Q2 Member Meeting: Employee Engagement & Productivity

Join us for an insightful event on Employee Engagement & Productivity in manufacturing, featuring expert speakers from Messer Construction Co. and Pioneer Cladding & Glazing Systems as they share their proven strategies for boosting employee wellbeing, including becoming an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) company. Learn how to boost employee motivation, enhance workplace culture, and drive long-term business success. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights, network with industry leaders, and discover strategies to elevate your workforce. Reserve your spot today!

Due to a high level of interest in this event, we've decided to hold two sessions. Both sessions are on April 30th, 2025 at Messer Construction Co., with one session running 8:30-10:30AM and the other 2:30-4:30PM. Please select the session you'd like to attend on the registration form.

Speakers from Pioneer Cladding and Glazing Systems announced soon!

About Messer Construction Co.

Messer Construction Co. is a construction manager and general contractor that creates stunning buildings and stronger communities through a commitment to safety; quality; innovation; and diversity, equity and inclusion. We are honored and grateful for the work we get to do across our 11 regions.

Messer employees grow by staying engaged in mentoring, coaching, training and networking. With Messer’s strategic focus and employees’ dedication, we see successful outcomes from opportunities like the Craft Leadership Program, Apprenticeship Programs, Urban Workforce Diversity Initiative (UWDI), Messer Women In Construction (MWIC), and the Diverse and Female Coaching Partnership Program. Other in-house programs focus on delivering best practices and innovation including Builders of the Future, Emerging Leadership Series, Advanced Leadership Series, and annual summits for our Craftforce and Operations teams: all geared toward subject matter experts coming together to learn from each other and help others grow.

After 58 years of being a family-owned company, Messer became an employee-owned company in 1990. This action required the vision and sacrifices of a few to build the career paths and ownership years later for so many. In 2020, Messer celebrated 30 years of employee ownership. This has helped us drive our continued focus on community investment, diverse business partnerships and client relationships for positive impact where we live and work.

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Your Subject Matter Experts from Messer Construction Co.:

Matt Barney, CFO

In this role, Matt oversees all of Messer’s financial affairs while leading the Accounting team. Matt also serves as vice president and treasurer of the Messer, Inc. Board of Directors.

Matt began his career with Messer in 2005 as a co-op while earning his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Dayton. He joined Messer full time upon graduating in 2007. Matt completed his MBA at Xavier University in 2011 and is also a CPA.

Matt has a broad range of financial experience and extensive involvement with the ESOP throughout his career. He has helped build an Accounting team focused on providing financial controls and insight to support business decisions and growth.

In the community, Matt is engaged in board leadership roles for the Alpaugh Family Economics Center at the University of Cincinnati and Purcell Marian High School. He also represents Messer on the board of the Employee-Owned S Corporations of America and Triversity Construction.

Sonya Walton, CPSD – Executive Vice President, Economic Inclusion

Sonya has served in Supplier Diversity for the past 25 years, 19 of which were spent with Messer. During her career, she has applied her expertise in supplier diversity, workforce diversity, and community engagement to make the construction industry a better place for people from all backgrounds, including minorities, women, and veteran-owned businesses. Sonya is part of Messer’s Executive team, leads its Economic Inclusion department, and oversees the company’s diverse/female mentoring strategies.

Sonya is a Certified Supplier Diversity Professional with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. She received the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council’s 2020 Leadership award and Advocate of the Year award in both 2016 and 2019. Sonya was featured recently in the Who’s Who of Black Cincinnati publication and is a graduate of the Cincinnati Regional Chamber’s Leadership Cincinnati USA and WE Lead programs, the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio’s Urban Leader Institute, and the YWCA Rising Star Leadership Program.

Currently, Sonya is a board member and vice-chair of Partners for Change and a board member for the Employee-Owned S Corporations of America, and Lighthouse Youth & Family Services, New Life Properties division. She also serves on the Steering Committee for AGC’s Women's Construction Leadership Forum. At Messer, she is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Trustee and chairs the Messer Women in Construction Committee and Supplier Diversity Leadership Team. Sonya’s former community responsibilities included: Vice Chair of the 2022 ArtsWave Community Campaign; past co-chair of the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council’s Local Advisory Committee; past board member of Lighthouse Youth Services; past board member for the Partnership for Supplier Diversity Professionals – Indianapolis; and past board member of the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati.

Nick Proffitt, Director, Business Development

Nick Proffitt leads Messer’s Business Development in OH and also serves as their Higher Education Market Segment Leader. He has spent his entire 24 year career at Messer.

As a Civil Engineering graduate of the University of Kentucky, Nick spent the early years of his career on project sites in Messer’s Lexington region. A few years later, he found himself leading Business Development in Lexington before relocating to Cincinnati (Messer’s largest region) in 2006 where he has resided since.

Now responsible for driving BD for Messer in Ohio (including Northern KY and Southeastern IN), he works with their regional offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton for sales, revenue planning, and account leadership.

Nick has served on the boards of the Cincinnati chapter of the March of Dimes, DesignLAB, and currently involved with REDI Cincinnati and St Elizabeth Foundation’s Business Support Committee. Additionally, as a Market Segment Leader, Nick works with all Messer regions and their Higher Education project teams to share best practices, leverage corporate partnerships, and drive overall strategy in that space.

Ned Kelly, Business Development Executive

Ned holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Dayton and is an alumnus of the Cincinnati Regional Chamber’s C-Change Program. Ned joined EGC Construction in December of 2019 as the Director of Business Development. His background includes supporting client relationship development/management across the Organization. He spent 14 years prior to EGC in Business Development and Marketing roles for Industrial Manufacturing firms.

Ned serves the community through his involvement on the Northern Kentucky Regional Fund Board for KET and Purcell Marian’s Alumni Association.