Keene Building Products announces new hires

Words: Melanie DebelakKeene Building Products’ is pleased to announce new hires in their Engineering and Marketing departments. Drew Mellen joins Keene’s manufacturing facility as a Quality Engineer. Lauren Gramza joins Keene’s marketing department as the new Trade Show and Marketing Coordinator. Keene Building Products is an American manufacturer of 3-dimensional filament products for the building envelope and noise control markets.

Mellen, a recent graduate from Kent State University, completed his internship in quality control at Keene’s manufacturing facility. Mellen joined the team in January and is assisting Keene’s head engineers on product quality and control systems.

Gramza, another recent graduate from Ohio University, studied marketing and communications and worked previously as a marketing assistant for a local foundation in Cleveland. Gramza will be working closely with Keene’s Marketing Manager, Melanie Debelak, assisting with marketing initiatives and tradeshow logistics.

Jim Keene, owner of Keene Building Products said, “Our continued growth has provided opportunities for some new people and I welcome them to our team.”
Hot This Time of Year
July 2026

Yes, summer is hot; that is just how it is. Summer heat can have effects on many things, and as I get older, I realize there is usually something I can do to tolerate the hot days. We all know the obvious, and I am sure every one of us has that person who

Steve Fechino
Fechino Files
Read More
The Walls We Build
July 2026

As masons, we spend our careers building walls. We build them with brick, block, stone, and mortar, and we take pride in making them straight, strong, and built to last. But over the years, I’ve learned there is another kind of wall we build—the walls we

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More
Owen Heimbach
July 2026

This month, the MCAA had the pleasure of speaking with SkillsUSA First Place Winner Owen Heimbach, a young mason just starting out whose enthusiasm for bricklaying is truly contagious. His passion for the craft was evident throughout our interview.

Justin Stengel
GEN NXT
Read More
Backfill Your Foundation
July 2026

I’ve been noticing an uptick in a very specific kind of application lately, and once you see the pattern, you can’t unsee it. The résumé usually reads like a family photo album. “Started helping my dad when I was 15.” “Worked summers, then full time.” “R

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More