Jim Morsink, Triangle Associates received LEED AP accreditation from the U. S. Green Building Council.

Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. added Pat Horrigan and Jeremy Amshey as Project Superintendents and announced that Dan Adams received LEED AP accreditation from the U. S. Green Building Council.

Modern Fire & Security Systems welcomed Jim Hillmer as Branch Manager for their Indianapolis, IN branch.

DVK Construction hired Heather LaHuis as Accounting Assistant-Bookkeeper.

Nate Johnson, Wolverine Construction Management received LEED AP accreditation from the U. S. Green Building Council.

CSM Group hired Joe Bailey as Project Manager and John Vavrosky as Project Engineer. Ben Zwart joined as an Intern in the Estimating Department. Dave Delpiere and Eric Wolfe received LEED AP accreditation from the U. S. Green Building Council. Melissa Wentland, Project Manager, was presented the Crystal Vision Award by the National Association of Women in Construction. Caroline Hatty was promoted to Project Coordinator. Bronson Hospital awarded the Bronson Quality Award to CSM for their efforts to improve its company.

Rehmann Robson welcomed Diane M. Ferris as Principal.

West Michigan Minority Contractors Association officers for 2008 are: President – Richard Ortega, Alternative Mechanical; Vice President – DeCarto Draper, The Draper Group; Treasurer – Amy Floyd, Bruce Heys Builders; Secretary – Wendell Smith, Trevino Smith Concrete and Executive Director – Stephanie Daniels.

West Michigan Minority Contractors Association named its Advisory Board: Raquel Salas, Warner Norcross & Judd; Dan LaMore, The Christman Company; Bill Schoonveld, Owen-Ames-Kimball Co; Craig Datema, Triangle Associates; Mike Van Gessel, Rockford Construction; Joe Erhardt, Erhardt Construction; Mark Roys, CSM Group; Steve Longstreet, Buist Electric; Bill Rietscha, Spectrum Health; Eric DeLong, City of Grand Rapids; Jeanne Engelhart, Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce; Dante Villareal, GVSU-MI-SBTDC; Valencia Cooper, MMBDC, Walter Brame, Grand Rapids Urban League; John Doherty, Associated Builders & Contractors, Bill Miranti, Progressive AE and Bernie Malewitz, River City Mechanical.

Elzinga & Volkers announces the promotions of Joe Novakoski to Senior Project Manager and Tony Roussey to Vice President of Operations; added Deb DeYoung as Project Manager and Catherine Helms as and Administrative Assistant. Mike Novakoski received LEED AP accreditation from the U. S. Green Building Council.

a. j. Veneklasen hired Bryan Richardson as Project Manager and Alana Mokma as Interior Designer.

Tridonn Construction received a 25th Anniversary Award from Ceco Building Systems at the 2008 Ceco National Sales Meeting.

Fifth Third Bank hired Tim Lyman as Senior Vice President and Director of Marketing for the Western Michigan Region.

Sean Maltbie has joined Miller Johnson as an associate in the Litigation Practice Group.

Randall Gregg joined Varnum, Riddering, Schmidt & Howlett in Grand Rapids, focusing his practice primarily on real estate and business law. Kimberly Richardson was selected as one of the nation’s Top 40 Under 40 by The Network Journal.

Contractors Mechanical has moved. Their new address is: 13800 East Michigan Ave. Galesburg, MI 49053. Phone: (269) 746-5844 Fax: (269) 746-1700.

The following ABC/WMC companies have been recognized by “Grand Rapids Business Journal” as The Best & Brightest Companies to Work™ for In West Michigan:

a. j. Veneklasen
Atwell-Hicks, Inc.
Beene Garter, LLP
Crowe Chizek and Company LLC
CSM Group
DVK Construction, Inc.
Elzinga & Volkers
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Fifth Third Bank
Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc.
HUB International Insurance Services
Hungerford, Aldrin, Nichols & Carter, PC
Mavcon
Miller Johnson PLC
NTH Consultants, Ltd.
Plante & Moran, PLLC
Progressive AE
Rhoades McKee
Rockford Construction Company
Seaman’s Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Inc.
The Campbell Group
The Rehmann Group
Triangle Associates, Inc.
Yeo & Yeo, PC, CPA’s and Business Consultants

ABC ENDORSES JOHN McCAIN FOR PRESIDENT – ABC’s National Board of Directors unanimously endorsed Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) for president of the United States March 5 at the association’s National Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Bill Fairchild, 2008 ABC National Chairman and President of R. W. Murray Co., Manassas, VA, said the election of McCain as the 44th U. S. President is a top priority for the commercial and industrial construction industry and the millions of Americans it employs.

ABC mourns the loss of J. Leon Altemose, a Philadelphia-area building contractor who fought to work open shop in the shadow of the city’s union labor strong-hold. He was 69. Altemose became a national figure in “right-to-work” contractors’ battle to win competitive market share in the 1970’s and 1980’s, as he and his projects faced union and nonunion workers led to the U.s. Supreme Court and earned him recognition as ENR’s 1972 Man of the Year. “We just thought that this was the U.S. and we should have the right to build as an open shop contractor, says firm executive and Altemose’s cousin Roger Altemose. “We didn’t set out to make labor law.”

Michigan 50 Companies to Watch honors two ABC/WMC members with its prestigious 2008 awards. The award celebrates the success achieved by Second Stage Entrepreneurs and was awarded on April 24th in Lansing. Governor Granholm was the Keynote Speaker. ABC/WMC member winners of the award were: James Dally – MAVCON, Inc. Terrell Daniels – Modern Fire and Security Systems, Inc.

Congratulations to these winners on their award and achievements.

Our Chapter presented an ABC/WMC Award to Ferris State University student Joseph O’Connor chosen as one of the Outstanding Construction Management Program Students graduating in 2008. ABC members on the FSU Construction Program Industry Advisory Committee are:

Ken Glupker – Rockford Construction
Mike Novakoski – Elzinga & Volkers, Inc.
Taggart Town – Erhardt Construction
Steve Frederickson- Christman Company

Business Review publication recently announced its list of Regional Thought Leaders and presented awards to them at a special luncheon on May 24. ABC related individuals who received the awards were:
Jeff Ammon – Miller Johnson
James Baird – Plante Moran
Guy Bazzani - Bazzani Associates
John Doherty – ABC
Tracey Hornbeck – Fifth Third Bank
Anita Rathbun – Triangle Associates
Michelle Van Dyke – Fifth Third Bank
Congratulations to all of the award winners!!

Congratulations to the following for achieving their years in business:

Pioneer Construction – 75 Years

CONGRATULATIONS!!!