Yet despite not being entirely prepared for such a “big change,” Maibach says he saw the transition as an opportunity to sharpen the company’s leadership succession, business strategy and broaden its portfolio of work—which includes Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, the recently announced first plant at Ford Motor Co.’s BlueOval SK Battery Park, the innovative LiftBuild proof-of-concept multifamily project Exchange, and a specialization in K-12 solutions.

“It's a very competitive industry; it's a fantastic industry, and you constantly have to be working to ensure your relevance,” says Maibach about the company, which marked its 100th anniversary in construction in 2024. In exclusive comments to ENR, he says the company's education services team has created an K-12 business incubator to harness its expertise around such projects, “accelerate the innovation cycle” and expedite delivery, with ‘repeatability” being a key component of the model.

“As a 102-year-old construction firm, we know that what got us to this point isn’t 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.”

 Watch the latest episode of the monthly ENR Groundbreakers podcast on ENR.com or YouTube.