WOLVERINE BUILDING GROUP
80 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Wolverine Building Group is one of West Michigan’s most trusted and experienced construction companies. With over 150 employees, Wolverine Building Group has grown to become a national leader in the construction industry.
Wolverine is committed to seeking the balance of simultaneously “doing good” in our community and contributing in meaningful ways, while also “doing well” in our business and delivering a high-quality product to our clients.
We strive for our team to be proud of our company and the work that we do. We want this pride to come from our commitment to our community, the integrity by which we conduct our business, and the quality of our work. We believe this pride will directly contribute to the growth and prosperity of Wolverine, which will allow us to share our success generously with the people and places that we touch.
SAFETY
The safety of our team members is our highest priority. We believe there is excellence in not only producing quality work, but taking responsibility for the safety of all involved.
To be a leader of the construction process, providing value and building trust. We are a high performing customer service company, excelling in planning and pre-construction. We simplify the complexities of construction.
To be the most respected construction services provider in the markets we serve.
INTEGRITY
Commitment to doing the right thing with respect to fairness, respect, and ethics in dealing with our customers, employees, vendors, and community.
ENJOYMENT
Commitment to providing a workplace that promotes our construction business as satisfying and fulfilling. We have passionate and caring team members.
EXCELLENCE
Commitment to quality in our people, processes, relationships, services, and finished products. Our high performance teams push the limits of every aspect of the construction process, making it safer, faster, and better.
CREATIVITY
Commitment to finding the best solutions, using new thinking new technology, and building innovative teams. We are committed to continuous improvement, using intelligence, and imagination.
COMMUNITY
Commitment to collaborating with our teammates, our customers, our families, and sharing generously with the people and places we touch.
Leadership Team
Aaron Jonker
President & Co-Owner
Aaron has a passion for our community and the role Wolverine plays as a corporate citizen. When Aaron is not busy leading our team and driving our company strategy forward, he can be found skiing with his family and friends in the winter or camping with his family in the summer.
Curt Mulder
President & Co-Owner
As one of our leaders at Wolverine, Curt is known for his creative problem solving and motivating our team to be our best selves. On the weekends Curt can be found at home in Lowell, where he and his family live on a farm that raises Texas Longhorn cattle.
Mike Houseman
President, North America Division
Mike oversees a team of retail and restaurant experts that who travel the country for our clients. Known for his positive attitude, Mike always has encouraging words for our team. Mike enjoys playing golf, spending time with his family or traveling with his wife Mary Kay.
Mike Bilski
Field Manager
Mike oversees our Superintendents and Field Personnel and is responsible for making sure that our crews in the field are well taken care of. Once a home builder, Mike has a passion for Habitat for Humanity and can also tell you where you can buy the best kielbasa in Grand Rapids.
Tim Gabrielse
Chief Financial Officer
Under Tim’s leadership, our accounting and finance department operates like a well-oiled machine. Tim has been with Wolverine since 1990 and has worked with 3 generations of owners. Tim loves to spend time with his family, woodworking, and reading.
Deborah Guyton
Vice President of Human Resources
Deborah is a strategic business partner responsible for aligning our human capital with our corporate strategy. She serves as a thought partner, agent of change, and leadership development coach. When Deborah isn’t at the office, you can find her active in the community or off traveling to an international destination.
Kim McLaughlin
Vice President of Marketing and Community Engagement
Kim is responsible for our overall marketing strategy and finding meaningful and impactful ways that Wolverine can engage and make a difference in our community. Kim and her husband enjoy outdoor activities and traveling that involves hiking, but not camping.
Bill Pursifull, PE
Vice President
Bill oversees our multi-unit residential market segment with a focus on sales and pre-construction services. With a background in structural engineering, he easily communicates the complexities of structural systems to our project teams. Bill enjoys mountain biking and camping with his wife and 4 daughters.
Troy Redman
Vice President
As the leader of our Construction Management Division, Troy is always engaged with some of our most complex and unique projects. Troy excels in mentoring our next generation of talent ensuring that they understand construction best practices. Troy enjoys almost everything sports related, from Michigan State football and basketball to his son’s little league baseball games.
Jamerson M. Ries, PE
Vice President
An engineer by education, Jamerson currently oversees our multi-unit residential market segment. Jamerson enjoys challenging conventional thinking and coming up with creative solutions. On the weekends, he can be found riding bikes with his wife and 3 kids or relaxing somewhere close to water in the summer.
