Gary L. Godbersen: 1940-2023

Gary and his father created Godbersen Manufacturing Company (GOMACO) to manufacture bridge deck finishing machine

It is with great sadness that we report the death of GOMACO President, CEO and company cofounder, Gary L. Godbersen. Gary peacefully passed away on January 17, the opening day of World of Concrete 2023. He was 83 years old.

Gary dedicated his life to the concrete slipform paving industry. His career in concrete began in 1963 in Minnesota where he took on leadership roles in two family businesses as President of Highway Bridge Inc., and Vice President of Godbersen-Smith Construction Company. In 1965, Gary, along with his father, Harold, created Godbersen Manufacturing Company (GOMACO) to manufacture bridge deck finishing machines.

GOMACO grew to include a full line of concrete paving equipment and became the worldwide leader in concrete paving technology, holding several domestic and international patents for new machine innovations. Gary served as GOMACO’s Chairman of the Board, President and CEO since 1986.

Gary was a leader within the construction industry, lending his time and talents to all the industry’s major organizations. Because of his dedication, he was recognized by his peers for several of the construction industry’s highest honors and awards. He was one of 12 individuals honored as an inaugural inductee into the Construction Equipment Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to the construction equipment industry.

He was a recipient of the Annual American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Award. ARTBA also named Gary as one of the “Top 100 Private Sector Transportation & Design Construction Professionals of the 20th Century.” Gary earned the construction industry’s most coveted award, the Hartmann-Hirshman-Egan Award from the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) in 2015.

Gary enjoyed visiting with contractors and finding solutions for their project challenges. He loved his family and took great pride in his children and grandchildren. A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, February 18, 2023, at the Skate Palace, 203 Susan Lawrence Dr, Ida Grove, IA 51445, from 4 to 7 p.m.

KHL Group and its staff send their condolences to Gary’s family and friends.