Barton Malow’s Ryan Maibach says his tenure as president and CEO of the Southfield, Mich.-based contractor began in 2011 after an abrupt leadership transition.
“My predecessor had an opportunity to do something else … There wasn’t a lot of decision-making … And I certainly think it was a surprise to me and to the organization at the time,” Maibach said on the show’s latest episode. ENR Pioneers podcast “I think there are times when organizations can do that [transition] well and times when you can maybe take your eye off the ball a little bit.”
However, despite not being quite ready for a “big change”, Maibach says he saw the transition as an opportunity to improve the company’s leadership succession, business strategy and expand his portfolio.—which includes Detroit’s Little Caesars Arenathe recently announced first floor at BlueOval SK Battery Park from Ford Motor Cothe innovative LiftBuild Multifamily project exchange proof of conceptalready specializing in K-12 solutions.
“It’s a very competitive industry; it’s a great industry, and you have to constantly work to ensure your relevance,” Maibach says of the company.—which celebrated its 100th anniversary in construction in 2024. In an exclusive announcement to ENR, the company says its education services team has created a K-12 business incubator to leverage its expertise around these projects, “accelerate the innovation cycle” and accelerate delivery, with “repeatability” as a key component of the model.
“As a 102-year-old construction company, we know that what has gotten us to this point is not necessarily the answer to continued success. We are always looking to evolve and refine our approach, and this change helps us protect Barton Malow’s core construction business while allowing us to grow in other areas,” says Maibach. “Continued success requires evolution and refinement in our approach. This change is proactive and strategic, reflecting an intentional effort to build a structure to support our continued success.”
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