Dick VanderZyden
Chairman
Dick joined Wolverine in 1988, became President in 1995 and currently serves as Chairman. Dick has overseen some of Wolverine’s most iconic projects including the Fifth Third Ballpark and the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. When he’s not in Grand Rapids, Dick enjoys spending time in Arizona, traveling in Europe, or visiting his daughters in New York City.
OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IS OUR PEOPLE
Our team sets us apart. Our people have a genuine curiosity to understand how your project is going to create more jobs, increase productivity, help a patient heal quicker, or be a safe and stable place to live. To us, it's more than just a building.
OUR HISTORY
Since its founding in 1939, Wolverine has evolved into one of the region’s most trusted, stable, and respected building and construction management firms. Success and expansion has led Wolverine to develop four distinct specialty divisions—Wolverine Building, Wolverine Construction Management, Wolverine Multi-Family, and Wolverine North America.
Responding to our clients’ demand for a collaborative approach to construction services, Wolverine illustrated its unity by marketing under the Wolverine Building Group name and logo.
Wolverine Building Group will continue to offer the service, quality workmanship, and specialized expertise that has made all of its divisions trusted and successful in regional, state-wide, and national markets.
1945 – Fryling Construction was founded in 1945 specializing in the construction of enclosed shopping malls.
1953 – Jim Bouwman followed in his father’s footsteps by taking ownership and leadership of the company.
1957 – Wolverine Tile Company became known as Wolverine Building Products, Inc.
1970’s – Wolverine Building Group became the nation’s largest builder of Butler buildings, the leading brand for pre-engineered metal buildings.
1980’s – Stan Cheff and Jeff Ridings took ownership and leadership of the company.
1993 – Wolverine Construction Management was formed in 1993 as a separate division of Wolverine Building Group. The division provides construction management services in West and Central Michigan and specializes in the quality construction of healthcare and educational facilities.
1994 – Wolverine Building Group constructed Old Kent Park, now known as Fifth Third Ballpark, which is the home of the West Michigan Whitecaps.
1995 – Wolverine Building Group acquired Fryling construction. Mike Kelly and Dick VanderZyden took ownership and leadership of the company.
2004 – Wolverine Building Group constructed the Spectrum Health Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center.
2006 – Wolverine North America was founded in 2006 as a separate division of Wolverine Building Group offering full-service program management and construction services for projects throughout the nation.
2007 – Wolverine Building Group constructed Icon on Bond, a 10-story, 120 unit condominium building located just north of downtown Grand Rapids.
2008 – Wolverine Building Group constructed River House Condominiums, the tallest building in downtown Grand Rapids standing at 412 feet high.
2009 – Wolverine Building Group constructed the Hauenstein Neuroscience Center and Houseman Construction joined Wolverine Building Group.
2010 – Wolverine Building Group constructed the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a state-of-the-art 14-story healthcare facility dedicated to pediatric care.
2014 – Wolverine Building Group completed the rebuild of the Fifth Third Ballpark after a fire destroyed a large portion of the stadium.
2018 – Aaron Jonker and Curt Mulder took ownership and leadership of the company.
2019 – Wolverine Building Group celebrates 80 years of business.
Recent News
View AllConstruction firm hires first VP of HR
April 3, 2019
A local construction firm has added to its leadership team. Grand Rapids-based Wolverine Building Group hired Deborah Guyton as its first VP of human resources. Guyton is the second woman who Aaron Jonker and Curt Mulder have named to their leadership team since becoming co-owners in January 2018. Jonker and Mulder… Read More
Winning New Business Starts in the Field
March 4, 2019
The pipeline of construction work is strong for many contractors across the country, which makes winning that next job an ongoing project itself. Business development never ceases for industry go-getters, who leverage their people, expertise and reputation to land additional jobs. “Taking the long-haul approach to sales is what helps… Read More
Construction association names board
January 10, 2019
A local construction association has announced its board of directors for 2019. The Grand Rapids Township-based Associated Builders and Contractors Western Michigan Chapter, or ABCWM, named this week a new group of board members and officers for the year. Joining the board are attorney Ben Hammond, a shareholder at Hilger… Read More