Kent Concrete officially topped out Gerald R. Ford International Airport’s new Consolidated Rental Car (ConRAC) Facility —the first of its kind in Michigan.
As the largest trade contractor on site, we delivered the foundation and vertical concrete work across all three major phases: Ready Return (West & East), Quick Turnaround (QTA), and the Customer Service Building (CSB)/Skybridge. This project is a centerpiece of GRR’s $600+ million ELEVATE expansion and will streamline rental car operations, improve passenger flow, and deliver long-term economic and environmental benefits to West Michigan.
Leading from the Ground Up
“Our crews proved once again that adaptability and execution go hand‑in‑hand,” shares Division Manager Steve McCoy. “We brought a lot of value engineering ideas to the table and some unique approaches to logistics and building that helped us be successful.” Our scope touched every corner of the ConRAC build:
- Foundation, Flatwork, Walls, and Columns: From footings, walls, and columns to retaining walls and slab-on-grade, we set the structural backbone for the Ready Return, QTA, and CSB/Skybridge.
- Vertical Structure: Kent Concrete delivered all cast-in-place concrete from levels 1–4, including unbonded post-tension decks, insulated topping slabs, crash walls, and barrier cable installation.
- Tower Crane Package: The team managed two tower cranes servicing separate structures, with complex dismantle/erection sequencing in a live airport environment.
Along the way, our crews adapted to major site challenges, including unsuitable soils that created delays and required redesign. We re-sequenced work to maintain momentum; crews logged early morning and overtime hours; and we brought in Kent Foundation Solutions to expedite the furnishing/installation of helical piers for the CSB and Skybridge foundations.
Our prior experience with garage beam formwork paid dividends, allowing us to execute efficiently on a tight schedule while maintaining the highest safety standards. Working alongside Turner Construction, we elevated planning, sequencing, and onsite safety, setting a benchmark for collaboration on future large-scale infrastructure builds.
“We're really proud of what we created here," shares Jeff Salowitz, Owners Representative for GRR. "At the end of the day, this creates the doorstep for West Michigan. They showed us that they can keep a production-focused site, provide us with a clean site, and the quality and control we expect."
A Project That Delivers for West Michigan
Kent Concrete is proud to be Michigan’s concrete partner, built on three generations of heritage, safety, proven capacity, and industry‑leading leadership. From major infrastructure to community landmarks, our roots here run deep. We’ve earned our place as the go‑to concrete contractor in Michigan, and projects like ConRAC show why that trust is well‑placed.
When it opens, the ConRAC will:
- Centralize all rental car operations under one roof.
- Add 1,300 ready/return spaces, 16 fuel pumps, and 8 car washes.
- Eliminate rental shuttles, freeing more than 1,000 parking spaces elsewhere on campus.
- Reduce traffic congestion and cut carbon emissions by an estimated 500,000 pounds annually.
Explore the ConRAC story:
- High Stakes and High Standards: Our Approach to Safety at ConRAC
- Meet the Team at ConRAC
- Deep Foundation Stabilization at GRR
- Kent Concrete’s Quality and Productivity in Action at GRR
If you’re looking for a concrete partner with the scale and mindset to deliver on complex builds, let’s start the conversation.
