This summer, 28 interns joined O-A-K across our Michigan and Florida offices in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Traverse City, Naples, and Fort Myers. Each intern was was assigned to active projects and put to work.

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The pathway is real

Over the past decade, at least 14 former interns have moved into full-time roles with O-A-K.

Brian Filipek interned in 2015 and is now a Project Manager. "The company's reputation initially attracted me to the internship, but it was the people and culture that convinced me to stay," Filipek said. Marco Garcia interned in 2020 and returned in 2024 as a Project Superintendent. Carlos Rapalo interned in 2024 and became an Assistant Project Manager in 2025. Sammuel Presmy worked the Cape Coral Technical College expansion as an intern and joined full-time in May 2026 as an Assistant Project Manager.

Employee-owned since 1891, O-A-K gives interns room to grow and people willing to invest in that growth. Many stay on part-time while finishing their degrees, then join full-time after graduation.

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Fridays Together: Learning Every Department

Every Friday, interns from all offices came together in-person and virtually to learn the functions that run O-A-K: Preconstruction, Marketing, Safety, Project Management, Accounting, and Superintendent work. Construction does not happen only in the field. These sessions showed our interns the full machine behind a project: Preconstruction planning the work, project managers driving it forward, superintendents leading the field, safety protecting everyone on the jobsite, accounting keeping it honest, and marketing telling the story.

Ian Miller, a Florida Gulf Coast University student, is proof our interns value their time at O-A-K. Ian first interned with us in 2025 on the FGCU Cohen Student Union renovation, following the project from active construction through closeout. He returned this summer for a new project and a wider view of the business.

"O-A-K's internship program is designed to give students meaningful, real-world experience that simply can't be replicated in a classroom," said Jim Hopper, Florida Division President. "Our interns become valuable members of project teams, participate in problem-solving, interact with clients and trade partners, and gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to successfully deliver complex construction projects."

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Meet Kejsi from O-A-K Florida

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What comes next

To the 2026 intern class: thank you for your hard work. You strengthened our teams this summer, and we can't wait to build with you again. Interested in an O-A-K internship? Send a message with your resume to camilag@oakmi.com, or learn more on our Careers Page.

Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. is pleased to announce that Andy Carrier, CCM, has joined the company as Estimator.

Carrier brings 39 years of uniquely varied experience to the commercial construction industry. He holds two Bachelor of Science degrees—one in Corporate Management and another in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of Rhode Island. Throughout his career, Carrier has built extensive expertise across multiple sectors, including structural engineering, public works, planning and land development, state transportation programs, environmental construction management, and commercial construction.

Most recently, Carrier served as a Commercial Construction Project Manager, where he managed the full lifecycle of complex commercial projects, including utility site construction, multi-building residential developments, school remodels and major university fieldhouse renovations. He also led pre-construction and bidding efforts for projects totaling more than $49.2 million.

Prior to that, Carrier served as Construction Project Manager for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Design & Construction, overseeing more than 20 concurrent capital projects across Florida State Parks with a combined value exceeding $25.8 million. His experience also includes leadership roles in infrastructure and land development project management throughout Connecticut and Florida.

Carrier is a Certified Construction Manager through the Construction Management Association of America and also holds ProCore certifications as a Project Manager, Superintendent and Field Worker. He is recognized for his ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, manage complex contracts and consistently deliver projects on time and within budget.

In his new role as Estimator, Carrier will lead preconstruction estimating efforts for commercial construction projects throughout Southwest Florida. He will prepare detailed cost estimates, analyze project plans and specifications, collaborate with project teams and subcontractors, and help develop competitive, accurate bids that support O-A-K's commitment to delivering exceptional value and quality to its clients.

“Andy’s depth of experience across engineering, public infrastructure, planning and commercial construction brings tremendous value to our team and our clients,” said Jim Hopper, Florida Division President of O-A-K. “His broad understanding of the construction process, combined with his leadership and technical expertise, make him an excellent addition as we continue to grow throughout the region.”

“I’m excited to join a company with such a strong reputation for quality, integrity and community impact,” said Carrier. “O-A-K’s employee-owned culture and commitment to collaboration really stood out to me, and I look forward to contributing to the company’s continued success across Southwest Florida.”

Outside of work, Carrier enjoys spending time with family and friends, woodworking and visiting new places.

We are proud to announce that Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. (O-A-K) is opening its first office in the greater Lansing market, marking another step in our thoughtful growth across Michigan.

We have signed a lease on new office space at 1595 W. Lake Lansing Road in East Lansing, and plan to formally open the location at the end of summer. O-A-K is headquartered in downtown Grand Rapids, with additional offices in Caledonia, Kalamazoo, and Traverse City, Michigan, as well as Naples and Fort Myers, Florida, and Castle Rock, Colorado. We employ 250 people across all of our locations and recorded $531 million in total revenue in 2025, according to Crain's Grand Rapids Business.

Our success has always been rooted in the expertise, judgment, relationships, and commitment of our people. We have been building in Michigan for 135 years, and that history reflects, more than anything, the strength of the people and partnerships behind every project we take on.

"Most of our clients like to have somebody local," said Frank Stanek, PE, President and CEO of O-A-K. "Working in the community, living in the community, and having offices in the community was really essential for us. Finding the right person to start up that office was also a key essential."

Expanding into Central Michigan is a natural next step. Clients O-A-K has worked with for years are active in the region, employees already live there, and trade partner and community relationships are already in place. Opening an office in East Lansing lets O-A-K deepen those relationships and gives partners the experience of working with O-A-K people who are members of their own community.

O-A-K will continue its focus on K-12, higher education, healthcare, government, and aviation clients as it grows in the greater Lansing area.

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The Right Person to Lead the Way

O-A-K recently named Tom Shanley to the newly created role of Director of Central Michigan Operations, where he will lead the East Lansing office. Shanley has spent most of his construction career working in the central and eastern Michigan regions, with experience at The Christman Co. and MIG Construction, and most recently as an owner's representative at Kramer Management Group.

Shanley is in the process of hiring a small East Lansing based staff of three to five people, who are expected to be working out of the office by the end of the year.

"We'll be continually growing our team as we go," Shanley said. "A lot of our field staff work out of mobile trailers and those types of things, but we want to be able to have touch down spaces to bring our teams in to talk, do safety trainings, and collaborative type things."

The office sits immediately east of U.S. 127, giving the team easy access to Shiawassee, Genesee, Livingston, Jackson, and Clinton counties.

"We feel pretty strongly that we can definitely help in this area," Shanley said. "The model that we have, it travels well, but we need that presence."

Meet Tom Shanley

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Built on Partnership

What sets O-A-K apart is the ability to advocate for the client, from the earliest stages of Preconstruction through the final days of a project. The team brings cost certainty and operational planning to complex, technically demanding work, giving partners the tools they need to make informed decisions at every stage. That approach does not change when O-A-K enters a new market. It travels with us.

As a 100 percent employee owned firm, O-A-K's people have a personal stake in every outcome. That is not a slogan, it changes how we work. When team members live in the communities they serve, that commitment deepens, and it shows up in every client relationship, every trade partner conversation, and every project delivered together. Guided by partnership, we are determined to build the best experience.

Become our Trade Partner

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Second Stop on a Bigger Map

East Lansing marks O-A-K's second recent investment outside of its home base in Grand Rapids. The company is also building a new office in Kalamazoo, at property it purchased last year in Western Michigan University's Business, Technology and Research Park. The 8,700 sf office is set to break ground this fall and open in early summer 2027.

Our Michigan Locations

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Read the story on Crain's Grand Rapids Business