Grand River Construction Inc. works on projects throughout western, central and northern Michigan.

Inspired by John Kersaan Sr., Grand River Construction (GRC) Inc. was founded in 1984. Kersaan recruited his sons, William, John and Richard and son-in-law Stan Buell to join him in this new venture. The company has always been family owned and operated. Previously, the original team worked together at a Lansing, Mich., company, says Buell, who now serves as president.

The company’s first client was General Motors, and it soon began working for other automotive companies and suppliers, including several Japanese manufacturers, Buell notes. After more than 20 years in business, Grand River Construction Inc. has shifted its focus from automotive projects to heavy concrete work, with an increasing emphasis on concrete framed structures.

The company specializes in commercial and industrial concrete work, which includes building foundations, slabs and toppings, machine bases, press pit foundations and specialty structures. It also performs selective interior demolition, piling/earth retention systems, and general trades/carpentry.

Energy Boost
Headquartered in Hudsonville, Mich., Grand River Construction Inc. works on various projects throughout western, central and northern Michigan. The company says it is interested in new opportunities to work in surrounding states.

“Currently, there seems to be a lot of work in the energy field,” Buell says. “There is a lot of co-generator plant, ethanol plant and hospital work going on right now and there seems to be a shift into healthcare facilities
in Michigan.”

The company has worked on two ethanol plants and is seeking work on additional projects. It has the ability to self-perform nearly all civil trade disciplines. “Our broad base of experience allows us to assume total project responsibilities or take discrete construction packages within a large project,” it states.

“We are able to rely on our own work force and equipment to bring timely project completion and lower costs to our clients. “Whether serving as a general contractor or subcontractor, [we] provide experienced personnel with the latest technology to meet the project needs.”

Grand River Construction Inc.’s work includes:

• Healthcare
• Industrial
• Manufacturing facilities
• Parking ramps
• Education facilities
• Power plants
• Wastewater facilities
• Water treatment plants
• Food processing plants

As a general contractor, the company focuses on wastewater and water treatment plant projects. Most of the company’s jobs are competitively bid, Buell notes.

Concrete Business
One of GRC’s current, high-profile projects is expanding its expertise into the area of architectural concrete. The Grand Rapids Art Museum is a $60 million green facility that is expected to receive a gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council when it opens in October 2007.

What is unique about this project is the majority of the structural concrete is exposed. The finished appearance of the more than 20,000 cubic yards of concrete was critical to the architectural design. This includes one of the project’s greatest architectural features, the 40-foot-tall, 300-square-foot concrete entrance canopy. It took more than just special plywood to meet this challenge.

All of the formwork for the project was custom built on-site in a fully equipped form shop. The plywood was also FSC certified to capture LEED points toward the gold rating.

Safety Factor
Keeping jobsites safe is an integral part of construction. Grand River Construction Inc.’s emphasis on safety has resulted in more than 200,000 hours with no lost-time cases. It holds weekly toolbox talks and sends employees to OSHA safety classes.

It also holds job-specific safety training meetings which cover topics such as fall protection.

“That’s a huge issue in the industry we’re dealing with,” Buell says. The company was listed on the Associated General Contractors’ Safety Honor Roll for 2005-2006.  

Best in the Industry
Buell says Grand River’s management team, staff and field supervisors are the best in the industry. “We have proven on many occasions that we can bring a project in on time, no matter how difficult it is,” he says. “We pick people who have the same philosophies as we do as far as work ethic, getting the project done, hard work and dedication."

With work now underway on the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, The Van Andel Institute Research Center, The Lemmen Holton Cancer Pavillion and several others, Buell says he expects 2007 will be another strong year for the company.

Concrete Business
GRC is involved in several industry organizations, including:
• The American Concrete Institute – Headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., the American Concrete Institute works to advance concrete knowledge through  seminars, certification programs and technical documents. It has 98 chapters and about 15,000 members spanning 108 countries.

• Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Michigan – AGC of Michigan is a full-service construction trade association that provides services to general contractors, construction managers, specialty contractors and related construction industry companies. “A diverse group of Michigan's leading constructors and industry-related firms make the AGC of Michigan the organization of choice for those associated with the construction industry,” it says.

• Michigan State Buildings & Construction Trades Council – This group works to coordinate the efforts of the state’s construction unions. “We help members succeed and prosper in a number of ways, including support of apprenticeship and journeyman training programs, promotion of health and safety practices, community outreach efforts and political activism on issues that affect the construction industry’s workers and their families,” it says.