The general contractor Barton Malow is taking its centennial celebration on the road.
This Friday, the company will make the first stop on its “Legacy Tour” in Detroit, a city where Barton Malow was founded by Carl Osborn Barton in 1924, and with which it has a long building history. (Its first contract was interior renovations for Michigan Bell Telephone Company.)
The company’s 100th anniversary exhibit, which includes special artifacts and interactive displays, is contained within a 42-ft truck, on the side of which reads Barton Malow’s tagline: “Building Today for a Better Tomorrow.”
(It takes about an hour to set up the stage and stairs to access the exhibit, says a company spokesman.)
Through the end of October, the truck is scheduled to make about 30 stops that will include 20 at Barton Malow projects and jobsites.
Celebrating employees and the Motor City
Ryan Maibach, the company’s fourth generation President and CEO, said in a prepared statement that Barton Malow’s anniversary is meant “to celebrate the contributions of the team members on our jobsites.” The Legacy Tour, he added, will “give team members the opportunity to experience this initiative.”
Barton Malow re-emphasizes its connection with Detroit on its website, which features a nearly 10-minute video where Maibach and three other team members—Kara Martini, Detroit office manager; Kevin Zeleji, Senior Director of Field Services; and Dannis Mitchell, Senior Director-Community Engagement—single out Detroit-area projects that Barton Malow built, including the historic restoration and rebuilding of the 130-room Shinola Hotel, which took two years to complete; and the construction of Little Caesars Arena, on which Barton Malow worked with Hunt and White Construction. Three-fifths of the contractors on the $862 million arena project were Detroit-based, said Mitchell.
“With every project we do, we’re partnering with the community,” said Zeleji on the video interview. Maibach, who has been the company’s president since 2011, also emphasized the importance of market diversity and expansion. Barton Malow launched its Mid-Atlantic operations in 1989, and is now building in 16 states nationwide and the Canadian province of Ontario. It serves nine building types.
Related Stories
| May 2, 2013
First look: UC-Davis art museum by SO-IL and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
The University of California, Davis has selected emerging New York-based practice SO-IL to design a new campus’ art museum, which is envisioned to be a “regional center of experimentation, participation and learning.”
| May 2, 2013
A snapshot of the world's amazing construction feats (in one flashy infographic)
From the Great Pyramids of Giza to the U.S. Interstate Highway System, this infographic outlines interesting facts about some of the world's most notable construction projects.
| May 2, 2013
Holl-designed Campbell Sports Center completed at Columbia
Steven Holl Architects celebrates the completion of the Campbell Sports Center, Columbia University’s new training and teaching facility.
| May 2, 2013
BIM group proposes uniform standards for how complete plans need to be
A nationwide group of Building Information Modeling users, known as the BIMForum, is seeking industry input on a proposed set of standards establishing how complete Building Information Models (BIMs) need to be for different stages of the design and construction process.
| May 2, 2013
New web community aims to revitalize abandoned buildings
Italian innovators Andrea Sesta and Daniela Galvani hope to create a worldwide database of abandoned facilities, ripe for redevelopment, with their [im]possible living internet community.
| May 1, 2013
A LEGO lover's dream: Guide to building the world's iconic structures with LEGO
A new book from LEGO master builder Warren Elsmore offers instructions for creating scale models of buildings and landmarks with LEGO.
| May 1, 2013
Data center construction remains healthy, but oversupply a concern
Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are among the major tech companies investing heavily to build state-of-the-art data centers.
| May 1, 2013
Groups urge Congress: Keep energy conservation requirements for government buildings
More than 350 companies urge rejection of special interest efforts to gut key parts of Energy Independence and Security Act
