Building Businesses Together through disciplined commercial construction.
Bentwood Contracting is a commercial construction firm focused on renovations, tenant improvements, and owner's representation for operating businesses across the Southeast, Midwest, and Texas.
We approach construction as a management discipline — where planning, communication, and accountability are just as important as the work itself.
A name from family history. A principle that holds.
Bentwood Contracting takes its name from family history and craftsmanship. My grandfather, Jan (John) Kromhout, was a first-generation American whose family name traces back to Dutch origins. In Dutch, Kromhout translates to "bent wood" — a material shaped through time, pressure, and intention.
Bentwood was a principle my grandfather lived by and used throughout his life, and he was the person I most admired and learned from. The name reflects both that legacy and our approach to construction:
Thoughtful planning. Deliberate execution. Respect for the forces acting on a working business.
Bentwood Contracting was founded to carry that tradition forward — honoring the family name while building projects the right way.
Today, Bentwood Contracting continues that tradition as a family-led firm built on accountability, preparation, and long-term thinking.
We believe successful construction projects are built long before the first trade mobilizes.
Our process emphasizes:
- Clear scope definition — what's in, what's out, in writing, before commitment
- Realistic scheduling — milestones that reflect reality, not optimism
- Budget transparency — line-item visibility from preconstruction through closeout
- Proactive communication — issues surfaced early, while they're still cheap to fix
- Accountability at every phase — named owners for every commitment
This approach allows our clients to make informed decisions and avoid unnecessary surprises.
We work best with clients who value preparation, communication, and partnership.
Our clients often include medical groups and DSOs, manufacturers, property management firms running multi-tenant portfolios, REITs, developers, and operating businesses that have facilities in more than one state.
What they share in common is a refusal to start over with a new contractor every time they cross a state line. They want the same Bentwood standard — same process, same communication, same trust — at every project, in every state.
That mutual understanding is what makes our projects work.
Built on software we wrote ourselves.
Construction at our size class still tends to run on email threads, spreadsheets, and good intentions. Bentwood doesn't. We built our own proprietary delivery platform — software designed around how operating businesses actually consume construction information.
It's not for sale, and it's not licensed from anyone. It's part of what makes us different from every $1M-job competitor that has to figure out their process project by project.
What That Means for Clients
- Live visibility — cost positions, schedule status, decision queues, and risk flags through one portal
- One window — every project across every state visible in one place, not three
- Information access — your facilities team sees what your Bentwood PM sees; no chasing, no inbox archaeology
- Consistency across geographies — the same process running everywhere, enforced by the same system
- Documented decisions — every RFI, change order, and approval is captured and searchable
We're deliberately quiet about the architecture. The output is what matters.
Hands-on. No layers between you and the decision-maker.
Bentwood Contracting is led by Jacob Kromhout, a hands-on leader with direct involvement in project planning, execution, and communication. Clients work with decision-makers — not layers of management.
If you're looking for a construction partner who understands the business behind the building, Bentwood Contracting is built for that role.
Our belief: Construction should support the business, not disrupt it. If that philosophy aligns with how you operate, we should talk.
Let's talk about your project.
If you're planning a project and want clarity before committing, we're happy to have a conversation.
Contact Bentwood