Press Releases

Western Specialty Contractors – Saint Louis Facades branch was honored to assist St. Louis City’s nationally-recognized Saint Louis Zoo when its camel enclosure and site perimeter wall were damaged by a tornado on May 16, 2025.

Located at 1 Government Dr. in the city’s Forest Park, the Saint Louis Zoo is recognized as a leading zoo in animal management, research, conservation and education. Founded in 1910, admission to the 90-acre zoo is free, with an estimated 3 million visitors annually.

Zoo officials reached out to Western following the tornado to assess the damage. Western’s restoration experts determined that the majority of the concrete block enclosure wall and approximately 100 square feet of the brick serpentine site wall needed to be removed and rebuilt.

Western’s field staff were on site the next day to begin demolition of the unsound building materials so that the rebuild could commence. Western’s team was able to repair the enclosure in three days to allow the camels to return back to their exhibit safely.

As the nation’s leader in the restoration of commercial, institutional and industrial concrete and masonry structures and buildings, Western has been helping businesses recover from natural disasters for over 50 years.

Bringing a building or structure back to life in the case of a natural disaster takes a certain level of experience and skill. Western’s restoration experts are equipped to properly assess the damage, develop a recovery plan and initiate the restoration or take steps to mitigate further loss.

Disaster recovery services provided by Western include:

• Building exterior stabilization
• Emergency building enclosure
• Roofing repair and replacement
• Window boarding, repair and replacement
• General clean up
• Masonry and concrete repair
• Historic restoration

For more information about Western’s Disaster Recovery Services, visit https://westernspecialtycontractors.com/projects/services/disaster-recovery/.

Serpentine wall damage

Concrete enclosure wall damage

Concrete wall repair

About Western Specialty Contractors

Family-owned and operated for 110 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects, and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO with 30 branch offices nationwide and employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, visit www.westernspecialtycontractors.com.