PRODUCERS – MARCH 2019

Karen Biondolillo has been named chief financial officer for the High companies, a diverse group of family-owned businesses, including High Concrete Group, and one of central Pennsylvania’s largest employers. She is responsible for corporate finance, accounting, tax and information technology departments; joins an executive committee providing strategic leadership to the business; and, succeeds Mike Van Belle, who has been CFO since 2005 and recently announced his retirement.



Karen Biondolillo

“Mike was instrumental in helping to prepare Karen for this very important responsibility,” says High Cos. CEO Mike Shirk. “We enter this transition from a position of strength, with solid control of our businesses and clear strategies to invest in growth and our co-workers. I and the entire High leadership team are excited for Karen and look forward to working with her to move us forward even more.”

Bionolillo joined the company in 2006 and most recently served as vice president and controller of High Industries Inc., which includes affiliates High Concrete, High Steel Structures, High Steel Service Center, High Transit, High Structural Erectors, High Construction Co., and Greenfield Architects. Previously she served as vice president and controller of High Real Estate Group and its affiliates High Associates, High Hotels, and High Environmental Safety & Consulting. A graduate of Elizabethtown College, she began her career in public accounting with Arthur Andersen.

Easi-Set Worldwide, a subsidiary of Virginia-based Smith-Midland Corp., has added Quality Precast Inc. of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Jobe Materials of El Paso, Texas, to its family of licensed producers. The former has begun production of Easi-Set Buildings for the Upper Midwest market. Although Quality Precast has produced modular structures through the years, the decision was made to team up with Easi-Set to help take its offering to a new level. A new facility the producer opened in late 2018 enables crews to reach increased building output, including nine Easi-Set structures logged during the first few weeks of its licensing.

Jobe Materials was established in 1983 and has long been known as premier supplier of precast/prestessed and ready mixed concrete, aggregate, asphalt and landscaping material for the western Texas and southern New Mexico markets. It will be producing Easi-Set’s J-J Hooks highway safety barrier from its Dyer Street plant in El Paso.

“The addition of these two experienced organizations will serve the consumers of our products well [and] should result in tangible market share gains,” says Easi-Set President Art Miles. “Team members at both companies show a level of commitment and experience that will pay dividends for all involved, especially their customers.”