Concrete Foundations
Ozinga’s “Clean, Quick, Seamless” Giving Solution
Residents of the Midwest and southern Florida likely recognize the name “Ozinga” from their iconic, red and white striped concrete mixer trucks. What they may not know, however, is that behind those trucks is a story of hard work, Kingdom-oriented service and generosity spanning multiple generations.
“My great-grandfather, Martin Sr., came from the Netherlands to Chicago in 1893 with his family,” says Marty Ozinga IV, the fourth-generation CEO of the company. They eventually settled in the small village of Evergreen Park. Martin grew up helping his family run their small, family-owned vegetable peddling business.
“By learning the ropes of a small, mom-and-pop delivery business, he became entrepreneurial at a young age,” explains Marty.
In 1928, Martin Sr. went on to establish a coal delivery business, using the skills he’d learned as a child. Five generations and 96 years later, Marty Ozinga IV, alongside his five brothers and one cousin, continues to maintain his great-grandfather’s legacy, serving the community with ready-mix concrete, building materials and logistics solutions.
“We’ve taken great pride in the business and see it as part of our calling,” says Marty IV. “My grandfather would often talk about how this business is for the honor and glory of God. First and foremost, that’s what it’s about.”
According to Marty, there is one non-negotiable that has remained constant across generations of the family business: donating to charitable organizations and giving back to the community.
“My dad would always say, ‘We can change all kinds of things, but that’s the one thing I don’t want to ever meddle with,’” remembers Marty. “No matter how hard times get—and we’ve gone through some hard times financially—this is a commitment that we’ve made.”
Barnabas Foundation’s Stewards Fund (a donor-advised fund) helps them streamline and simplify their corporate giving. All of Ozinga’s business contributions go into a single giving account. From there, they can recommend grants to various organizations – whether it’s for college scholarships, hospital equipment, neighborhood initiatives or hundreds of other worthy causes.
“The Stewards Fund is a good way to administrate what we’re trying to accomplish,” says Marty. “It’s clean, quick and seamless.”
Through their Stewards Fund, Ozinga also has access to Barnabas Foundation’s “back office” team to help facilitate and manage charitable gifts on their behalf. Additionally, it allows the Ozinga family a method to give from their hearts anonymously, a feature they use often.
“Our whole purpose is to be in relationship with the One who made us, to honor Him and love Him,” says Marty. “It’s really important to appreciate the bigger picture of all God has in store for us.”
Like the generations that have come before him, Marty is motivated out of love and gratitude for the many ways that the Lord continues to provide for the company.
“I am absolutely convinced that there is a correlation between obedience and blessing,” says Marty. “Ultimately, we don’t have anything without God. It’s all His. We will continue to try to honor Him with whatever He chooses to entrust us with.”
