AVB Appoints Andrew Schipper as New President of Commercial Construction

Portage, Michigan, AVB has announced that Andrew Schipper has been appointed the new President of Commercial Construction. An experienced business leader, Schipper will succeed Jack Michael. After 13 years as President of Commercial Construction, Jack Michael has retired.

Andrew Schipper has worked at AVB for ten years serving in a variety of roles within the company. After graduating from Western Michigan University with his bachelor’s degree in civil and construction engineering, Andrew interned at AVB while a student at WMU and quickly rose through the ranks, first as the understudy of the then head of multi-family construction, John Bakos, and then moving seamlessly into the role of project manager and up to senior project manager. 

“It was immediately clear that Andrew was the right fit,” said John Bakos, President of Residential Construction. “We've been aware of his potential for years and we look forward to his leadership of the commercial construction division.”

While at AVB, Andrew Schipper has managed numerous challenging and difficult commercial construction projects ranging in cost from $800,000 up to $45 million dollars. These projects include Harrison Circle, 400 Rose Apartments, Kalsec Executive Office Building, along with other Higher Ed, multi-family, retail, and healthcare-related projects. Additionally, Andrew was instrumental in growing AVB’s commercial division and forming key client relationships.

“The best leaders are great listeners, and they lead by example and that is exactly what Andrew does,” said Greg Dobson, Principal and COO. “Andrew lives our Core Values on a daily basis and he has surrounded himself with an extraordinarily talented team of individuals.”

In addition to his B.S. from WMU, Andrew Schipper received his M.S.F. from Northwood University.

About AVB

With 41 years of history, AVB is a leading regional construction and development firm offering expertise in both residential and commercial new construction, major remodeling projects, and real estate development.

AVB’s passion is creating great places to live and work with a niche for building great homes, buildings, and developments. We always give the extra effort to BUILD SOMETHING BETTER while developing long-term relationships that stand behind every endeavor.