Español

Blog

< All News

Central Michigan University College of Business Administration Honors Allen VanderLaan with the Distinguished Alumni Award

[GRAND RAPIDS, MI]- The Central Michigan University (CMU) College of Business Administration honored Allen VanderLaan with a Distinguished Alumni Award at a ceremony held on April 21, 2017. VanderLaan is a 1972 alumnus of Central Michigan University.  VanderLaan is the retired Chairman of the Board of Kent Companies, with a career spanning over 40 years. Prior to serving on the Kent Companies Board of Directors, VanderLaan also worked as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the organization.

Kent Companies CEO Jeff VanderLaan and his father, Allen VanderLaan, Kent Companies Chairman of the Board (Retired)
Kent Companies CEO Jeff VanderLaan and his father, Allen VanderLaan, Kent Companies Chairman of the Board (Retired)

Under his tenure, Kent Companies grew from a small commercial concrete business into a fully-diversified, nationally-recognized concrete subcontractor. He oversaw several key transitions for the company as it grew from a first-generation family-owned business to ownership by the second and third generation of his family. VanderLaan oversaw the concrete construction of several notable regional projects including River House at Bridgewater Place, DeVos Place Convention Center and the Kent County Courthouse.

VanderLaan’s industry and community involvement includes several leadership roles for the Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan; Grand Rapids Builders Exchange; Lutheran Child and Family Services; Spartan YMCA; and the Pine Rest Foundation. VanderLaan actively supports the CMU College of Business Administration as a sponsor and volunteer judge for entrepreneurial competitions.

###

 

About Kent Companies:

Kent Companies is a 3rd-generation family-owned business with expertise in commercial and industrial construction, mixed-use construction, multi-family housing, tilt-up concrete, post-tensioned cast in place structures and a full range of concrete-related specialties. Kent Companies is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan and has operations in Detroit, Michigan; Dallas, Texas; central Ohio and Charlotte, North Carolina. The Kent Companies team has built a reputation as “Leaders in Concrete.”  Read more online at www.kentcompanies.com. Additional media inquiries can be directed to Leah Gradl by emailing lgradl@kentcompanies.com or by calling (616) 534-4909.