Diverse Operations, Quality Solutions
RK MechanicalBy Leon Bracey
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Headquartered in Denver, CO, RK Mechanical, Inc. specializes in five diverse areas of service: contracting, service, steel, energy and water. For 50 years, their unique combination of attentive service, integrated expertise, and proprietary tools have enabled the company to deliver high-quality products and services at the best value to their customer base.
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RK Mechanical (RK) was founded by Ronald Kinning in 1963 and quickly established its niche in services, including full-service plumbing, mechanical and process piping services. Over the years, it has grown into one of the country’s preeminent specialty contractors and has operations throughout the state of Colorado and the Intermountain West.
“Our five unique business units allow people the opportunity to start and grow their business units under the RK Mechanical Umbrella,” Chief Operations Officer (COO), Jon Kinning said. “We’re a family business that focuses on growth and expansion.”
So, what makes RK different from other contractors?
RK was the first mechanical contractor in the state of Colorado to become a member of the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED® program and leads the industry with over 50 LEED Accredited Professionals and Green Associates on staff and an extensive resume of LEED certified and green construction projects. “Our experience in this arena allows us to bring fresh ideas and value engineering to projects we perform,” says Marc Paolicelli, Vice President of Business Development, “yielding significant energy savings and lessened environmental impact.”
The company developed building information modeling (BIM), fabrication, transportation and installation of the plumbing, piping, sheet metal and HVAC components in 1998. The system is used on virtually every project that RK works on, but had a significant application role during construction of the Four Seasons Hotel in Denver. The hotel is the fourth-tallest building in the city and has 232 hotel rooms and 102 residential units. Since construction completion, RK continues to provide ongoing building maintenance and service.
Mr. Kinning likes to emphasize the principles and standards of the company that he believes continue to ensure its success and foster ongoing growth. “We’re a business that promotes a culture of professionalism, respect, passion and advancement,” Mr. Kinning says. “We like to encourage an environment of competition and accountability.”
RK is also noted for its extensive work with data centers throughout the Intermountain West. RK performed over $400 million in data center construction alone. Data centers are unique and confidential projects that require state-of-art technological services. RK has provides a full spectrum of mechanical services to this highly specialized industry. Data center customers include private sector companies, publicly traded firms, military and government institutions, various state universities, and some of the most respected and well known financial institutions in the world.
Future plans for RK include continued diversification of its business and increasing operations in its water and oil and gas business units. The company is also a prime contractor to build a natural gas plant in Moab, Utah and RK is also hosting its own trade show, in-house, to build its relationships with its customers and vendors.
The Five Business Units
At the heart of the RK corporation is the Contracting business unit. Encompassing every aspect of the mechanical contracting industry, RK offers state-of-the-art services, including design-assist and design-build. Over 30 preconstruction professionals, including licensed engineers, tradesmen and industry-seasoned professionals work closely with the customer and the project team to ensure accuracy and quality every step of the way. Overall, the RK Contracting team brings more than 400 collective years of construction experience to every job.
In 1998, RK formed its Service business unit to deliver HVAC, plumbing, drain cleaning, facility management and refrigeration services to commercial interests. The service group offers a single point of contact for mechanical and electrical needs, is completely customer-focused and has the resources, experience and in-house expertise to meet any challenge. Its van-based fleet of more than 50 expert technicians provides plumbing and mechanical services when customers need them, rather than on a limited schedule. All team members are flexible and willing to do what it takes to help get a job done, which results in unparalleled value for RK’s customer base.
RK also has a 24/7 call center and on-call service personnel, as well as a service-tracking system, which lets its team view and document a client’s service history to better assess their needs. RK also ensures that post-installation, the equipment continues to run smoothly. Even after the general contractor has swept up the last bits of construction debris. RK stands behind its work, ensuring the equipment continues to run smoothly after the installation is complete.
Due to a demand for diversification, RK Specialities (also called the Steel unit) started in 2004 as a wholly owned subsidiary of RK Mechanical, specializing in fabricating and installing structural steel and miscellaneous metals. RK Specialties has now grown into a distinct business unit with a varied regional, national and international customer base.
With the rapid growth of on-shore fossil fuel development, RK launched its Energy business unit in 2011 to cater to the needs of the oil and gas industry. Emphasizing the benefits of modular construction and prefabrication, the company’s energy business unit delivers turnkey solutions to customers for projects across the United States. Modular construction can save customers time and costs associated with the development of oil and gas facilities. RK uses in-house engineering or customer-provided designs to modulate construction, which eliminates the need for duplication of design efforts at each field site. Oil meter, salt water disposal, natural gas liquid recovery and electrical buildings, among others, are ideal for RK’s modular construction techniques. Their CAD/BIM department will also fully detail the building prior to fabrication, reducing the amount of costly charges and ensuring that the building can be properly maintained.
