James Barlow
CEO | BZI
James Barlow has transformed BZI into a national leader in steel erection and fabrication since becoming CEO in 2016. Under his team-centered leadership, the company reached $1 billion in accumulated revenue in 2024, grew from 80 to over 800 employees and erected 139.7 million square feet of steel.
His innovative vision established Innovatech, which developed revolutionary construction equipment like WallMaster200™ and MezzMaster™. BZI expanded into new industries including battery plants and microchip manufacturing while launching the 820-acre BZI Innovation Park and RailSync transportation hub. The company’s SteelTech Academy has delivered over 100,000 training hours, supporting BZI’s recognition as a top workplace in America and recipient of numerous industry awards.
What has been a significant challenge you’ve faced? How did you overcome it?
In 2022, our business and the construction industry as a whole were still impacted by supply chain issues as an ongoing result of the pandemic. … This led to our worst fear: project cancellations. While the warehouse sector drove tremendous growth for our company, I realized we could not control the environment or the factors that shaped it. [BZI’s leadership team] invested tremendous energy in recreating our client and market base and diversifying into new sectors with fantastic growth opportunities. … In 2023, we aggressively pursued opportunities that transformed our business, reaching $1 billion in accumulated revenue.
What are you most looking forward to accomplishing in 2025?
“Lean In and Lead Out” represents two dynamic ideas intended to set the compass for BZI’s plans for 2025. “Lean In” is characterized by “Center+Simplify.” This means we focus with discipline on our core competencies in the construction industry, reducing the number of open initiatives and de-cluttering processes by objectively assessing where we are today and cutting distractions. … “Lead Out” is characterized by “Stabilize+Scale.” This means we focus with rigor on delivering with excellence.
