Author: Mandy Brown

David Blake Shares Why K2 is a Great Place to Work

Posted on by Mandy Brown

David Blake Shares Why K2 is a Great Place to Work

David Blake

David Blake started his role as HR Manager in the beginning of 2020.   During his exploratory conversations about joining K2 Electric with Jared Kredit and Matt Kuiper, they shared about the company culture and how they had several long-tenured employees.  This was a big selling point for him.

When he joined the team as the Human Resources Manager, he was excited to meet everyone and hear their thoughts on what is behind K2 Electric’s company culture and why K2 Electric is such a great place to work.  Well, COVID-19 happened and hindered him from having those opportunities.

After he got settled into K2 Electric and got used to life working from home, he still wanted to know what makes K2 Electric “tick”.  He needed to get some real feedback from the people who know K2 Electric best…the employees!  In the Fall of 2020, David rolled out our first Annual Employee Survey.

He recently sat down with Jared and Matt again to really dive into the results of the employee survey.  After the meeting he came away impressed with the overwhelmingly positive responses.  The survey was very insightful into finding out what makes K2 Electric “tick”. With over 90% participation the following strengths of K2 are accurate and sincere:

  • K2’s Family culture
  • Teamwork
  • Safety is a top priority
  • Employees feel they have opportunities for growth and development
  • Employees feel valued and appreciated

The survey also reiterated that our Core Values of Safety is Essential, Perform to be Preferred, Genuine Relationships, and Advancing the Team are the driving force behind everything we do at K2 Electric and the reason for our great company culture.

While the survey confirmed that K2 Electric is doing many things well, it also showed that the company has a great opportunity to turn some weaknesses into strengths.  This coming year David is excited to further develop additional education and training opportunities for our employees, find ways to streamline communication, and make sure K2 Electric continues to offer first-class benefits.

He looks forward to seeing what everyone has to say in 2021’s survey.

Nicole Gambescia Discusses Energy Management Trends

Posted on by Mandy Brown

Nicole Gambescia Discusses Energy Management Trends

Over the years, energy management has drastically changed, incandescent to CFL to LED.  Originally LED lamps being large, not available for all fixtures, not dimmable and requiring lamp designs to keep the components cool and functioning.  To make the changes and upgrades were quite expensive and not an off the shelf item at your lighting supplier or local home improvement store.

Now – available in everything you can imagine and then some, single LED diodes on strips, dimmable, color changing capabilities to different lumens in the individual fixture or lamp, making color match to existing lighting easier and future changes possible without a fixture of re-lamp change being necessary.  Fixtures and lamps are available that are Wi-Fi capable to communicate back to a lighting controls or even a smart phone.

The world of LED is vast, and the applications keep improving and allowing the end user to not only save on energy consumption but make the changes within a reasonable budget.

With each change, as a company you must stay informed of the new technology and its applications. As we all continue to navigate through the ever-changing times, K2 will continue to adapt and provide our customers with the best solution to their energy management needs.

K2 Partners Discuss Brand Promise

Posted on by Mandy Brown

K2 Partners Discuss Brand Promise

K2 Electric, in the Valley since 2003, has a distinct culture built around their core values. In a recent employee survey, about 90% of team members said they know what is expected of them at work and have the resources to complete their given tasks. K2 is proud of their internal training, their commitment to safety and empowering their employees with opportunities to learn and grow. This translates directly into their brand promise of:

Teamwork:

  • Commitment & trust
  • Open lines of communication
  • Diversity of capabilities
  • Adaptable to changing conditions
  • Confidence and freedom to make decisions

 

The three partners sat down earlier this year to reflect on their brand promise and recently discussed what value and experience their customers can expect to receive. It is their hope to deliver on this promise and to continue to perform to be preferred. Below is what they had to say…

 

How do you exemplify the five pillars of your Teamwork brand promise? (Jared Kredit, President)

Commitment & Trust:

No matter the challenge, when we are on a project, we are committed to whatever it may take to meet deadlines and get it across the finish line.

Open Lines of Communication:

Robust internal process of regular coaching for improved performance.

Externally, we are a phone call away, transparency and access to executive leadership are a cornerstone of our communication strategy with clients.

Diversity of Capabilities:

Operating throughout the state of Arizona, direct for owner or G.C. subcontractor, design build to labor support, and a full suite of specialty disciplines like thermal imaging we aim to be a value add solution for whatever our clients may need.

Adaptable to Changing Conditions:

In a digitally advancing marketplace we continuously equip our teams to meet the industry and our client’s needs to stay with the latest in software and hardware to meet schedule and performance demands.

The labor market is continually being constrained by a lack of new skilled workers, so we look for ways to develop that talent and to optimize more efficient ways to construct with a less experienced labor force.

Confidence and Freedom to Make Decisions:

We develop and train our team members to empower them to deliver consistently for other team members, clients, and industry partners.

 

What are some best practices to putting this brand promise into action? (Nick Kredit, Estimator)

K2 maintains an environment internally and externally that allows our team members to admit missteps without fear of reprisal.  Processes like incident reports, team leadership meetings and 30-day reviews enable us to learn and create a culture of honesty.

Embracing technology by giving every field leader a Surface Pro with programs like PlanGrid and Blue Beam has enabled our team to promptly receive information and perform at the highest level on today’s quick build schedules.

 

What are some benefits of K2 offering diversity of capabilities? (Matt Kuiper, Vice President)

By being diverse in many areas clients can count on us to not only perform large project work but offer 24/7 support in Service and Special Projects as well. We are experienced in other specialties like lighting retrofits and thermography making K2 a one stop shop whether you are a G.C., or a small business owner.

