It should be no surprise to the casual observer that the construction industry is on the rebound in Grand Rapids. Cranes, scaffolding, and orange pylons are scattered throughout the city.
"There has been a pent-up demand," says Roger Rehkopf, president of
Orion Construction, the Grand Rapids-based firm that has announced the recent addition of four new employees to help keep up with the growth.
New to the Orion team are Bret Mackey (Project Superintendent), Ed Simeone (Project Superintendent), Chelsea Petersen (Administrative Assistant), and Ed Wygnal (Project Manager).
Active projects for Orion include Eastown Flats, Port Huron Convention Center, Arena Place, Seventh St. Lofts, The Grand Villages, and a Hyatt Place in Eastwood Town Center.
Rehkopf says with the improvement in the economy and banks being more open to new construction, he is very optimistic about future growth - with the only challenge being finding individuals with the right type of construction experience. "Many firms downsized," he says, after a poor economy put the skids on new projects and workers left the area and have not returned yet. "So far, we've been fortunate, though."
To learn more about Orion Construction, you can visit their site
here.
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor
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