On the brink of celebrating 50 years as a proudly Pacific Northwest company, GLY welcomes a new leadership team and two new owners
BELLEVUE, Wash. (September 30, 2016) – GLY Construction, the 13th-largest private company in the state with $569 million in 2015 revenue, transitions to a new leadership structure within its executive group, and adds two new owners effective October 1, 2016.
Ted Herb and Mark Kane are appointed President and Chief Operating Officer respectively while Jim Karambelas continues as Chief Executive Officer, as does Steve Peterson as Chief Financial Officer. Both Herb and Kane formerly held Executive Vice President positions.
“This is a thoughtful transition, one we’ve carefully planned over several years,” Karambelas said in making the announcement. “It’s extremely important to us to honor and preserve the legacy of the great builders and leaders who have guided the firm’s evolution since it first took root in Pacific Northwest soil almost 50 years ago.”
GLY’s nearly 600 employees, 400 of whom are to be found in the field on any given day, are the heart and soul of the company. In his 29 years with GLY, Ted Herb has worked in nearly every role in the company, rising from Project Engineer to positions of greater responsibility and managing increasingly complex projects. As Executive Vice President Operations he played a major role in elevating safety as a top priority, shaping profitability, performance, recruitment, training and development and alternative business strategies.
“My leadership focuses on making sure the entire team, from client to carpenter, has everything they need to be successful – and safe,” Herb said.
The new position of Chief Operating Officer elevates the importance the firm places on creating effective preconstruction teams and organizing projects for success. “Mark has long been the ‘go-to guy’ when particularly complex challenges arise,” Karambelas noted, “because he combines his exceptional technical skill with an intuitive understanding of clients’ business objectives.” GLY’s preconstruction and estimating services fall under Kane’s leadership to ensure consistency in serving client needs.
“I look forward to working with Ted in my new role to ensure that the technical business and the people business sides of our company mesh to create a really powerful suite of services,” Kane said. “Our absolute priority is to deliver on our clients’ changing needs in times of great opportunity and high risk.”
Continuing the legacy of ownership transition, Bryan Haakenson and Tim Campbell are promoted to Principal and owners of the firm. Haakenson joined the firm in 2000 and provides leadership in a wide range of sensitive environments, from educational facilities to thriving senior living campuses, where projects are often fully occupied during construction.
“From the beginning of my career,” Haakenson said, “I saw GLY as a place I could learn, grow and give back. I’m honored to join the ownership of a company that believes in focusing on our communities’ needs and making people great. Great people can do great things.”
Campbell’s been with GLY since 2004, and is currently overseeing the hotel and residential portion of downtown Bellevue’s Lincoln Square Expansion. Building is an ever-evolving industry, he said. “In our innovative region especially, we’re constantly challenged to generate new approaches. As a Principal at GLY, I have the opportunity to be part of teams that explore ideas and shape them into solutions that create more value for our clients. It’s an exciting time to be a builder in the Northwest.”
Peterson emphasized that both Haakenson and Campbell have an outstanding ability to execute projects and a genuine desire to help everyone around them succeed. “Yet what will strike you when you meet them,” he said, “is how dedicated they are to supporting and improving our local communities. Qualities like these embody facets of our culture that are so important to us.”
This year GLY Construction was honored by ENR magazine as the Northwest Contractor of the Year, a significant honor and a testament to the hard work and dedication of every GLY employee to date, according to Karambelas.
Herb echoed the statement. “As we look to the future our new leadership team will continue our commitment to exceptional customer service and high quality delivery. We’re firmly rooted in our legacy and our region, and we’ll continue to seek ways to share opportunity with all.”
About GLY
Rooted in the Pacific Northwest culture of innovation and creativity since incorporation in 1967, GLY is one of the most respected locally-owned general contractors delivering outstanding projects in a wide range of markets. Its collaborative building teams have a diverse skill set comprised of design, engineering, architecture, construction management and strong field technical capabilities. Ideally sized to nurture growth, GLY is large enough to build complex, challenging projects, yet small enough to recognize individual accomplishment and encourage dreams and ambition. It is committed to offering every employee the opportunity to learn, grow and achieve their full potential. GLY also believes in promoting healthy lifestyles, and actively supports a number of efforts to make neighborhoods safe, vibrant places to live, work, play and learn. Its long history of philanthropy for the arts, non-profit institutions and other community-based organizations is fundamental to that mission. Visit www.gly.com
