After nearly 15 years heading up one of the world’s biggest power and infrastructure EPC firms, Kiewit CEO Bruce Grewcock is retiring from his post – sort of – by the start of 2020, the company announced Thursday.
The Kiewit website carries a letter written by Grewcock, (pictured bottom center) detailing the passing of the torch with the new year. Grewcock is only the fifth CEO in nearly 90 years.
Longtime Kiewit executive Rick Lanoha (pictured, bottom right) will succeed Grewcock in heading up day-to-day leadership at the general contractor firm. As for Grewcock, he plans to stay busy and connected.
“I’m not going anywhere anytime soon,” Grewcock’s letter reads. “As exhibited by the continued work of the CEOs before me, this industry – this company – is too fun to tie up with a traditional retirement party. I’ll remain executive chairman of the board, playing an active role in both the evolution of Kiewit and the construction and engineering industry.”
Grewcock grew up in a Kiewit family. His father, Bill, led construction and mining operations several decades ago.
Bruce Grewcock graduated from the Colorado School of Mines and worked for a GE subsidiary before returning to the Kiewit fold in 1982. He became president of mining operations a decade later.
Grewcock succeeded Ken Stinson (pictured, bottom left) as CEO in 2005. He is a member of the Omaha Hall of Fame and has led numerous industry groups.
Among the recent power industry-related projects led by Kiewit include rebuilding of the spillway at Oroville Dam in California and Competitive Power Ventures’ gas-fired 1,050-MW Fairview Energy Center project in Pennsylvania, among others.
“It has been one of my greatest honors to lead this incredible organization,” Grewcock wrote.
Lanoha started his career with Kiewit as a part-time employee in 1986. He eventually moved into managerial roles, including overseeing of the High Desert Power Plant project in California and with the Kiewit Pacific Co.
He changed coasts in 2003 to become president of Boston-based subsidiary Mass. Electric Construction Co. His leadership later extended to MEC Industrial, Kiewit Engineering and other in-house entities.
Kiewit was started more than a 100 years ago and Peter Kiewit was the first CEO.
