O‑A‑K Superintendent, Juan Martinez Sr., shares what goes into a high-profile project for law enforcement in the video above. Hear about how the floor, walls, and ceiling are specifically designed for this new and upcoming shooting range.
Some partnerships are measured in projects. Ours with Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is measured in decades. Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. helped build Frederik Meijer Gardens when it first opened in 1995, and 30 years later, we are still building alongside them. Our latest chapter together is the refresh of the Lena Meijer Children's Garden, a space that has invited curiosity and imaginative play since it first opened in 2004.
"Our history with Frederik Meijer Gardens actually goes back 30 years to when it opened in 1995," said Jeremy Amshey, Chief Operating Officer at O-A-K. "That's something that we're very proud of."
Here is a look at what the project has accomplished so far, and what is still to come.
After more than 20 years of welcoming children and families, the Children's Garden was ready for new purpose and new energy. The goal was to refresh the space while bringing new and exciting experiences to the garden, and Phase One delivered exactly that.
The centerpiece is Big Girl, a 20-foot-tall interactive bronze sculpture by celebrated artist Tom Otterness. With two slides and room to climb, the piece invites children to make art hands-on and playful. Big Girl also joins a familiar face at the garden. Longtime visitors will recognize Otterness' Mad Mom sculpture nearby, and the artist positioned his new work so that Big Girl now stands in the line of Mad Mom's watchful gaze. The sculpture sits on a soft, synthetic turf that keeps safety front and center.
"If kids fall off here, we want to have a safe, comfortable landing zone," said Dave Fleece, Project Manager at O-A-K.
Indoors, Phase One transformed former back-of-house space into Mary's Ice Cream Parlor, a year-round spot serving Hudsonville ice cream, a dairy-free option, baked goods, and more, with patio seating that looks out onto the pond and the Big Girl sculpture. The addition has proven wildly popular with visitors. "The community's really embraced it," said Pete Crawford, Vice President of Capital Development and Government Affairs at Frederik Meijer Gardens. "So we're excited to have it as a fixture here with the Children's Garden."
Throughout the work, most of the garden stayed open, allowing families to keep visiting while the improvements took shape around them. That kind of coordination, keeping a beloved public space running while construction continues, is at the heart of how we approach every project.
The project was originally planned in three phases, but the team made the decision to complete the final two phases in a single construction season. The remaining scope is less about newly reimagined spaces and more about refresh, maintenance, and upkeep, the work that keeps a garden thriving for the next generation of visitors. That work includes enhancements to beloved areas like the Treehouse Village, the Rock Quarry, and the Log Cabin.
For 30 years, we have been proud to help Frederik Meijer Gardens create spaces that bring people together. From the day the gates first opened in 1995 to the newest additions in the Lena Meijer Children's Garden, this is a partnership rooted in shared purpose and a shared community. We look forward to what we will build together next.
Video Credit Taproot Pictures
Photo Credit Ashley Avila
Where West Michigan Comes to Play | The Meijer Sports Complex Expansion
Ten years ago, the West Michigan Sports Commission broke ground on a vision. On May 11, 2026, they cut the ribbon on the next chapter of it.
Since opening in 2015, the Meijer Sports Complex in Plainfield Township has drawn athletes and families from across the country, quietly becoming one of West Michigan's most reliable engines for sports tourism and community recreation. But for WMSC President Mike Guswiler and his team, the original vision was never fully complete. A winning streak campaign and the right partnership brought that vision back to life.
O-A-K returned as Construction Manager to help make it happen.
"We wanted to build upon what we started," Guswiler said at the ribbon cutting. "We saw the Meijer Sports Complex producing the sports tourism we were looking for, but also serving as a community asset. So we brought O-A-K back to the table and said, 'Let's improve what we did.'"
The $13.5 million expansion adds the Alro Steel Championship Softball Field as its centerpiece, a signature venue designed to rival the facility's existing Boss Family Championship Field. The field features a canopy, press box, bleacher system, and lighting built for evening tournament play. Aquinas College's women's softball team already called it home during their spring season, and it will serve youth leagues from 8U and up alongside adult amateur and collegiate competition.
Rounding out the expansion: 20 new pickleball courts, two flex-use diamond fields, bullpen facilities, a concession building, restrooms, a playground, and 300 additional parking spots.
For O-A-K Project Manager Jared Gauss and his team, the project carried the weight of a returning partnership and a community that had been watching the complex grow for more than a decade.
"It was an exciting project," Gauss said. "The level of detail that went into this facility, from the bullpens to the bleacher system to the canopy and press box, everything was designed to put on a great tournament event."
The expanded complex is projected to welcome 200 additional teams annually and generate an extra $1 million in visitor spending for the region each year. For a facility that already returns roughly $90 million in annual economic impact on a $2.6 million operating budget, the expansion represents something more than square footage. It represents a community that keeps investing in itself.
