Recap: 2025 Great Lakes Design and Construction EXPO

By Alexis Seeley

Despite the threat of snowstorms, more than 1,500 visitors attended this year’s Great Lakes Design and Construction EXPO. The 112 exhibitors at the event provided a brightly colored wonderland showcasing everything from large equipment rentals to designer glass products to a wide array of safety equipment. The event was held at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi on February 12, 2025.

This year’s event, a joint show between the Construction Association of Michigan and the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan, featured an Economic Forecast Breakfast, five free educational workshops, and CAM’s 139th Annual Meeting. Commercial and residential contractors, architects, suppliers, and service providers enjoyed networking opportunities and business-building educational sessions throughout the day, all designed to support Michigan’s construction industry.

 According to Tom Thompson, Vice President of R.S. Dale Construction, the construction EXPO is an invaluable opportunity for learning and networking with industry colleagues. The relationship with CAM and the opportunities to network and connect with people is what keeps R.S. Dale Construction coming back as an exhibitor. “Every year, I feel like I find something new, and I would encourage people to exhibit if they could, because it also just helps further your relationship with everybody,” Thompson said. “It makes doing the job a little bit easier.”

Destry Farner from Guy Hurley Insurance & Surety agreed with Thompson, adding that relationship building is what keeps bringing him back. “I would say if you're going to come to the CAM show for the first time, just come present your company. You're going to have a ton of prospects come through. They may not all fit your niche or your goals, but it's about relationship building,” Farner said. “Yes, there are prospects that you work with, and the more you come here, the more you see them, they'll get used to you.”

Cody Peterman, Business Development Director for Occupational Care Services (OCS), has been exhibiting at the EXPO for almost nine years now and said that CAM takes great care of its members. “I know there's a handful of construction associations in the state of Michigan, but I think CAM is one of the more hands-on ones, especially for the cost of membership,” Peterman said. “I think it's extremely cost-effective, and I think it really has helped OCS kind of spread the brand that we have today.”

Exhibitors commented that they’ve seen quite a few changes over the years, whether it’s the type of projects coming into the state or the costs to get those projects completed. Thompson said the proliferation of electric vehicle-related facilities and data centers are the biggest trend he’s seen in the last several years. “The advancement of EVs and large data centers to support everything from AI to online platforms are very intensive with the material needed to support all the infrastructure that's inside the building,” Thompson said.

Christopher Patterson, General Manager at CBS Asphalt Paving, has been exhibiting at the EXPO for seven of the company’s 23 years in service. Patterson explained that the biggest change he’s dealt with over the years is the cost of materials, which he said have almost doubled over the past 10 years. “The cost of a ton of asphalt or a yard of concrete has gone up, which gets passed on to the customer. This makes it hard for them to get their repairs done,” he said.

The vibrant exchanges and valuable insights shared at this year's EXPO leave attendees eager for what lies ahead in Michigan's construction landscape.

The Economic Forecast Breakfast Highlights Optimism Amidst Economic Uncertainties

The Construction Association of Michigan and the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan have hosted this annual Economic Forecast since joining their tradeshows in  2020. Eric Lynch CBE, Economist with the National Association of Home Builders, was the featured speaker for this year’s event, which drew more than 200 attendees. Lynch is feeling positive about the economy’s future, saying that he expects some of the current economic uncertainty will transform into stronger demographics to drive the construction industry forward through the rest of the decade.

Lynch expects tax cuts and fewer regulatory policies will promote growth -- but that could come with an increased national debt, tariffs, and inflationary impacts. An unknown factor is how illegal immigration enforcement will impact the construction industry.

Lynch explained that consumer spending is driving the current economy, and the housing market benefits from that. Non-residential, however, was a bit of a drag on the economy, he added.

Unemployment fell to 4%, although participation in the labor force remains below pre-pandemic levels. “It continues to be a very, very tight labor market,” Lynch said, adding that the number of job openings is cooling as well.

Lynch noted that while Michigan's employment and payroll figures have returned to levels seen before the pandemic, their growth rates still fall short of the national average. The state’s population is on the rise; but that, too, lags behind national trends. Those trends impact construction, as population, housing, and the related infrastructure all go hand in hand. “Housing does follow population, and vice versa,” he explained. “That population will always go to where housing is.”

On the supply side, Lynch said that he is encouraged to see stronger supply chains with stabilized costs for materials and products. Lynch mentioned that lumber, which the NAHB keeps a close eye on, has maintained stable costs for several years, but prices have started to climb again lately. Tariffs could impact those prices if building materials aren’t exempted. “Unfortunately right now, the sawmills here in the United States cannot keep up with the current demand, so that’s why we have to import,” he said.

Labor is another looming concern, with 217,000 open construction positions, said Lynch. “The main issue I’d say is driven by the specialty trades. The reason I mention that is twofold: Construction overall tends to be an older labor force than the overall labor force of the United States, and it’s even more acute in the specialty trades.”

Compounding challenges is a tight lending market for the past three years as well as various regulations, which can add 24% to the costs of building new homes and an additional 41% for multi-family homes. For the state of Michigan, Lynch predicts growth in single-family home permits will climb faster than the 7% seen in 2024 with a predicted 9% increase in 2025 and 13% in 2026.

The NAHB is more bullish on the remodeling market, which has exploded. With the rise of remote work and the trend of aging in place, families are remaining in their homes longer, necessitating renovations to accommodate their needs, such as creating home offices, upgrading kitchens, or improving accessibility. “You can see how that impacts the non-residential side of things,” Lynch said. Health care will be impacted … offices will be impacted if people stay at home. You can see how that model fits into different areas.” 

