When BE&K was named one of “The Best Companies to Work for in America,” Michael Goodrich, then the company’s president, was quoted as saying, “We take care of our own.”
Michael Goodrich, 66, of Birmingham, went on to become chairman and chief executive of BE&K, a top engineering and construction company with headquarters in Birmingham. The company, which has sold to Houston-based construction giant KBR in 2008, provided engineering and commercial projects throughout the world.
Goodrich spent 37 years with BE&K, first as legal counsel when the company was formed. He became president in 1989 and became chairman and CEO in 2003.
Goodrich was born in Milan, Tennessee. He is a civil engineering graduate of Tulane University and received his law degree from The University of Alabama. He serves as a captain in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
During Goodrich’s tenure as CEO, BE&K had major offices in Wilmington, Delaware, Birmingham, Alabama, Raleigh, North Carolina, Houston, Texas, Helsinki, Finland, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Kwidzyn, Poland.
In 1990, BE&K became the first construction company to offer child care at construction sites. The company was recognized as one of the most family-friendly companies in the nation. The company’s family-friendly reputation earned Goodrich an invitation to participate in a business forum at the White House.
He serves on the Board of Directors of First Commercial Bank, Synovus Financial Corporation, AGI/Shorewood, LLC, and Energen Corporation. Following his service at BE&K, Goodrich started an investment management company, Goodrich Management Company.
Goodrich received the NOVA Award from the Construction Innovation Forum and the Excellence in Construction Cornerstone Award by the Associated Builders and Contractors.
He is a longtime supporter of the Boy Scouts of America and served on its national board since 2001 and was chairman of the Greater Alabama Council in 2000. He was awarded the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout awards by the Boy Scouts of America.
He is a former president of the Associated Builders and Contractors and a member of the National Academy of Construction. He is a member of Leadership Birmingham and Leadership Alabama.
He has been active with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Eisenhower Fellows. He is a member of the President’s Cabinet at The University of Alabama and The University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Goodrich served as a captain in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1971-1972 and is a member of the Alabama Academy of Honor and the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. Goodrich is a member of South Highland Presbyterian Church where he has served as an elder and a deacon.
He and his wife, Gillian, were the 2011 winners of the Virginia B. and William Spencer Outstanding Philanthropist Award given by the Alabama Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals for their work in helping children in poverty and communities in distress. In 2009, Goodrich and his wife created the Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation to focus on education and neighborhood revitalization.
They have four children and eight grandchildren.
