History

Company founder Peter Lamar began building houses in and around Holland, Michigan in 1938. His son Russell assumed ownership in 1945 and eventually expanded the company into non-residential construction with the renovation of a local church that had suffered severe fire damage. Following the success of that project, Lamar Construction went on to build dozens of churches throughout the lakeshore.

By the late 1950s Lamar Construction had begun assembling a portfolio of industrial, manufacturing, and municipal project experience.

After nearly 40 years at the helm, Russell Lamar retired in 1982, handing the wheel to his three sons, Bob, Carl, and Don. With a fully equipped steel erection division, a facility maintenance team, and scores of employees, Lamar Construction continued its growth throughout the 1980s and’90s. By the time Bob Lamar took sole ownership of the firm in 1995, Lamar Construction Company was breaking ground throughout the state of Michigan.

In 1997, managers and long time employees Carl Blauwkamp and George Holmes took on partial ownership. In 2001, Bob Lamar retired from his position as CEO, leaving Blauwkamp and Holmes at the reigns of a company with a staff of over 100 employees and beginning to perform work outside of Michigan.

Eager to maintain Lamar Construction’s forward momentum, CEO Blauwkamp and Executive Vice President Holmes aggressively invested in both human and material resources in order to further expand the company’s reach and scope of service. Lamar Construction Company now has over 160 skilled employees and is performing work across the country.