The second annual Mark Samuelian Awards in Urban Resilience were announced Monday night at a ceremony at the Botanical Gardens in Miami Beach.
The awards commemorate the life and legacy of the late Miami Beach Commissioner Mark Samuelian, who championed a residents-first approach to resilience for homes and communities facing natural and climate hazards.
A Miami-based company that is disrupting the construction industry by introducing a new way to build with real-life LEGO bricks has been honored with the international award for “best construction product design” of 2023.
RENCO USA’s revolutionary new building system stood out at the BLT Built Design Awards hosted in Lucerne, Switzerland. Short for renewable composites, RENCO’s structural building system is a new way to build. Molded blocks that interlock like LEGO bricks create entire structures.
Manufacturing Plant Manager
Cristian has been part of the plastic industry for 27 years, spending the first 10 years in manufacturing injection molding machines, robotics, and tooling, holding roles in technical training, service management, and manufacturing management.
For the last 17 years, he has worked in the plastic packaging industry with some of the best-known brand names in a variety of roles, from plant operations and continuous improvement management to engineering director, covering multiple technologies, including injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, extrusion, and dry offset printing.
He holds a master’s in mechanical engineering and a Six Sigma Black Belt certification. Throughout his career, Christian has lived and worked in six different countries in North America and Europe.
Executive Assistant
Lori Joined the RENCO team in 2021 as the Executive Assistant to the President. She is a high-performing, results-driven team member with extensive experience in executive administrative support.
Before RENCO, she had a 30+ year career in Market Research. She successfully managed operations and client relations, working directly with the President and CFO, exceeding corporate expectations while creating additional opportunities for the company in an ever-changing industry.
She brings with her broad experiences working within multi-faceted organizations in different roles which made her the perfect addition to the RENCO family. Catering to the needs of a growing company and its clients is where she excels.
A total team player, Lori helps facilitate the scheduling demands of a sought-after and innovative company but also assists in research, special projects, processes, and corporate compliance. The belief in the success of RENCO’s inventive approach to the building industry and the people she works with motivates her daily.
Director of Operations
Brett Perry currently holds the position of Director of Operations at RENCO USA. With over two decades of experience in the construction industry, Brett began his journey as a carpenter before establishing and successfully managing his own general contracting company for a remarkable 11 years. Subsequently, he dedicated over six years to serving as a structural superintendent at Coastal Construction, one of the largest general contractors in the Southeastern United States.
For the past three years, Brett has been an integral part of the RENCO system, taking a hands-on approach to overseeing the construction and assembly of the Lakewood Villages project. Notably, this project stood out as the sole venture in the United States at that time built using RENCO technology. Demonstrating exemplary leadership, Brett spearheaded several design modifications to the system, strategically enhancing overall efficiency.
In his current role, Brett assumes responsibilities for field training, meticulously reviewing new plans for sales, and orchestrating the seamless implementation of the product in upcoming projects.
Co-Founder
Over the past 52 years, Mr. Murphy has built one of the leading general contracting companies in Florida. Today, Coastal Construction has more than $3.5 billion in active residential and commercial projects throughout the state, plus a 3-year pipeline in excess of $5 billion. Highlights from Mr. Murphy’s career include:
• More than 50 million SF of vertical construction
• More than 15,000 residential units
• More than 50 hospitality projects with 6,000 keys
• Notable Projects Including: Ocean Reef Club, The Surf Club/Four Seasons, St. Regis Bal Harbour, Ritz Carlton SoBe, Aston Martin Residences, Porsche Design Tower, Faena Hotel, Faena House, Fendi Chateau and Residences by Armani/Casa
• Lifetime Achievement Award from BASF and Legacy Award from ENR Southeast
• Co-Founded RENCO
Co-Founder
Within the last 35 years, Mr. Yesil has founded, invested in, and/or managed a wide range of highly successful businesses in both the US and Turkey including:
• Lens Express (sold and became 1-800-CONTACTS)
• Multiple US Telecommunications Companies
• 1-800-PetMeds (publicly traded on Nasdaq)
• Power & Energy Suppliers
• Automotive Sales & Finance
• Real Estate Development
• Composite Building – Renco Group, Est. 2007
• Co-Founded RENCO
President
Mr. Smuts has spearheaded the research and development of the RENCO Building System in the United States. He codified and secured RENCO’s approvals under the International Building Code (IBC). He successfully completed over $5 billion dollars of development and construction projects and is an experienced builder and real estate developer.
Mr. Smuts has over 30 years of development, design, construction management, and sales and marketing experience on a wide variety of projects. Some specific highlights include:
• Licensed PE; nuclear construction background
• Commercial construction executive in NY & PA
• Sr. VP and Managing Director, The Related Group
• Former Sr. Executive at Coastal Construction
• Mr. Smuts has graduate and undergraduate engineering degrees from Drexel and Rutgers Universities.
CFO
Mr. Kalkuz has been involved with the RENCO Group of Companies since its inception and was instrumental in securing intellectual property rights in the US and other jurisdictions worldwide. He has a diversified business experience, including:
• Serving as a Finance Executive for different corporations and holding Director positions at publicly traded company boards in the past.
• He started his career as an Auditor at one of the Big Five accounting firms where he led audits and projects, including large multinational conglomerates in a variety of industries.
• In addition, his experience includes pivotal roles in mergers, acquisitions, and public offerings, including project management of the multi-billion dollar Initial Public Offering of Turkcell (BIST:TCELL, NYSE:TKC).
• Mr. Kalkuz is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Baccalaureate Degree in Business Administration from the University of Istanbul.
Managing Director
Mr. Murphy served two terms in the US Congress representing Florida’s 18th district, sitting on the financial services committee and House Permanent Select Committee for Intelligence. He has been involved in the development of RENCO since 2010 and currently is focused on federal, state, and local legislation and opportunities. Additionally, he is an Executive Vice President of Coastal Construction, overseeing Coastal’s diversification, growth, and management of various investments. Highlights of his background include:
• CPA Licensure in the State of Florida
• Chief Investment Officer for Coastal Family of Companies
• U.S. Member of Congress for FL-18 (2012-2016) Florida Democratic Nominee for U.S. Senate 2016
• Senior Fellow at Florida International University and Visiting Fellow for Georgetown University
• National Finance Committee, Biden for President
• Co-Author: A Divided Union, Structural Challenges to Bipartisanship in America
Sales & Marketing Coordinator
Karlie Fike is an accomplished professional with an extensive background in business development and construction technology start-ups. With over six years of experience as a Business Development Administrator at Coastal Construction, one of the largest General Contractors in the Southeastern US, Karlie has consistently demonstrated her expertise in driving growth and success.
Driven by her passion for innovation and construction, Karlie actively engages with five technology and operation companies within the construction industry. Serving as the Sales & Marketing Coordinator, Karlie has worked with the RENCO team in some capacity for the last seven years.
Karlie’s career began in politics, where she grew her political fundraising skills on a national level. This experience gave her a unique perspective and a comprehensive understanding of navigating complex networks and achieving outstanding results.
Karlie holds a bachelor’s degree from the prestigious University of Florida. With her unwavering dedication, diverse expertise, and commitment to success, Karlie Fike is a dynamic force in the business world, consistently driving growth and innovation.