St. Louis construction VP named AEC '40 Under 40'

Aaron Retherford, vice president of business strategy for Kadean Construction, has been named to the 40 Under 40 Class of 2020 by Building Design + Construction, a major national publication serving the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industries.

Retherford is recognized for his career achievements, passion for the AEC profession, involvement with industry organizations and service to his community. He joined Kadean and its executive team in September 2020 and has 13 years of construction industry experience.

“Aaron has established himself as a proven young leader in our industry, and he richly deserves this national honor,” said Mike Eveler, president of Kadean Construction. “In his short time with us, he has already made a big impact in executing our growth and business development strategic plan and building our brand locally, regionally and nationally.”

Building Design + Construction cited Retherford’s success in growing annual revenues, developing a turn-key civil design-build service for site development work and establishing a permanent Omaha office for his previous employer, among many accomplishments. They also noted his role as a board member and treasurer for the Greater St. Louis Honor Flight organization, as well as committee memberships with KIDstruction and the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers.

Retherford is Kadean’s executive leader for growth and business development across all offices and future expansion efforts. He focuses on building relationships and developing plans to execute strategic growth initiatives, which include expanding work with current clients and pursuing national clients in new markets. Retherford also helps market and execute Kadean’s Design-Build and VDC (Virtual Design & Construction) capabilities.

Retherford is 37 years old, an avid golfer and holds a B.S. in Construction Management from Illinois State University.