O-A-K Welcomes Kylee Haywood, Business Development Manager

August 25, 2026

O-A-K Welcomes Kylee Haywood, Business Development Manager

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O-A-K is glad to welcome Kylee Haywood as Business Development Manager, bringing more than twenty-five years of relationship and business development experience to the West Michigan team.

Kylee's career spans client services, commercial construction, manufacturing, and workplace design, and one thing has stayed constant across every stop: she builds relationships that last well past the first deal. Ask her about her career and she will point back to the people behind it, the clients she got to know, the trust she built, and the partnerships that grew from there.

Relationships have always come first for her, going back to the beginning of her career. "I really got started in business development through sales," Kylee says. "Early in my career, I learned that my strength wasn't just selling a product, it was building relationships, connecting with people, and finding opportunities where I could bring value. As my career progressed, that naturally evolved into new business development. I found that I really enjoyed opening doors, making connections, and turning those relationships into long-term partnerships and business growth."

"We're constantly looking for ways to better connect with our clients and partners - both existing and new." says Josh Szymanski, Chief Strategy Officer at O-A-K. "Kylee brings a long history of building trusted relationships in West Michigan. As we grow in multiple regions, Kylee helps us make sure we also focus on continuing to serve the Grand Rapids area commercial market."

Kylee holds a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising and Public Relations from Grand Valley State University. She stays active in the West Michigan community as a board delegate with CREW West Michigan, where she also serves on the programs committee.

Kylee likes to sum it up simply: "Treat people well, listen to what matters to them, and take the time to genuinely get to know them. Build trust first, do the right thing, and let the relationship lead the business." We couldn't agree more, and we're glad to have her in our court. Welcome, Kylee!

A Classroom Without Walls: The Grand Rapids Public Museum's New Riverfront

At the Grand Rapids Public Museum, learning now happens outside, right on the banks of the Grand River. The museum's new Riverfront brings an outdoor classroom and reopened public access to the water, so students and families can explore the geology, ecology, and history of the river in the very landscape they're studying.

The Riverfront is part of the museum's Expanding Curiosity mission, which takes learning beyond the gallery walls and out to the riverbanks. The broader project, funded through public-private partnerships, added overlooks, hands-on environmental exhibits, improved access to the water's edge, and a connection to the Grand River Greenway, an 85-mile non-motorized trail system.

Each summer, roughly a thousand children visit the museum, and many now spend part of their day along the riverfront. Nearby, a layered Geology Wall recreates six types of stone found in the ground beneath Kent County. Educators use it to talk about the history of the rapids and how the limestone was mined from the area, with the real strata visible in the wall behind them.

Just as important is what the space reconnects. For years, retaining walls cut the museum off from the river below. Now a sidewalk and stone steps lead down to the water's edge, opening the river back up to the people who come to learn from it. Groups gather to collect water samples and study the insects that live in the river, and visitors have already put the space to use for fishing.

Accessibility shaped the design throughout. Rather than a single accessible route, the space offers multiple points of access, giving every visitor the freedom to choose how they move through it.

The museum Riverfront is one of six current projects reshaping the Grand River, and Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. is proud to be part of three of them. Along with the museum, we, in collaboration with the City of Grand Rapids and Viridis Design Group are building Canal Park, opening in late fall, and the East Riverfront Park near the new Acrisure Amphitheater, now in Phase II. Both add kayak launches and river access that this stretch of the Grand hasn't offered in generations, opening the water back up to the community.

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Video by Taproot Pictures

August 4, 2026

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Celebrating our Intern Class of 2026

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.

July 31, 2026

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The Center of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s New Campus Comes Into View

From above, the scale of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s new Fort Collins Service Center comes into view. Wood-framed walls now define the administration building, the largest of 11 new buildings O-A-K is constructing across the 28-acre campus.

The project brings the different sides of CPW’s work together in one location. The administration building will provide offices, conference rooms, shared spaces, and a visitor contact area, while the surrounding facilities will support equipment storage, maintenance, boat decontamination, and field operations.

Building the campus involves much more than its 11 structures. O-A-K’s work extends across the site, including new utilities, drainage and stormwater systems, parking, security fencing, secured entrances, and the infrastructure needed to connect each part of the service center.

Managing these interconnected pieces requires coordination across the entire campus. As the administration building rises, it offers a visible look at O-A-K’s progress toward delivering a functional home for CPW’s personnel, resources, and work throughout northern Colorado.

August 24, 2026

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New Spaces for a New School Year at McGlone Academy

This summer, O-A-K completed renovations for Denver Public Schools at McGlone Academy, improving several of the spaces students use every day.

The work touched nearly every part of the student experience. In the cafeteria and kitchen, a new walk-in cooler and freezer will help support daily food service. In the theater, renovations and a new wheelchair lift make performances and assemblies more accessible. The gym received new athletic flooring, multi-sport court markings, and safety padding, while an additional classroom and storage space provide more room for learning and day-to-day school needs.

Behind the walls, O-A-K also upgraded important mechanical and electrical systems, including chilled-water pumps, electrical panels, and transformers, helping improve the reliability of the building itself.

With classrooms and hallways quieter over the summer, O-A-K's team got to work completing renovations throughout McGlone Academy before students and teachers returned. With the new school year underway, students came back to updated classrooms, a ready-to-use gym and theater, and the spaces they rely on throughout their school day.

August 21, 2026

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Through the Fence: Woodland Elementary Students Get a Look at Their New School

"It's great for them to be able to see the people on site, equipment moving around, and really get a sense of what's happening here," Carson said.

Teachers also used the visit to bring a classroom lesson to life, connecting the tour to a unit on area and perimeter.

Thank you to our partners: Portage Public Schools, TowerPinkster, Plante Moran, Fielding International, and Video Partner Taproot Pictures.

August 12, 2026

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Paw Paw Public Schools

Colorado Department of Transportation

Friends of Lovers Key & Florida Park Service