# Garry Vermaas

> Garry Vermaas is the founder and CEO of BASE4, an architecture and engineering firm with a global design team, and a founder of STONEPILE Construction College. A Columbia-trained civil engineer, he has worked on bridge rehabilitation, international building design, modular construction and leadership development. His family’s international adoption story is told in Jodi Vermaas’s Get Money Do Good.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at BASE4 - Architects, Engineers, Designers
- **Organizations:** BASE4 - Architects, Engineers, Designers, STONEPILE Construction College, Priority One Worldwide, Get Money Do Good Publishing
- **Education:** Secondary education, Eastern Christian School, BS in Civil Engineering, Lehigh University, MS in Civil Engineering, Lehigh University, Master of Philosophy and PhD in Civil Engineering, Columbia University
- **Known for:** Founded and leads BASE4, which appeared on the Inc. 5000 in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020., BASE4 reached No. 880 on the 2018 Inc. 5000., Co-founded STONEPILE Construction College, announced with three online degree programs in 2020.

## Career timeline

- **1994** — Graduated from Lehigh University with a BS in civil engineering.
- **1995** — Dated his Lehigh master’s thesis on seismic performance of concrete-filled steel tube connections December 6, 1995.
- **1996** — Reported completing his Lehigh MS; began ministry work at NYC Church of Christ and doctoral study at Columbia.
- **2000** — Co-authored an ASCE journal paper on corrosion and embrittlement of high-strength bridge wire.
- **2001** — Completed his Columbia MPhil and PhD; described consulting on Williamsburg Bridge and San Francisco Bay Bridge rehabilitation projects.
- **2009** — BASE4 founded; Inc. identifies Vermaas as its leader.
- **2013** — Announced BASE4’s lead-design role on an affordable housing project planned for more than 2,000 apartments in Rajasthan, India.
- **2016** — Visited Georgia with Jodi Vermaas to establish BASE4’s Tbilisi office.
- **2019** — Led Modz4 as the company introduced its modular construction coordination services; visited Z Modular’s Birmingham factory.
- **2020** — BASE4 announced STONEPILE Construction College and its planned September 1 class start.
- **2021** — Featured in Growing with Humility and Modular Construction Starts with Design podcast interviews.
- **2026** — BASE4 executive Naslha Espinal recalled his leadership advice in BD+C’s 40 Under 40 feature.

## Achievements

- Founded and leads BASE4, which appeared on the Inc. 5000 in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
- BASE4 reached No. 880 on the 2018 Inc. 5000.
- Co-founded STONEPILE Construction College, announced with three online degree programs in 2020.
- Co-authored research on high-strength suspension-bridge wire deterioration.
- Helped establish BASE4’s international design operations, including the Tbilisi office opened in 2016.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — In BD+C’s 2026 40 Under 40 feature, BASE4 Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Director of Interior Design Naslha Espinal recalled Vermaas advising her to uplift her staff.

## Links

- Website: https://www.base-4.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garry-vermaas-phd-pe-base4-stonepile

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/garry-vermaas
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-20