Alaina Ekdom
Director of Brand and Experience | EV Construction
Over the past decade, Alaina Ekdom has helped shape how EV Construction presents itself to employees, clients, trade partners, and communities across the country.
As Director of Brand and Experience, she leads initiatives focused on branding, business development support, employee engagement, workforce development, and company culture. From guiding EV Construction through a company-wide rebrand to creating experiences that introduce future generations to the construction industry, Alaina has built a career around helping people see construction differently.
Her work is rooted in a simple belief: the construction industry has an incredible story to tell.
Ironically, construction was never part of Alaina’s original plan. Growing up in a household of all girls with no family ties to the industry, construction wasn’t something she envisioned as a career. Her exposure was limited to a high school wood shop class she took because she didn’t want to be in band. Years later, a recommendation from a friend and encouragement from her then-boyfriend—now husband and a longtime electrician—introduced her to an industry she knew very little about.
What started as an unexpected career move became a passion. Over the last 15 years, Alaina has immersed herself in learning the industry, understanding the people who make it possible, and helping tell the story of modern construction. Today, she is helping reshape perceptions of what construction can be—and who belongs in it.
Building a Brand for the Future
One of Alaina’s most significant accomplishments has been leading EV Construction’s company-wide rebrand, transitioning from Elzinga & Volkers Construction Professionals to EV Construction.
As EV expanded beyond West Michigan, company leaders recognized that the existing brand no longer reflected who they had become or where they were headed. The rebrand required extensive research, internal and external feedback, competitive analysis, and strategic planning.
“We were all the way back at step one,” Alaina recalled. “We were deciding if the company was going to completely rename itself or become a house of brands.”
Working alongside company leadership and an external design partner, Alaina guided the process from concept through implementation. Every detail had to be coordinated—from websites and software systems to fleet graphics, uniforms, jobsite signage, and marketing materials.
The team planned a company-wide launch celebration years in the making.
Then, just two weeks before launch, the world shut down. March 30, 2020—the planned launch date—arrived in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had a whole launch party planned,” Alaina said. “Instead, we celebrated from our kitchen tables and called each other saying, ‘The new website’s up.’”
Despite the unexpected challenges, the launch was successful.
Today, EV Construction operates under a unified, scalable brand that supports growth across multiple markets while helping the company tell its story more effectively. For Alaina, the project reinforced a belief she holds deeply: intentional storytelling matters.
Creating Experiences That Inspire the Next Generation
While branding may be part of Alaina’s title, creating meaningful experiences is where her passion shines.
One of her favorite initiatives is EV Construction’s annual Future Builders event, which introduces the children of employees and trade partners to the construction industry through hands-on experiences at active jobsites.
The idea started with a simple observation from one of EV’s field leaders. He explained that his son knew every building he had worked on because he pointed them out whenever they drove by. What his son had never seen was the inside of those projects or what his father actually did each day.
“That’s a problem,” Alaina remembered thinking.
Within weeks, the team launched the first Future Builders event.
Today, the event welcomes more than 100 children each year, ranging from toddlers to teenagers. Participants receive hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, and event shirts before exploring jobsites, operating mini excavators, trying hands-on trade activities, and learning about the many careers involved in construction.
“We make it feel more like a summer camp than a jobsite tour,” Alaina said.
The event has become one of EV’s most beloved traditions, serving as both a powerful workforce development tool and a meaningful way to connect families to the industry. More importantly, it gives children the opportunity to see what their parents and grandparents help build every day.
For Alaina, that connection is what matters most.
Expanding the Story of Construction
Alaina believes one of the greatest challenges facing the industry is not a lack of opportunity, it’s a lack of awareness.
“There’s still a perception gap,” she said. “Many people don’t understand how many different career paths exist within construction.”
That belief drives much of her work both inside and outside EV Construction.
She has been actively involved in workforce development initiatives through ABC Western Michigan, the West Michigan Construction Institute, MiCareerQuest, local school events, and industry outreach programs that introduce students to careers in construction. Her own story reinforces that message.
When she entered the industry, she had little understanding of the opportunities available beyond the trades. Today, she sees construction as an industry filled with careers in technology, marketing, operations, project management, safety, business development, and leadership.
“I had no idea what all was included in the construction industry,” she said.
She hopes more young people, especially young women, have the opportunity to see those possibilities earlier. Rather than focusing solely on why women belong in construction, Alaina believes the industry should continue highlighting what women are already accomplishing.
“I want young girls to see female project managers, executives, and leaders doing incredible work every day.”
By helping people understand the full scope of the industry, she hopes to inspire the next generation of construction professionals to see themselves in it.
Building Culture Through Collaboration
Leadership has looked different throughout Alaina’s career. As someone who describes herself as a “doer,” she naturally gravitates toward execution and problem-solving. Over time, however, she has learned that leadership is less about doing everything yourself and more about creating opportunities for others to grow.
One example is her work leading EV Construction’s Best & Brightest committee. When Alaina first became involved, multiple committees operated independently across different focus areas. While each group had good intentions, ideas often remained siloed and disconnected.
She proposed consolidating the efforts into a single committee that could view employee engagement, recruiting, community involvement, and workplace culture holistically. The change helped create stronger alignment and produced several company-wide initiatives, including floating holidays, a community impact hours program, employee benefits enhancements, and the Future Builders event itself.
The experience reinforced her belief that collaboration produces better outcomes.
“I think about leadership less in terms of authority and more in terms of collaboration,” she said.
Today, that philosophy influences how she leads her team, supports company culture, and contributes to strategic initiatives across EV.
Investing in Industry and Community
Since joining EV Construction nearly a decade ago, Alaina has become deeply involved with ABC Western Michigan. She was part of the original group that helped launch ABC Young Professionals and has served on the Excellence in Construction Committee since her first year with the company.
“That’s my favorite committee,” she said with a laugh. “People keep telling me to give it up, and I keep saying no.”
Through ABC, WMCI, and workforce development initiatives, she has helped support programs that connect students, young professionals, and future leaders with opportunities in construction.
Her commitment to service extends beyond the industry as well. Alaina serves on the Michigan Advisory Board for Bethany Christian Services, contributes to Reach Out and Read Michigan’s Parent Advisory Board, volunteers in her church’s children’s ministry, and serves on her local daycare’s parent advisory board.
A common thread runs through nearly all of her community involvement: supporting children and families.
“I joke that maybe I should vary my interests a little bit,” she said. “But children’s advocacy is definitely the common thread.”
Whether she is helping a child discover the excitement of construction, supporting literacy programs, or strengthening organizations that serve families, Alaina is passionate about creating opportunities that help others thrive.
Looking Ahead
As EV Construction continues to grow, Alaina’s vision for the future remains focused on storytelling, innovation, and people.
She hopes to continue elevating the role of marketing and brand strategy within the construction industry while helping more people understand the diverse opportunities construction offers.
Most importantly, she wants future generations to see the industry the way she sees it today: as a place where creativity, leadership, technology, craftsmanship, and purpose come together to build something meaningful.
Through her leadership, workforce development efforts, industry engagement, and commitment to community, Alaina Ekdom is helping reshape how people see construction—and inspiring others to imagine what they might build within it.
As a finalist for ABC Western Michigan’s Young Professional of the Year Award, Alaina exemplifies the leadership, vision, and passion that continue to strengthen the future of the construction industry.
