O‑A‑K Welcomes Eight New Employees

January 16, 2020

O‑A‑K Welcomes Eight New Employees

Play Video

Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Co.(O‑A‑K), local professional construction firm, announces the additions of Bryce DeYoung, Ryan Bramer, David Matelski, Travis Fairbanks, Jane Leahy, Gregory Park, Jordan Potter, and William Smitley.

Bryce DeYoung, Project Manager, is a West Michigan native with 11 years of construction management experience. Recently moving back to the state, he specializes in educational and mixed-use construction, ranging from $10 million to $100+ million project costs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Ferris State University and is OSHA 30-hour certified. Bryce and his family are eager to reestablish West Michigan roots.

Ryan Bramer, Preconstruction Engineer, is a recent graduate of Michigan State University’s construction management program. Prior to graduation, he served as a full-time intern in O‑A‑K’s preconstruction department. Ryan holds his OSHA 10-hour construction certification.

David Matelski, Project Superintendent, has eight years of commercial construction experience, specializing in community, retail, and healthcare projects. He is OSHA 30-hour certified and is currently on-site at the Michigan State Police Grand Rapids Consolidation Project, in Walker, Michigan. Dave has also served as a volunteer firefighter for over 25 years.

Travis Fairbanks, Project Superintendent, has 25 years of experience in construction. He has a strong background in carpentry and site leadership, and has worked in an array of projects, including commercial, industrial, and educational, and civil. He is also OSHA 10-hour certified.

Jane Leahy, Assistant Project Superintendent, is a recent graduate of Ferris State University’s construction management program. She held multiple internships in northern Michigan, gaining on-site and office experience in both residential and commercial construction. She is also OSHA 10-hour construction certified.

Gregory Park, Assistant Project Superintendent, is a recent graduate of Ferris State University’s construction management program. Greg has held multiple internships with construction management firms, gaining field experience in educational, commercial, and multi-family commercial construction projects. He also holds his OSHA 10-hour construction certification.

Jordan Potter, Carpenter, has three years of carpentry experience, specializing in trim work, millwork, and framing. He has experience in both residential and commercial construction, and is OSHA 10-hour certified. He is currently performing carpentry work at Amway Corporation.

William Smitley, Corporate Recruiter, brings 25 years of experience and holds a master’s degree in human resource management and a bachelor’s degree in sales and marketing. Prior to joining O‑A‑K, William ran his own talent placement firm. He specializes in full-circle recruitment. This new position was developed in response to O‑A‑K’s current and anticipated growth.

ABOUT O‑A‑K

Founded in Grand Rapids in 1891, Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Co. (O‑A‑K) is the longest-standing commercial construction management company in Michigan. We specialize in community-driven construction projects. As a 100% employee-owned company, we provide accurate, intentional, and all-inclusive construction services.

""

Related Stories

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
Learn More

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

Woodland Elementary staff and students recently traded their classroom for hard hats. From a safe distance behind the fence line, they got a firsthand look at the jobsite where their new school is taking shape. The visit, known as a fence tour, was led by Anastasia Wojcik, project manager with Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. (O-A-K), and Jennifer Carson, principal at Woodland Elementary.

"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.

The new Woodland Elementary is part of Portage Public Schools' Building the Future of Learning bond program, approved by voters in 2021. The building is being designed around an enchanted forest theme, with natural materials and abundant daylight. Learn more about the ground breaking here.

While construction continues, staff and students are temporarily housed at the former Haverhill Elementary building. Woodland is scheduled to open in fall 2027, the first of three new Portage elementary schools opening in three consecutive years, followed by Amberly in 2028 and Angling Road in 2029.

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

August 12, 2026
Learn More

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.

Video by Taproot Pictures

August 4, 2026
Learn More