January 23, 2013

Second generation grabs the reins at Ferndale's Imco Construction

After running Imco General Construction for 34 years, founders Frank and Patti Imhof are stepping back to let younger family members take over.

Frank Imhof passed his role as president to his son-in-law, Tyler Kimberley, but remains active in the business as CEO and chairman of the board, focusing on long-term business plans and strategies. Patti Imhof remains on the company's advisory board.

The announcement was made last week at the firm's annual strategic planning meeting.

“This is a time of transition, but most of all, a time of opportunity,” Frank Imhof said in a news release. “There are many areas of growth potential for Imco and for Imco employees.”

Kimberley worked summers at Imco as a laborer while earning a bachelor's degree in construction management from the University of Washington. After graduating, he worked for Frank Coluccio Construction in Seattle and was later transferred to Hawaii to manage large-scale tunneling projects on Oahu and Maui. He returned to Imco in 2007.

Kimberley sits on Imco's advisory board and is active in various local construction organizations, including the UW School of Construction Management and the National Utility Contractors Association.

Kimberley's old position of vice president of operations was filled by Tony Anderson, who served as a vice president since 2007 and has been part of the leadership team since rejoining the company in 2001.

Anderson, not a family member, is overseeing all Imco projects in his new role. He previously managed the company's international operations, including projects in Guam and new ventures in Cuba.

Other family members at Imco include the Imhofs' daughters Courtney Imhof, Heather Cashman and Ashley Kimberley. Courtney has worked at the company for more than 20 years; Heather serves on the advisory board and runs Axiom Design Build in Seattle with her husband, John Cashman; and Ashley, who is married to Tyler Kimberley, oversees marketing and communications.

To prepare for the transition to the second generation, the Imhof family in 2012 attended the Harvard Business School Families in Business Executive Education Program, where they studied how family-owned companies around the world succeeded and failed.

Imco is a heavy-civil contractor based in Ferndale, Whatcom County. It specializes in energy, industrial, marine infrastructure, transportation, water and wastewater projects.

The news release said Imco had a “challenging” 2011 but rebounded last year by becoming competitive in new markets and winning its first general contractor/construction manager project.

Congratulations to all. Frank and Patti have always striven to do the right things for the right reasons in the right way, and it looks like their transition planning is being done the same way. IMCO is a respected member of the construction community, and it looks like it will continue on under the new leadership.