BJ Baker has stepped down as Baker Group’s CEO, a position he has held for 16 years. Baker is continuing as chair of the Baker Group board of directors and will remain an active member of the company’s leadership team.

When Baker’s father, Bernard “Bernie” Baker Jr., founded the company in 1963, it was known as Baker Plumbing and Heating, according to the company’s website. In 1970 the company’s name was changed to Baker Mechanical Inc., and in 1998 it became known as Baker Group, a full-service specialty contractor that provides mechanical, industrial, sheet metal, electrical, building automation, process automation, security systems, fire alarm systems and parking/revenue controls services.

BJ Baker began working for the company in 1977. He was named president in 1984 when his father retired. In 2005, he was named CEO and board chairman. During his tenure in leadership roles, the company has expanded with offices in Cedar Rapids and Davenport. The company operates an office in Des Moines, and its headquarters is located in Ankeny.

In the past decade, the company has grown to more than 900 employees from 279.

In 2019, Baker sold the company to Baker Group’s employees. Baker said the move was designed to ensure a strong future for everyone at Baker Group.

“My father built this company on a foundation of working hard and working smart, with client-centered core values that our employees emulate every day,” Baker said in a prepared statement. “I am grateful to have learned so much from him, to have followed in his footsteps, and to have built this company to serve our community for generations to come.”

Gary Bridgewater is Baker Group’s new CEO. Bridgewater has worked closely with Baker for more than three decades and his selection is the culmination of a succession planning process. Bridgewater has been the company’s president since 2005.

Doug Kumm, who has more than 32 years of experience at Baker Group, is company president.