ST. LOUIS, MO September 24 –The Emerging Leaders Committee of the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC), St. Louis, Mo., presented its fourth Gaining Strength Award to Zach VanBemden, a project manager for Kent Companies, Grand Rapids, MI, at the organization’s Annual Conference in September. The award was established to acknowledge up and coming individuals aged 40 and under, from member companies, who go above and beyond to promote and professionally represent the concrete industry, through their actions in their company and industry organizations.

Candidates are judged based on letters of recommendation and letters of acknowledgement from industry organizations, with emphasis on participation, commitment, safety awareness, role modeling, and personal skills and knowledge.

Kent president Jeff VanderLaan had this to say about VanBemden: “Zach excels at planning for safety, schedule, budget, and manpower, working in tandem with executives and field leadership. He is an advocate for safety and holds the entire team accountable. Zach has mastered project delivery from pre-construction through contract closeout. He is well respected among colleagues as he trains and coaches junior project coordinators.” VanBemden is the third generation of his family to work at Kent Companies. While attending Grand Valley State University, where he received a B.B.A. in business management, he worked two and one-half years in the field at Kent, and the balance in the shop. He joined the Kent team after graduation and is in his sixth year with the company. He manages operations and leads teams within the Underlayments Division in Western Michigan.

A superintendent with general contractor Northtrack Construction says: “Zach is someone I trust with any project. Our customers rely on us, and we rely on our subcontractors. Because of people like Zach, we’re able to deliver superior results and provide key customers with complete satisfaction. His expert knowledge at specialty contracting makes for first-in-class projects.”

Candidates for the 2022 Gaining Strength Award will be accepted after the first of the year.