leadership

To read the Founder's — Bob DeMattia's bio, click here.

Gary D. Roberts, AIA

Gary D. Roberts, AIA, president and chief executive officer of DeMattia Group since 2002, succeeds the company's founder, Robert DeMattia in overseeing the daily operations of the firm. Although different in style, the two share characteristics essential to a CEO: innate leadership ability and the determination to keep DeMattia Group in the forefront of the design/build and real estate development industry.

A licensed architect and graduate of Lawrence Technological University, Gary has been with DeMattia Group since 1982. He moved up through a series of positions and earned a place on the Executive Committee in 1991 and was named Executive Vice President in 1997. He envisioned great opportunities for DeMattia in the development and leasing of buildings and led project after project in the metropolitan Detroit area. As a result, DeMattia Group became the largest business park developer in Michigan, with a strong focus on industrial and high-tech projects.

His guiding principles throughout the last two decades with the firm are basic ones: to operate with integrity and to provide exceptional customer service. He cites his most important business lesson as learning the importance of "hiring the right people and empowering them to do what they do." Gary keeps a keen eye on market trends so he can steer the company to areas of opportunity as they develop. He will continue to position DeMattia as a regional leader in design/build delivery and provider of both prime business parks and lease facilities. After work hours, Gary focuses on his family and his favorite toys, motorcycles—a hobby he shares with other officers of DeMattia.

Robert DeMattia

Bob DeMattia's vision, personality and work ethic deserve the credit for DeMattia Group's growth and success. Turning projects into prizewinners and clients into friends, Bob has dramatically shaped the development of southeast Michigan. After beginning with only one other employee in 1977, DeMattia Group has grown under Bob's direction and leadership to be the preeminent design/build contractor in Michigan.

Bob founded his company with the design/build concept at heart. Bringing a complete range of construction and design capabilities under one roof, he offered clients single source accountability and a process in which both the architect and the builder are equal. In addition to offering improved project delivery, design/build proved to be the solution for companies who needed a new facility up and running quickly.

In response to clients need to be agile, DeMattia developed a range of available lease product and financial resources. Constructing business parks in prime locations presented a greater range of facilities options to companies: leasing, quick occupancy and cost effective build out. In addition, these development projects energized the local economy.

Besides his obvious interest in architecture and construction, Bob is an avid motorcyclist, sailor, mountain climber and runner. Bob's determination and business acumen have paid off in DeMattia Group's solid track record of successful projects.