Calvin Boender cofounded C&D Construction Company in 1979. In the early years of the company, Calvin Boender oversaw the construction of commercial interiors, serving major clients such as Motorola, Atlas Van Lines, and Southwestern Bell. During the 1980s, Cal Boender also operated Historic Homes, a company that refurbished inner-city residential properties. The company offered these properties at affordable rents thanks to a federal investment tax credit created by the Reagan administration.
In 1986, Cal Boender changed the name of C&D Construction to North Development and undertook a wide variety of residential development projects in Chicago. One of North Development’s signature projects was the $120 million City Center Club Project, which encompassed 1 million square feet, 400 condos, 600 parking spaces, and significant retail space.
Boender later led the company into industrial space as well as commodity investing, two of the company’s major focuses today. He lives in Chicago with his wife of 30 years.