Karen Riffice (General Manager)
- Karen has extensive experience in the mechanical contracting business. After honing her skills in the industry for over 25 years, she opened her own firm in 2006. Karen is the sole owner and president of Amalgamated Services, Inc., a female owned mechanical, plumbing, and HVAC firm. Karen is the managing partner of the Amalgamated/Hill JV, LLC.
- Karen’s company has performed work on many municipal and private projects. Past and current work includes the General Service Administration, Chicago Public Schools, the Housing Authority of the County of Cook, the Chicago Transit Authority, the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Federal Aviation Agency, and O’Hare International Airport.
- It is Karen’s belief that construction projects are successful only through proper planning, communication, diligent work, and intensive follow‐through. She believes as well that it is critical to partner with clients and work as a team to provide an acceptable final project.
- Karen received her BS and MBA degrees from Governor’s State University. Additionally, she participated in the Mechanical Contractors Association of America’s Advance Leadership Institute, as well as attending countless workshops including a Bonding Education Program through the U.S.D.O.T., Minority Contractor Training Program, SBA Contractor Teaming Program, Goldman-Sachs 10,000 Business Program, the SBA E200 and Emerging Leaders Program, as well as a multitude of others of equal merit.
- Karen is active in a number of many professional organizations and presently serves on the boards of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago (MCA), the National Association of Women in Construction, and the Chicagoland Better Heating and Cooling Association. Additionally, she is a member of the Women in HVACR, the American Subcontractors Association of Chicago, the Plumbing Contractors Association of Chicago (PCA), the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA), Women Impacting Political Policy (WIPP), and the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), as well as five other professional organizations.