Rosendin, the electrical contracting industry’s largest employee-owned firm with a regional office in Tempe, announced Mike Greenawalt has been selected as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Rosendin is a $2 billion company with 15 regional offices across the country that provide electrical installation on large scale builds including stadiums, data centers, solar farms, healthcare centers and more.
In his new role as CEO, Greenawalt will build upon Rosendin’s success by investing in new technologies to improve safety and increase efficiencies. This aligns with some of Greenawalt’s biggest accomplishments at Rosendin, which include creating award-winning safety policies, company procedures and power tools shown to reduce injuries.
Greenawalt replaces Tom Sorley, who will be retiring at the end of 2020 following a 31-year career with Rosendin. Sorley will continue to serve as Executive Chairman of the Board and remain at Rosendin through next year to promote stability while also providing support and mentoring for the new leadership team.
“Mike’s contributions over his stellar career helped shape the Valley’s skyline and solidify Rosendin as an important player nationally in the construction industry and we are thrilled that he will be leading the company,” said Sorley. “He embraces new technology and has developed advancements that are having significant influence throughout the commercial construction industry, and I have confidence he will take the company to even greater heights.”
“Tom has been an amazing mentor, teacher, and friend, and I’m honored that he and the board have given me this opportunity,” said Greenawalt. “It’s hard not to think back to my start as an apprentice and all the people who helped me grow professionally, because I understand the effect that a seemingly small decision has on employees at all levels of the company. I’m committed to using that knowledge to benefit our stakeholders, our customers, and most importantly, our talented employees.”
Greenawalt is among five longstanding officers who will make up Rosendin’s new Executive Committee to oversee the new organizational structure. They include Paolo Degrassi, President; Keith Douglas, COO; Matt Englert, COO; and Justin Tinoco, Executive Vice President.
The new leaders replace retiring executives Tom Sorley and Jim Hawk, as well as Larry Beltramo, who will be taking on a reduced role after 2020. Combined, the three have over 100-years of experience at Rosendin. Under the 2020 Executive Leadership Succession Plan, they will remain through the end of next year to promote stability while also providing support and mentoring.
Rosendin’s corporate headquarters are in San Jose, California, but Greenawalt plans to stay in the Valley, where he grew up attending Sunnyslope High School.
“Over the last decade, Rosendin designed and incorporated new technologies that shifted the electrical industry and made it safer for our teams in the field, and much of that came from our 200 person BIM (Building Information Modeling) Department in Arizona,” said Greenawalt. “I am proud of the work we have done and I want to encourage young people that a career in the trades offers unlimited opportunities, whether they want to work on computers or work with their hands.”
Greenawalt brings over 40-years of construction industry experience, beginning his career as an Electrical Apprentice where he helped build the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant. He joined Rosendin in 2002 as a Division Manager and grew the Arizona office, becoming Vice President of Operations. He oversees projects such as the Tempe Streetcar, Sky Harbor Int’l Airport renovations, a semi-conductor manufacturing facility in Chandler, and Phoenix’s new Veterans Affairs clinic.
The announcement comes as Rosendin wraps up a year of recognition to the shared success of its employees, customers, and partners that enabled the company to celebrate its 100th year in business. Greenawalt and his new executive team will lead Rosendin’s 7,000+ employees into the next 100 years with new inspiration for growth.