CAM’s 139th Annual Meeting: The Power of Partnership

Nearly 500 people attended CAM’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon, offering members its formal Annual Report via a prepared video presentation, a review of accomplishments from the prior year, and the announcement of CAMPRO, CAM’s new level-funded healthcare plan.

This year’s keynote speaker was Jerry Darby, Vice President of Campus Planning, Development, and Design for Henry Ford Hospital, with the theme of “The Power of Partnership: Transforming Healthcare Through Collaboration.” Darby discussed the $3 billion worth of projects -- new patient tower, a research center, and a new center for athletic medicine -- in collaboration between Henry Ford Health, Michigan State University, and the Detroit Pistons.

 The new $2.2 billion Henry Ford Health: Destination Grand patient tower on West Grand Boulevard is being built on the same site where Henry Ford Hospital first opened 110 years ago. The state-of-the-art facility will be at least 1.2 million square feet, with 50 new operating rooms and a 425-bed capacity with the new emergency room being more than four times the size of the current one. “It is the most impactful hospital project happening in the world right now,” Darby said.

The HFH+MSU Research Building currently under construction will stand eight stories tall with approximately 335,000 square feet of space. This project is anticipated to include wet bench laboratories and central support facilities including core labs, vivarium, and common meeting areas. This will be the largest building MSU has ever built.

The new center for athletic medicine in collaboration with the Detroit Pistons will be built directly across from the new Henry Ford Headquarters and is an integrated part of the development. “It's amazing how close sports and healthcare are together, and one of the biggest things is that the Pistons are committed to their community, just like Henry Ford is committed to Detroit and all of southeastern Michigan, and that's really what brought the teams together,” Darby said.

Michigan Central Station Awarded Project of the Year

The CAM Magazine Project Achievement Awards were also celebrated during the 139^th Annual Meeting. Every year, 12 construction projects are featured in the October issue of the magazine. Following evaluation and voting by the CAM Magazine Editorial Advisory Committee, CAM staff, and an online survey, one of the projects is crowned CAM Magazine’s Project of the Year.

The 2025 Project of the Year winner was awarded to Michigan Central Station, a Brinker | Christman Corktown Transformation Joint Venture with Quinn Evans Architects as architect, Ford Motor Company as Owner, and engineering handled by Giffels Webster, Horizon Engineering Associates, Buro Happold, and TYLin | Silman Structural Solutions.

The 18-story historic Beaux-Arts style building, originally opened in 1913, has undergone a five-year, $360 million restoration. This project, requiring 1.7 million work hours, not only saved a vital piece of Detroit’s history but also sparked a renaissance in the Corktown neighborhood, attracting startups, established companies, and academic institutions.

The meticulous restoration involved 3,100 skilled workers employing both time-honored craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology. From the painstaking repair of the Guastavino tile ceilings to the sourcing of original Dark Hollow Rift limestone, the project team overcame immense challenges to preserve the station's historic fabric while creating a vibrant space for innovation and community.

 “As someone committed to preserving America’s historic resources, working on the rehabilitation of Michigan Central Station was the honor of a lifetime,” Austin Giesey, leader of Christman’s historic preservation group in Michigan, said. “Winning CAM’s Project of the Year Award is a credit to the unified vision and collaboration among ownership, design, consulting, and construction teams, and the craftsmanship of the 3,100 union men and women whose hard work and passion brought this iconic building back to life.”

 Other finalists for the 2024 Project Achievement Awards include (in no particular order):

• Michigan State University Federal Credit Union 311 Abbot
• Grand Blanc Community Schools Athletic Complex
• The Godfrey Hotel Detroit
• Our Next Energy’s Battery Production Plant
• Agree Realty Corporate Headquarters
• Elijah McCoy Consolidated Services Center
• Sartorius Center of Excellence
• Dow Event Center Capital Improvements
• University of Michigan Hayward Street Geoexchange Plant
• Kent County Road Commission Central Complex
• Michigan State University Tom Izzo Football Building

All of the honored projects were featured in CAM Magazine’s October 2024 Project Achievements Issue. CAM Magazine is currently accepting submissions for its 2025 Project Achievements program. To be eligible, projects must be constructed or designed by a CAM member company and must have been completed – or reached substantial completion – between June 2024 and June 2025. Visit buildwithcam.com/cam-magazine for more information.

A New CAM Chairman Takes the Stage

Among the 139th Annual Meeting traditions is the presentation of a new red blazer to the Board’s incoming Chairman. This year, Kelvin B. Squires, CEO of Center Line Electric, Inc., was inaugurated as the 2025 Chairman of the Board. Squires has been CEO of Center Line Electric since 2016. The company is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and one of the largest electrical contracting firms in southeastern Michigan. 

Before joining Center Line, Squires spent 32 years in the automotive industry at Ford Motor Company, where he served as the company’s global powertrain manufacturing chief engineer and as a plant manager.

“You hear about all these projects going on in Michigan … one of the things that is going to be key is having the right amount of tradespeople to work on these projects,” Squires said. “I look forward to overseeing and growing support for CAM, particularly on its workforce initiatives. This is going to be one of the things I look at this year.” Specific priorities for Squires include remaining committed to the CAM Strategic Plan, with a major emphasis on workforce development, continuing to support the Prompt Pay Bill for construction projects, and increasing membership.

In his final speech as 2024 Board Chair, Todd Moilanen, Managing Partner of Clovequip Properties, talked about the importance of fostering relationships in the construction community. “Our industry is ever evolving, driven by technology, sustainable initiatives, and a relentless pursuit of quality, but it is also shaped by the relationships that we foster, the partnerships we form, and the commitments we make to support the growth and success of all members of our community,” Moilanen said.