Further expanding its offerings to commercial and industrial sectors, RK launched its Water business unit. Leading the lineup of services and products, RK is the exclusive manufacturer of the Silver BulletTM Water Treatment system, which is designed to provide customers with a water treatment system that is both fiscally and environmentally responsible. The Silver Bullet system, an alternative to traditional water treatment systems that use toxic chemicals, uses proprietary technology that utilizes UV light to create a gas that, when in contact with water, forms hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide naturally kills bacteria by rupturing the cell membranes, reducing the presence of microorganisms and making it extremely difficult for bacteria to find a host. Installation of the system takes less than a day and can be activated with no disruption to a facility’s existing HVAC or electrical systems.
“We are currently working on the technology as a way to bring an effective water treatment method to Africa,” Mr. Kinning says. “We want to help provide clean water systems to areas that have been devastated by contaminated water and drought.”
During its years in operation, RK and its business units have been recognized by certifications that include ASME, AISC, ISO 9001:2008 and OSHA VPP Star Mobile Workforce, ensuring delivery of first-rate products and solutions that adhere to the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. RK was only the 53rd company in America to qualify for the OSHA elite standard and is a prime example of the company’s stringent safety culture.
Growing the Best Trade Labor Force
RK strives to have the most highly trained trade labor force in the region. Having such a diverse array of business units can be a complex venture for most companies, but RK is instrumental in providing education and training for its staff, allowing RK to adapt to needs within all of its departments. Not only is this advantageous to their staff, but it allows the entire RK team to operate, both externally and internally, with accountability and a commitment to the most exacting standards, which results in a continuous advancement of overall practices.
“There is a serious shortage of skilled tradespeople in the Intermountain West,” Mr. Kinning says. “We are completely devoted to finding the next generation of highly-accomplished workers for our organization.” RK Mechanical also has an in-house apprentice program that, in its first year, trained 125 people in specialties which include sheet metal, piping, pipefitting and electrical work. Students who complete the apprenticeship program receive 42 hours that can be used towards an associate’s degree in applied sciences.
As an one example of the education and training that RK Mechanical provides, RK University focuses on comprehensive training for workers and the four-year apprentice program is designed to elevate RK Mechanical staff to higher levels of proficiency. There are different career tracks within the organization which require different skills, hence the continual need for lifelong learning among its employees.
“We have some classes going on now, one of the newest programs is for project engineers to learn project management,” Mr. Kinning says. “But it’s also the start of the school year for our apprenticeship students. We have three programs: pipe fitting, sheet metal and plumbing. Each program has four levels. So from September to April, we have 12 classes going; training our apprentices in their chosen field. Each is working towards a journeyman’s license, plus the classroom hours can be applied towards their associate’s degree.”
But technical training isn’t all RK University does. Employees can select from a wide variety of courses like CPR training, which is offered twice monthly. There is also leadership training, a class called RK Fundamentals which focuses on company culture and history, and numerous classes on safety that occurs at specific job-sites.
RK Mechanical has also been recruiting nationwide in search of skilled labor for its projects. “Developing a comprehensive marketing strategy – with a strong focus on recruiting within our own region, as well as national and international operations – has been and continues to be very important to us,” explains Vice President of Corporate Business Development Marc Paolicelli. “The oil and gas industry has been a major force in the employment sector in our region, so having skilled labor for that sector and for our company, has been a major part of our strategy.”
RK has been employing a social media strategy, in addition to traditional marketing and digital advertising. “We want to reach out and capture highly skilled workers where they are most likely to get our messages,” said Manager of Marketing and Corporate Communications Lisa Wildman. “This was historically a human resources issue, but we’re getting involved as a part of our overall strategy.” This is unique among contractors, but RK is committed to finding the best and the brightest in the construction industry.
RK also has a number of incentives to keep employees happy and committed to the company. Both white and blue collar workers for the company receive the same type of benefits. The company’s health and wellness program is well-known and recognized throughout the industry.
RK believes that their employees must be happy in their lives outside the company if they’re going to offer their best performances within it. “We have developed a comprehensive wellness program for our employees that incorporates a holistic approach and covers the pillars of physical, mental and financial health of our employees,” says Director of People Services, Michelle Vincent.
In order to implement this, the company also employs a full-time wellness coach who conducts jobsite visits and counsels on a wide variety of health concerns, including tobacco cessation, nutrition concerns, stress management and more. The program provides employee discounts for gyms near its Denver headquarters. Other incentives include healthier eating options in the vending machines and dining facilities at its company headquarters. Many employees have taken the initiative to start their own walking and running clubs with their fellow colleagues.
“Wellness is about meeting the employee where they are,” Ms. Vincent says. “Having a holistic approach – personally tailored to each individual – is what drives our program.” Due to the wellness program, the company was voted as the fifth-healthiest large company to work for in the state of Colorado. “We are a great place to work and we are constantly looking for talent. People who want to move to Colorado are welcome to apply to work for us,” Mr. Kinning says.
For over half a century, RK has expanded and diversified its business and has continued to succeed with a combination of state of the art technology, flexibility, and innovative approaches. Their main focus, though, is still customer service. They are aware that, without that, their business wouldn’t exist in the first place. By continuing to educate and train its staff, adapt within the marketplace, and recruit high-quality talent, RK Mechanical is destined to remain one of the premier companies in the world.
As Mr. Paolicelli says, “We are a growth-based company that focuses on the future, while also training our employees and focusing on diversification in the process.”