Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Florida Recognized as a Top Business in Florida

August 18, 2020
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Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Company (O‑A‑K), a preeminent general contractor with a longstanding presence in Southwest Florida, has been recognized in the Business Observer’s Top 500.

Each year the Business Observer spends seven months researching companies on the Gulf Coast to rank the top 500 companies from Tampa to Naples by their gross revenues.

On this year’s list, which reflects 2019 fiscal year data, O‑A‑K ranked number 63 with $290 million in revenue, up 7.41% from 2018.

In addition, O‑A‑K was recognized as the oldest company in the top 500. O‑A‑K was established in 1891.

“Our founders cared about people, first and foremost, and established an employee-owned construction company that eventually became Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Co. (or O‑A‑K),” said Dave Dale, president of O‑A‑K Florida. “Industry trends have come and gone, marketplace demands have evolved, and O‑A‑K has transformed to manage the building process, not just the construction itself. We believe the most successful companies are constantly adjusting to what they’ve learned. At our core, we are culturally humble and driven.”

“Every year we’re scouting for companies, new and old, and it’s always exciting to see who’s new to the list and how veterans of the list have changed over the past couple years,” says Kat Hughes, executive editor of the Business Observer. “Covering nine counties that each have thousands of companies, the Top 500 really has become a who’s who for leading firms in the region.”

An employee-owned company, O‑A‑K Florida, Inc.’s Board of Directors is comprised of members from the company’s Florida operations. Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Company has provided premier general contracting, design-build, and construction management services in Southwest Florida since 1982.

O‑A‑K’s Florida operation is an affiliate of its parent company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Florida operation has offices in Collier and Lee counties. Its Lee County office is located at 11941 Fairway Lakes Drive in Fort Myers. Learn more about O.A.K. at www.owen‑ames‑kimball.com.

About the Top 500

The Top 500 is the most comprehensive list on the Gulf Coast by including companies in nine counties. The main list ranks the 500 largest companies by gross revenues for consistency and comparability.

Revenues are mostly self-reported by the companies and do not include pass-through revenues for industries such as real estate, advertising agencies, or professional employer organizations.

In addition to revenues for 2018 and 2019, the list provides other information on each company, including the number of full-time employees, the year founded or incorporated, the top executive, line of business and of course, valuable contact information.

"On this year’s list, which reflects 2019 fiscal year data, O‑A‑K ranked number 63 with $290 million in revenue, up 7.41% from 2018."

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Building Where We Live: O-A-K Celebrates New East Lansing Office

Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. (O-A-K) recently opened the doors to our new Central Michigan office in East Lansing, welcoming guests to an open house celebration with Tom Shanley, Director of Central Michigan Operations and the rest of the team.

The new office is part of O-A-K’s growth plan and a commitment to the clients we already serve across the region. For Tom, the move is about more than expanding our footprint in Michigan. Like our teams in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Traverse City, the Central Michigan team will live and work in the communities it builds for.

“I think we do a better job with our employees if we work and live in the communities in which we serve,” Tom said. “It has to mean something to you. It has to be part of your world.”

The East Lansing space was chosen with our people in mind. Natural light fills the office, and there is room for the team to gather, collaborate, and host colleagues from other O-A-K offices for joint project work and group training sessions.

“Having a cohesive team is important to O-A-K,” Tom said. “It’s part of our culture.”

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O-A-K Kalamazoo Breaks Ground on New Office

Last week, O-A-K team members, community leaders, and project partners gathered in Kalamazoo to break ground on our new Kalamazoo office. The building gives our Southwest Michigan team a permanent home designed around the way they work, collaborate, and serve clients across the region.

O-A-K first opened a Kalamazoo office in November 2013, starting with a small team in the historic Haymarket Building downtown. In 2024, we celebrated 10 years in the community. This new office is an investment in our employee-owners, our future in Southwest Michigan, and the community we are proud to call home.

Design partner Ghafari has helped shape a space that reflects who we are as a company and gives our team room to grow. Ghafari and O-A-K have a long history together, including our work on Ghafari’s own office in Grand Rapids.

Thank you to Ghafari, Western Michigan University (WMU), and Southwest Michigan First for their partnership and support, and to the leadership, project teams, and community representatives who joined us to celebrate.

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On Site at the New Forest Hills Aquatic Center

O-A-K Project Manager, Megan Wilson, and Cory Anderson, Director of Operations for Forest Hills Public Schools, walked the site to see how the district's new aquatic center is taking shape.

Located on the Dr. J. Michael Washburn Campus next to the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center, the project broke ground in December 2025 and is funded through the district’s 2023 bond, which voters approved in November of that year. Designed by TowerPinkster, the 77,813 sf facility features a nine-lane, 50-meter competitive pool and a four-lane, 25-meter community pool, giving the district the flexibility to run swim practices and community recreation at the same time. A separate dive well allows diving and swimming events to happen at once.

Those opportunities reach well beyond the district’s three high schools. The new center positions Forest Hills to welcome large events, from MHSAA state championship meets to national club swim meets, while expanding swim lessons, water fitness, and recreation for families across the community. The district’s current Community and Aquatic Center has served swimmers, athletes, students, and neighbors since 1990.

The aquatic center is one of several projects O-A-K is building alongside Forest Hills Public Schools, from school remodels to athletic facilities at each of the district’s high schools. “The partnership starts at design and goes all the way to completion,” Anderson said. “We spend a lot of time working together very closely to make sure these projects all come to fruition.”

O-A-K looks forward to turning over the new aquatic center to Forest Hills Public Schools in fall 2028.

Thank you to our video partners at Taproot Pictures for helping us tell this story.

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