For more information:
Amanda Shell Jennings
Moxley Carmichael
865-544-0088
[email protected]
Messer Construction Co. is pleased to announce the promotions of Allen Begley to senior vice president and John Blum to senior project executive. Begley will assume executive leadership of Messer’s Tennessee operations, and Blum will provide leadership for the company’s Knoxville region projects.
“Both Allen and John are tremendous assets to our company,” said Messer President and CEO Tom Keckeis. “John is a growing leader, and we’re excited to elevate his role within the Knoxville-based team and dedicate his energy and focus to our clients.
“We’re excited for Allen to bring his more than 40 years of industry experience to Knoxville,” said Keckeis. “Over his career at Messer, he has forged strong relationships, supported strong project performance and invested in the communities we serve.”
As senior vice president, Begley will assume executive leadership of the company’s Knoxville office and also provide senior-level oversight to the company’s operations in Nashville.
A 40-year veteran with Messer, Begley has served in a variety of roles within the company’s operations division. For the past 15 years, Begley has led the company’s Dayton office. Under his leadership, the Dayton region completed several award-winning projects, including the $75 million Schuster Performing Arts Center, which earned a 2003 Build America Award from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) — the highest honor bestowed by the construction industry.
Blum joined Messer in 1996 as a co-op while studying at the University of Cincinnati and joined the company full-time in 2000 upon receiving his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He transferred to the Knoxville office in 2009.
He has worked on and provided leadership for many high-profile Messer projects, including the Levee in Newport, Ky.; Bethany Lutheran Village in Dayton, Ohio; the Clayton Center for the Arts in Maryville; the Scripps Networks Technology and Data Center and Carter Elementary School projects in Knoxville. Blum currently serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Halls/Powell and Rebuilding Together Knoxville. He has served the last two years as a loaned executive for the United Way of Greater Knoxville.
Andy Lorenz, who previously led the Knoxville region, has joined the company’s Preconstruction Services Group.
About Messer Construction Co.
Messer Construction Co. is a construction manager and general contractor providing leadership for complex commercial building projects. An employee-owned company, Messer builds better lives for its customers, communities and each other, and delivers value through quality construction and client experiences. Founded in 1932, Messer’s footprint has grown to nine regional offices located across the Midwest and Southeast. The company is consistently ranked among the country’s 100 largest contractors by Engineering News-Record, and in fiscal 2013, Messer put in place more than $830 million in commercial construction. Messer now stands as one of the nation’s leading health care and higher education builders, and also boasts extensive, award-winning work in the life sciences and industrial market segments. Messer employees live where they work, resulting in the company’s sustained commitment to building better communities. That commitment has remained paramount throughout Messer’s growth, and it is achieved annually through the company’s own foundation and through the time, service and dollars invested by its employee-owners in community organizations and causes.