, and has more than 200 employees and nine offices in North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota.
The company has been employee-owned since 2014. A sampling of its awards speaks to its talent: Top 100 Design Firms in the U.S. (Building and Design); Top 20 Design Firms (ENR Mountain States); 50 Most Admired Firms in the U.S. (MSN Money); and Best Ice Hockey Arena Architects 2022 and 2023 (Global 100).
CEO Michelle Mongeon Allen started at the company as a project architect 24 years ago, rose through the ranks and was promoted to her current position in 2017. In 2022, she was named Most Admired CEO by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), an honor that only 3% of members have achieved.
