Tutor Perini subsidiary Black Construction has named Leonard Kaae, a 40-year veteran of the company, as its president, according to a Tuesday news release.
Kaae previously led operations for Guam-based Black as senior vice president and general manager.
Under his leadership, Black has grown to be the largest general contractor in Guam, according to Tutor Perini, and is consistently one of the firm’s most profitable business units, having amassed a record backlog and large pipeline of future bidding opportunities. Last year, Tutor Perini formed a joint venture with Black when it won a $74.4 million contract to build a child development center on the island.
Indeed, with approximately 2,000 employees, Black is the second-largest employer in Guam – after the U.S. government, according to Tutor Perini. The U.S. territory is the largest island in Micronesia with a population of 153,836, according to the most recent U.S. census.
“Leonard exemplifies the type of high caliber leader that Tutor Perini is very fortunate to have leading our Indo-Pacific operations,” said Gary Smalley, CEO and president of Tutor Perini, in the release.
Kaae’s experience in the region spans positions in Hawaii, Micronesia and the Philippines, in addition to Guam, according to his bio page on Black Construction’s website. Beyond running Black’s day-to-day operations, he’s also overseen estimating, technical prerequisites and staffing and equipment allocations throughout the region.
The appointment comes as the U.S. government prioritizes defense spending in general, and specifically, funding for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to deter conflict in the Indo-Pacific region, according to Real Clear Defense. Tutor Perini said that funding is expected to increase over the next decade.
