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Fulfilling visions; building trust Bowers + Kubota Consulting has consistently ranked as a Best Firm to Work For; leaders attribute success to adherence to SWIFT principles. MU LT I D I S C I P L I N E
By Liisa Andreassen Correspondent
B rian Bowers, president of Bowers + Kubota Consult- ing (Waipahu, HI), a 150-person employee- owned architectural/engineering firm, says that the firm’s mission statement was not always “Ful- filling visions. Building trust;” the former mis- sion was actually updated as a result of attending the 2014 Zweig Group Hot Firm and A/E Industry Awards Conference. “We proudly display the Best Firms logo on our website as well as name this award in all of our job postings.” BE SWIFT. Originally founded as KFC Airport Inc. in 1980, the firm had an objective of providing plan- ning, design, and construction management ser- vices for the development of airport and airport- related facilities. In 1997, the firm’s president died suddenly of a heart attack on Christmas Eve. Brian Bowers and Dexter Kubota stepped up to assume leadership, drafted and implemented a strategic plan and communicated a turnaround plan and vision. Since then, the firm has grown from 10 to 150 employees and now provides services to a mul- titude of public and private clients throughout Ha- waii and the Pacific Rim. Superior quality, wellness, integrity, family, and teamwork (SWIFT) are the values at the heart and foundation of Bowers + Kubota. Examples of the firm’s commitment to these values include: ❚ ❚ Employees and their families are valued and taken care of through benefits that include 100 percent company paid medical insurance, a dynamic wellness program, and twice yearly bonuses, to name a few. ❚ ❚ The firm strives to keep employees engaged and empowered through employee-ran committees, flex time, and monthly company events and activities, which often include families. Employees also have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge through staff in-house training, outside classes, and seminars.
AWARD DRIVES APPLICANTS. Amy Matsushima, HR manager at Bowers + Kubota, says that receiving the Best Firms to Work For award now and in the past has been an excellent tool for recruiting people from all over the world. “We proudly display the Best Firm’s logo on our website as well as name this award in all of our job postings,” she says. “The majority of the candidates that apply and are interviewed mention seeing this award as a reason for applying.” Deane Shephard, a construction manager, has been with Bowers + Kubota for more than a decade and says that she loves the wide variety of project expe- riences. For instance, she has been assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the past 11 years and has built hydrant fuel systems for aircraft, taxi- ways for aircraft, and huge barracks renovations
See BOWERS + KUBOTA , page 8
THE COMPLETE LIST OF ZWEIG GROUP’S 2015 BEST FIRMS TO WORK FOR
MULTIDISCIPLINE 1. Bowers + Kubota Consulting 2. Fitzemeyer & Tocci Associates 3. Garver 4. Parkhill, Smith & Cooper 5. Maser Consulting
6. Langan Engineering and Environmental Services 7. Kingscott Associates 8. GATE 9. Wolverton & Associates
10. Pond & Company 11. DRMP 12. SCJ Alliance 13. Mead & Hunt 14. MBP
15. LJA Engineering 16. Passero Associates 17. Arrow Engineering 18. HAKS 19. GeoDesign
THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 10, 2015, ISSUE 1115
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