"Our donors are going to be as pleased as we are with the result," Guswiler said.
So will the families, the athletes, and the teams who will call this place home for years to come.
Mass Timber, Up Close: Inside Kalamazoo College's New Residence Hall
Some of the best conversations in construction happen on site, surrounded by the work itself. That was the case when Dan Gelder, project superintendent for Owen-Ames-Kimball Co., caught up with Susan Lindemann, Associate Vice President for Facilities Management at Kalamazoo College, on site at their new residence hall for a conversation about what makes this project worth talking about.
"We are putting up our first new residence hall in 60 years here at Kalamazoo College," Susan said, "and we really think it's a special build."
Why Mass Timber?
For the Kalamazoo College team, mass timber was not just a structural choice. It was a values statement.
"Mass timber is really biophilic," Susan explained. "Studies have shown that introducing natural materials into a building space actually reduces anxiety and stress and improves productivity. We really want that for our students."
Mass timber products like cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam beams are manufactured by bonding layers of wood under pressure, creating structural elements strong enough to replace steel and concrete. The material is lighter, faster to install, and stores carbon rather than emitting it, making it one of the more compelling low-carbon options in construction today. All of the timber on this project is southern pine, sourced from the southeastern United States and manufactured in Alabama.
Sustainability at the Core
Mass timber is one piece of a broader sustainability story at Kalamazoo College. The four-story residence hall also incorporates geothermal heating and cooling, passive energy strategies, and high-performance building systems alongside student lounges, a community kitchen, a marketplace, study spaces, and other shared amenities. Construction is on track for completion in Summer 2027.
O-A-K recently welcomed students from Michigan State University's Mass Timber program to the jobsite, along with supplier SmartLam North America, for a tour as Quality Buildings LLC begins timber installation at the east tower and lobby. For the next generation of builders, there is no better classroom than the jobsite itself.
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.
What they did
Our interns worked alongside team members both in the field and in the office. They read drawings, tracked punch lists, toured sites, met clients and trade partners, and so much more.
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."
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.
What comes next
To the 2026 intern class: thank you for the 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.
Some partnerships are measured in projects. Ours with Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is measured in decades. Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. helped build Frederik Meijer Gardens when it first opened in 1995, and 30 years later, we are still building alongside them. Our latest chapter together is the refresh of the Lena Meijer Children's Garden, a space that has invited curiosity and imaginative play since it first opened in 2004.
"Our history with Frederik Meijer Gardens actually goes back 30 years to when it opened in 1995," said Jeremy Amshey, Chief Operating Officer at O-A-K. "That's something that we're very proud of."
Here is a look at what the project has accomplished so far, and what is still to come.
After more than 20 years of welcoming children and families, the Children's Garden was ready for new purpose and new energy. The goal was to refresh the space while bringing new and exciting experiences to the garden, and Phase One delivered exactly that.
The centerpiece is Big Girl, a 20-foot-tall interactive bronze sculpture by celebrated artist Tom Otterness. With two slides and room to climb, the piece invites children to make art hands-on and playful. Big Girl also joins a familiar face at the garden. Longtime visitors will recognize Otterness' Mad Mom sculpture nearby, and the artist positioned his new work so that Big Girl now stands in the line of Mad Mom's watchful gaze. The sculpture sits on a soft, synthetic turf that keeps safety front and center.
"If kids fall off here, we want to have a safe, comfortable landing zone," said Dave Fleece, Project Manager at O-A-K.
Indoors, Phase One transformed former back-of-house space into Mary's Ice Cream Parlor, a year-round spot serving Hudsonville ice cream, a dairy-free option, baked goods, and more, with patio seating that looks out onto the pond and the Big Girl sculpture. The addition has proven wildly popular with visitors. "The community's really embraced it," said Pete Crawford, Vice President of Capital Development and Government Affairs at Frederik Meijer Gardens. "So we're excited to have it as a fixture here with the Children's Garden."
Throughout the work, most of the garden stayed open, allowing families to keep visiting while the improvements took shape around them. That kind of coordination, keeping a beloved public space running while construction continues, is at the heart of how we approach every project.
The project was originally planned in three phases, but the team made the decision to complete the final two phases in a single construction season. The remaining scope is less about newly reimagined spaces and more about refresh, maintenance, and upkeep, the work that keeps a garden thriving for the next generation of visitors. That work includes enhancements to beloved areas like the Treehouse Village, the Rock Quarry, and the Log Cabin.
For 30 years, we have been proud to help Frederik Meijer Gardens create spaces that bring people together. From the day the gates first opened in 1995 to the newest additions in the Lena Meijer Children's Garden, this is a partnership rooted in shared purpose and a shared community. We look forward to what we will build together next.
Video Credit Taproot Pictures
Photo Credit Ashley Avila