Our clients like to work with people who understand their needs and can offer solutions unique to them. By having a diverse team, we can accommodate these unique challenges and offer better, more tailored solutions. A diverse company helps us form stronger, more authentic relationships with a broader range of customers, allowing us to outperform competitors long-term.

 

How has adaptability been beneficial to K2, especially this year? (Nick Kredit)

K2 has never shied away from entering new markets.  If it requires electricity, we will figure out a way to build it.  This attitude has opened many doors for us over the years and placed us into markets like solar and large multi-million-dollar projects.

Our flexibility and resilience were put to the true test this year when we shut down our office but had to continue to operate our business and build jobs safely.  Our team stepped up immediately by using new software programs to work remotely and swiftly implementing new safety guidelines in the field.

 

How can leadership help support and empower their team to have the confidence and freedom to make decisions? (Matt Kuiper)

To me the (5) key elements are:

  1. Consistently encourage and promote training and developmental programs
  2. Instill a culture of communication by being approachable and transparent as leaders
  3. Set clear and measurable company goals
  4. Involve employees in making influential company decisions
  5. Recognize team members for outstanding work

Jared Kredit Shares His Experience as a Young Leader

Posted on by Mandy Brown

Jared Kredit Shares His Experience as a Young Leader

Jared Kredit

Background

Prior to joining K2 Electric full-time, Jared spent summer and winter breaks away from college to work as an entry-level field employee, gaining hands-on experience within the core competency of K2’s electrical construction scope of work. Since joining K2 full-time in 2008, Jared has worked in all aspects of preconstruction, held various roles in back-office accounting and administration, and served both Project Engineer and Project Manager functions.

Expertise

Jared has had his fair share of successes, though not without some challenges along the way. K2 has grown from a small business with approximately 50 employees to a medium-sized operation boasting 100+ employees, presenting the need for a more complex organizational chart and strategic leadership. Jared was instrumental in leading this charge, transitioning from a doer/manager to a leader and strategist. Through trial and error, as well as advice from peers and mentor advisors, Jared was able to accomplish personal and organizational growth.

Experience

Jared is a member of the Young Professionals Committee for the Associated Builders and Contractors and has served on the Board of Directors and Apprenticeship Committee for the Independent Electrical Contractors Association. That paired with his extensive knowledge of the industry, and his experience in various roles at K2 have shaped him as a strategic leader for K2.

Mr. Kredit has overseen the growth and development of the K2 team, and continues to build relationships and position K2 as a leader in many markets.

Leadership

As President, Jared provides strategic leadership for K2. Working alongside the other executive and operational leaders, he sets the goals and expected outcomes for the organization and its subdivisions. He has established the vision and values that shape K2 Electric’s culture and he continues to develop, manage, and maintain important client relationships and overall marketplace presence.

Jared has had many professional accomplishments as a young leader, but he is especially proud of the K2 team for having some very successful 2020 quarters even despite a lot of headwind. He comments, “It is amazing to witness the results of years of disciplined focus on team development that have resulted in having all seats in the organization chart filled with the right people firing on all cylinders. In what could have been a chaotic period, the K2 team relied on the efforts of prior years to execute on two important elements of our business: Perform to be Preferred and Genuine Relationships.”

Future

As a young leader, Jared has experience growing into a leadership role. His advice for the next generation of leaders is to, “get uncomfortable, learn continuously, and seek out mentors.” He also suggests getting to know yourself through self-development and personality assessments in order to discover your strengths.

Michael Cameron Provides the Tools to Work Safe

Posted on by Mandy Brown

Michael Cameron Provides the Tools to Work Safe

“Safety is a gift you give yourself and your family each and every day.”

 

Background

Before joining K2 in 2012, Michael was working in a fabrication shop as a metal fabricator when a friend recruited him to come work for K2. Resistant at first because he did not have an interest in electrical, he was told K2 needed someone who did everything else; operate equipment, fix things and in general do everything that was not electrically involved. Within a few weeks he was running a wire pulling crew and three months later was offered the Safety/Shop Foreman position.

Expertise

Over the next 5 years he went back to school and received his OSHA 500 to become an authorized OSHA Outreach Instructor along with becoming an accredited Registered Safety Manager through the International Board of Environmental Health and Safety.

Experience

While working in the construction industry in 1983 for a concrete company Mr. Cameron was witness to a fatality on a project. When the opportunity was given to him by K2 to develop their safety department to the next level, that incident was a driving force for his decision to accept the challenge. “The gentleman lost his life for lack of training. I take pride in knowing that the employees that I train have the skill, the knowledge and the power to make a difference and if something I teach them can save a life, theirs or someone else’s, then it is all worthwhile and I have done my job to the best of my ability.”

Leadership

K2 is a family according to Michael. This works well with his leadership style as he looks to build on that dynamic. Bringing joy, fun and thought-provoking conversations into the mix when doing training or just walking a job site are a few ways he accomplishes that. “The culture is built by the employees; I just give them the tools and the guidance for a strong foundation.”

Future

For Mr. Cameron, the future is all about the culture of safety being developed today. “One of the things I teach all our employees is that I can give them knowledge, I can give them the tools to work safe, I can even give them the power to take action to avoid unsafe conditions but I can’t take safety out of my pocket and give it to them. That is a gift they must give to themselves but more importantly, that is the gift that they can give to their families. The gift of them coming home safe every day.” Employees embodying this attitude will pay dividends for decades.