The Foundation Builders of Barton Malow
People
They were the founders and leaders of one of America’s most inventive and successful construction companies, but they built more than buildings of concrete, steel, and glass. They each contributed to the foundation, culture, and spirit behind the Barton Malow of today.
Carl Barton. Arnold Malow. Ben Maibach Jr. Rollie Wilkening. Their skills, knowledge, tenacity, and personality helped inspire each Barton Malow team member over the past 100 years, and their vision continues to serve as the foundation for innovation, success, and prosperity.
Carl Barton: The Framer
Graduating from the University of Michigan with a civil engineering degree and having worked as a field engineer for the Water Board of Detroit, Carl Osborn Barton started his construction career for J.A. Utley Company in 1923. With a powerful desire to launch his own company, he borrowed $500 from his father and started C.O. Barton Company, General Contractors, on August 4, 1924.
Despite the sense that his experience was less than adequate, it was a challenge Barton was willing to accept. From the beginning, he set both the pace and the culture for what Barton Malow would become over its first 100 years.
“Carl was a man of high convictions and values and, without exception, paid in full all creditors and everyone that was owed anything of any sort,” says Chief Community Officer Ben Maibach III. “He always did the right thing.”
He was also very meticulous and conscientious, as proven by his field engineering notebook, which is enshrined at Barton Malow’s corporate headquarters in Southfield, Michigan.
Former Chairman and President Ben Maibach Jr. said, “Carl Barton was really the founder and father of our company and the author of many of the philosophies and principles that we continue to exercise today. He was an honest man who I highly respected.”
In a letter to Ben Jr. in 1972, Carl said, “I am happy that Barton-Malow carried on the traditions I started of giving high priority to the welfare of its employees and customers, and to making money.”
Those traditions, so important to C.O. Barton in his time, are in large part the inspiration behind the cultural platform that today’s Barton Malow is built upon: people, projects, communities.
It was Carl Barton who established the cultural benchmark of putting team members and clients first — the internal, ethical compass that has guided Barton Malow for 100 years.
Arnold Malow: The Financial Wizard
Arnold Malow came on board when the C.O. Barton Company was facing serious financial difficulties despite a robust list of projects. Joining the company on May 1, 1927, as Vice President and Treasurer, Malow quickly arranged for $25,000 (about $440,000 in today’s dollars) to finance the future of the business.
According to Ben Maibach III, “The two of them really were a great team: Carl was the engineer and the builder. Arnold handled finance and external relations.”
Malow understood the financial world and ensured the company’s credit was in good standing and there was always money in the bank. He brought a business acumen the company needed at just the right time, focusing on business development and organization, and making sure the financials would lead to solid progress and success. Together, Carl Barton and Arnold Malow built a powerful foundation that would serve the organization extraordinarily well.
Without Malow, Barton Malow might not have survived the ups and downs of a nascent company as he helped develop stability and a focus on financial excellence.
Ben Maibach Jr.: The Accelerator
Ben Maibach Jr.’s somewhat inauspicious start at Barton Malow belied the extraordinary impact and success he would have in his 68 years with the company. Joining Barton Malow in 1938 as a Laborer, Engineer, Timekeeper, and General Handyman on the Firestone Rubber project in Trenton, Michigan, his leadership abilities were recognized early on, driving promotions and additional responsibilities. In typical fashion, he credited his quick rise to the support of his fellow team members and their interest in teaching him.
Thinking back on his father’s management style, Ben Maibach III remembers him as a “natural leader.” But he clearly had high expectations for himself and the Barton Malow team.
Throughout his career, Ben’s focus was on safety, achieving the highest standards of quality workmanship, fair treatment for all team members, and striving to provide the best service and value for each client. These attributes alone would have brought success to Barton Malow, but he had an even bigger vision: to mold Barton Malow into one of the major construction service companies in the United States.
Unprecedented growth was achieved under his leadership, and despite project setbacks and economic downturns, revenue grew substantially, as did the number of projects, new clients, and new industries served. He taught that adversity is not always a bad thing, saying, “The mettle of an organization and individual strength is manifested when problems arise.”
Under his guidance, not only did Barton Malow grow quickly, but he heralded in many services and programs that still touch team members and clients today. For example, he was instrumental in creating a profit-sharing and pension plan in 1951 — the first for a U.S. contractor. He helped create the Special Projects Division to build stadiums and arenas, and helped establish the first construction division of the Michigan Safety Conference to improve safety performance in the industry.
Throughout his Barton Malow journey, he was a man of faith, wisdom, and vision. A father of eight, he often said his “priority in life was to God, his family, and work, and in that order.”
It was Ben C. Maibach Jr. who ignited a new passion and inventiveness in Barton Malow’s culture, bringing growth to the organization, and teaching team members how to face both adversity and opportunity with courage, faith, and determination.
Rolland “Rollie” Wilkening: The Trailblazer
Joining Barton Malow in 1950 after earning a civil engineering degree from Purdue University, Rollie Wilkening’s knowledge, skills, and exuberant personality earned him status as a respected and beloved leader. Starting as a Field Engineer, he rose to President in 1975, and served as Vice Chairman of the Board until his retirement in 1986.
“Rollie was a marketer. Really big personality,” remembers former Board Chairman Doug Maibach. “It was fun being around Rollie because there was a lot of energy in the room when he was there.”
But it was Wilkening’s vision about where the construction industry was headed and how to make Barton Malow more effective, efficient, and competitive that became his true legacy. He pioneered the concept of construction management, a new approach to building that would change the industry. In fact, Wilkening literally co-wrote the book on it: Construction Management for the General Contractor, turning Barton Malow into the national leader of this new approach. It’s said Wilkening was first to use the now ubiquitous phrase “on time and on budget” when referring to successful completion of Barton Malow’s projects.
“I was enamored with Rollie, because he talked about the future,” said former Senior Vice President Don Shalibo. “And, truly, due to Rollie’s leadership, construction management was a major asset for Barton Malow. Going back, we’ve always been motivated; if it’s good for the client, we’re going to be innovative and we’re going to not back off, and only do the right thing.”
Thanks to the drive and vision of Rollie Wilkening, Barton Malow continued to be a leader in new thinking and creative approaches that changed the industry, proving to be the blueprint of Barton Malow’s innovation framework today.
Setting the Course for the Future
Carl Barton, Arnold Malow, Ben Maibach Jr., and Rollie Wilkening were the humble, ethical, and generous leaders of an earlier time at Barton Malow. The growth, inventiveness, and success of Barton Malow were in their hands but shared by the thousands of team members, skilled laborers, partners, colleagues, and clients who built the company. Together, they forged the foundation and the future of Barton Malow.
