After years of careful succession planning, the Jacobsen Construction Co. Board of Directors unanimously elected Gary Ellis to succeed Douglas Welling as company president in its biannual meeting in June. 

Welling, who began his tenure as president of Jacobsen in 2006 and as CEO in 2012, will continue serving as CEO of the company. Ellis filled the position of president effective June 1. 

Ellis has been with the company for 19 years in various leadership roles, including several years as chief financial officer and most recently as executive vice president of business development and sales.

"With 98 years of excellence to build on, we will continue to hold to the values of safety, a caring culture and a job well done as the ingredients that bind us together," Ellis said. "I have confidence in this company's ability to continue Making Life Better while providing a world-class experience for our clients."

The naming of Ellis as president is the result of Jacobsen's decade-long leadership development and succession plan.

"This is a special opportunity to hand over the role of president to someone who possesses the same vision and values that have made this company a top national contractor with such strong trade partner and client relationships," Welling said. "It's a change that's being made with an eye toward a very bright future." 

Ellis demonstrated leadership abilities as CFO that played a crucial role in driving profitable growth across Jacobsen's diverse construction markets. Under his financial guidance, Jacobsen flourished during both up-market cycles and national downturns. In his role overseeing business development and sales, Ellis exhibited a considerable affinity for the kind of relationship-building that is vital to the development and execution of the company's core and future business strategies.

"What we do matters," Ellis said. "I love witnessing the difference that our employees make in our communities every day, and I can't wait to see how the people of our 100 percent employee-owned company write the next great chapter of the Jacobsen Construction story."