January 28, 2025

CKC founder receives national award

Photo courtesy of Cary Kopczynski & Company [enlarge]

Cary Kopczynski accepted the OPAL Award, one of the highest honors in the profession, on Jan. 16.

Cary Kopczynski, CEO and founding principal of the structural engineering firm Cary Kopczynski & Company (CKC), has been honored with the Outstanding Projects and Leaders Award (OPAL) from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

The OPAL Award is one of the highest honors in the profession and celebrates leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the engineering field. Presented annually, it recognizes five individuals from over 150,000 ASCE members.

Cary Kopczynski & Company is headquartered in Bellevue and also has an office in Chicago. The firm designs major urban building structures throughout the United States and has won more than 80 regional, national and international awards for its projects. Under Kopczynski's leadership, CKC has pioneered numerous ideas to improve design and construction, such as the use of high-strength reinforcing steel and fibrous concrete in high-seismic regions.

Among his many achievements, Kopczynski was the 2021-2022 president of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and chairs the board of directors for a growing new entity called PRO: An ACI Center of Excellence for Advancing Productivity. He is recognized for spearheading the formation of PRO while ACI president to improve the constructability of design and productivity of construction.

“I am honored to have received this award and gratified to know that my efforts to advance the industry are recognized. I extend my sincere appreciation to ASCE and the CKC team members who helped make it possible,” Kopczynski told the DJC.