Kurt Jensen has been named managing director of Sparks, Nev.-based Jensen Enterprises Inc. He brings more than three decades of experience to the executive level position as the privately held company continues to expand into new markets. He grew up in the industry learning about the benefits of precast concrete for infrastructure applications from his father, Donald Jensen, who founded the business in 1968. Joining the family enterprise in 1987, Kurt Jensen became involved in every aspect of its business. Most recently, he served as general manager of the company’s Sparks operation, after holding the same title at the Las Vegas plant. He also served as vice president of Asset Management for the properties, fleet, and equipment of Jensen Enterprises.
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| Kurt Jensen |
“Kurt has a wealth of business knowledge and operational experience to offer as we continue to grow our business and develop new ways to meet customer expectations,” says Donald Jensen. “We look forward to his contributions for increasing efficiency and excellence at our facilities, on our job sites, and with our customers.”
Jensen Precast is one of the largest independently owned manufactured concrete producers in the United States, with facilities in Nevada, Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Oregon.
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| Christy Alvord |
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| Jerry Perkins Jr. |
Vulcan Materials Co. has announced new leadership for two of its seven U.S. divisions. Jerry F. Perkins, Jr., general counsel and corporate secretary, has been named president, Southern & Gulf Coast Division. He will have senior management responsibility for construction materials businesses in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and the Florida Panhandle. A certified public accountant and attorney, he joined Vulcan Materials in 2002 and has served in his present role since 2015.
Perkins succeeds Christy Alvord, who transitions to president, Central Division, encompassing Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Arkansas. She joined Vulcan Materials in 2016 as vice president of Corporate Planning and Performance Improvement, and was named to the Southern & Gulf Coast post in 2017. She has also held various executive management positions with GE Aviation.
Separately, a $500,000 Vulcan Materials Company Foundation grant to Historically Black Colleges and Universities in key areas of the Southeast provides a) scholarships and internships for students who win “pitch competitions,” to be judged by university leadership and members of Vulcan Materials’ Diversity & Inclusion Council; b) opportunities for students to improve innovation and infrastructure that businesses, higher education and government can support; c) company internships potentially leading to full-time employment; and, d) enhanced facility spaces that turn traditional college work spaces into tech-friendly study halls.
“Historically Black Colleges and Universities have been leadership laboratories in America for more than 150 years and their value as part of the fabric of American life has never been more important,” says Vulcan Chairman Tom Hill. “Our Company is committed to creating new opportunities for rising young leaders, further building on our long-term diversity and inclusion and workforce development initiatives. This is vitally important to us, as is our commitment to superior safety and environmental performance and supplying essential infrastructure materials used throughout the economy.”
Vulcan announced the initiative at a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting earlier this spring in Houston. Company officials began discussing the grant with Conference President and Columbia (S.C.) Mayor Stephen Benjamin and peers in 2018. Mayor Benjamin has focused on innovation, inclusion and infrastructure as hallmark issues for his Conference term.