Rockford Construction

Rockford joined OAK PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT teachers, students, staff, Ghafari Associates and the community last week for an official groundbreaking ceremony for the new athletic training center. Our team, together with Ghafari, will take this formerly unoccupied and abandoned building and transform it into a state-of-the-art athletics facility consisting of an indoor turf training area, a workout room, team rooms, storage and an elevated track around the perimeter of the building. Also to feature new heating and cooling systems, we are proud to bring the new center to the Oak Park community in support of their award-winning teams!

Coming November to downtown Grand Rapids, Gimme’s Par and Grill is the newest “eatertainment” venue to hit the city. During the summer, our team took the 19,000 sq. ft. interior down to studs and constructed a new kitchen and nine golf simulator bays. Once open, Gimme’s will feature space for 60 golfers and a variety of food and drinks for patrons to enjoy. Read more about this project below.

Since co-founding Rockford over 35 years ago, CEO Mike VanGessel has led the team to become the top contractor in West Michigan and one of the top 200 in the nation. Furthermore, he has been a strong advocate for the community, particularly our youth, engaging regularly with neighbors and key stakeholders. His influence, both within our community and in the construction industry, is unparalleled, and it is with great pride that we share Crain’s Grand Rapids Business has recognized him as one of the 200 most influential leaders in West Michigan. Read more about Mike and this honor at the link below. Congratulations, Mike!

In celebration of today’s Construction Inclusion Week theme of “supplier diversity,” we are spotlighting Jina Rockwell of Rockwell Earthworks . Having recently partnered with Rockford on the revitalization of Lyon Square, Rockwell shares about her journey that led her to be a part of this iconic project and why more companies should embrace diversity among suppliers. Read her story below. #ConstructionInclusionWeek #SupplierDiveristy

The Covenant Community Care Health Center in the Cody-Rouge neighborhood is a facility for the community, by the community. Expected to serve roughly 10,000 residents annually, the health center signifies an investment in empowering a diverse young community and establishing a place of pride and belonging. Read more about this project at the link below. #ConstructionInclusionWeek #Belonging 

Coming to the Boston Square neighborhood in the fall of 2025, nonprofit Refugee Education Center will relocate their early childhood programming to the HUB 07 community center. With childcare services identified by neighbors as a top need, the Refugee Education Center will serve both US-born and refugee children from six weeks to four years old, offering programming on a sliding price scale. The HUB 07 project is currently in the finish material stages, with our team installing lighting fixtures, doors and hardware, wall devices and more. Playground construction will begin near the end of this month. Learn more about this project at the link below.

Elise Bassi Igoe, development manager at Rockford, has played a part in reshaping the City of Grand Rapids, including recently helping to bring Shinola to Monroe Center. She holds an expansive portfolio, is a “trailblazer” in a male-dominated industry and was recently selected as a Crain's Grand Rapids Business 40 Under 40 honoree. Read more about Elise at the link below and join us in celebrating this exceptional achievement. Congrats, Elise! #CICM

Join Rockford, the community and the Big Mini Putt Club team for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony today at 1 pm. With nine custom miniature golf holes and a full-service bar, as well as other games like basketball, Jenga, Skee-ball, Connect Four and more, Big Mini Putt Club offers a variety of activities for the Grand Rapids community and visitors alike to enjoy. We’ll see you there!

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids is renovating their oldest building, the Seidman Club, next March. The project will repurpose the space to be more inclusive of different age groups, including an improved teen space, and will support the recent growth in participation. Rockford is providing construction management services for this important renovation, and we are proud to do our part in helping Boys and Girls Clubs realize their mission of “enabling all young people to reach their full potential as responsible citizens through education, recreation, and positive community experiences.” #CICM

Today kicks off the month-long celebration of Careers in Construction Month! This October, we’ll shine the spotlight on a different team members and project teams that are Building a Better World here at Rockford. Stay tuned for more. #CICM