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BUSINESS NEWS PPG DONATES $25,000 TO SAE FOUNDATION CAN- ADA FOR A WORLD IN MOTION EDUCATIONAL PRO- GRAM PPG recently donated $25,000 to the SAE Foundation Canada in support of the A World In Motion program, which provides sci- ence, technology, engineering and math cur- riculum to K-8 students in Canada. The grant was made on behalf of PPG’s architectural coatings business, which operates more than 250 DULUX and BETONEL paint stores, and eight manufacturing, distribution, and admin- istrative sites across Canada. “We’re thankful for PPG’s support of vital edu- cational programs in Canada,” said Lori Gat- maitan, the executive director of SAE Founda- tion Canada. “Through this program, young students learn how to apply science and tech- nology concepts by solving real-world prob- lems in a team setting, communicate clearly, raise questions, assimilate information and work cooperatively towards common goals.

This structure helps to engage and inspire stu- dents at the earliest age possible to pursue careers in sought-after science fields.” AWIM activities incorporate curriculum built around the “Engineering Design Experience.” These programs require students to work in teams to solve a design challenge by analys- ing who a product is for and what must be ac- complished; gathering and synthesising data; designing, developing and testing a prototype; and presenting their findings and ideas. By in- tegrating science and technology with other subject areas, students can make connections across disciplines that are personally relevant to them. In addition, professionals that work in the science and technology industry volunteer in the AWIM program to serve as a role model, community liaison and professional resource to participants. “PPG supports the importance of

demonstrating the significance of science, technology, engineering and math to students at a young age,” said Sue Sloan, executive director of global social responsibility at PPG Corporate. “We are pleased to provide sup- port for the SAE A World In Motion program, which has helped educate more than 4 million students to date.” PPG aims to create brighter, more colorful communities where the company has a pres- ence around the world. By investing in edu- cational opportunities, we help grow today’s skilled workforce and develop tomorrow’s in- novators in industries related to coatings and specialty materials. Plus, PPG empowers em- ployees to make an impact for causes that are important to them by supporting their volun- teer efforts and charitable giving. Learn more at ppgcommunities.com.

downtown as the city looks to compete with other metros for conventions, business travel, and tourism. Renovation of Hotel Phillips is sure to bring attention to KKAD’s brand, but that doesn’t mean anything will funda- mentally change for the firm. In fact, things probably won’t. Part of the service that KKAD gives to all clients is that Ka- lashian, in some shape, form or fashion, works on every project. And clients are given a long hearing before the proj- ect begins, in the scoping and budgeting phases. If the firm gets too big, the personal touch goes away, and that’s something Kalashian is not willing to do. “My goal is not to grow the company into a massive firm,” he says. “Instead of growing the size of the firm, we’ve grown the quality of the project.” While the firm is Kalashian’s most pronounced line of busi- ness, it is not the only one. Kalashian, who considers him- self entrepreneurial, is also active in lighting design and fixtures, residential development, development of custom wallpaper, and restaurant ownership. “I don’t think you can own a business today and not be en- trepreneurial,” Kalashian says. “When we’re not working on our client’s stu ff , we’re working on our stu ff .” “I don’t think you can own a business today and not be entrepreneurial. When we’re not working on our client’s stuff, we’re working on our stuff.” “My goal is not to grow the company into a massive firm. Instead of growing the size of the firm, we’ve grown the quality of the project.”

KKAD, from page 11

Kalashian founded his firm, known as KKAD, in 2009, the height of the Great Recession. In 2010, he won the job ren- ovating the Brasada Ranch resort in Oregon, a facility that had already gone belly up and had been sold, pennies on the dollar, before Kalashian got involved. At Brasada, Kalashian honed the brand of comfortable luxu- ry that earned him the contract for Hotel Phillips and other projects. His goal at Brasada, as it is for other jobs, is to cre- ate something beyond the daily experience, but still at an a ff ordable price point. Much of his design revolves around custom lighting he and his team created, and everyday com- forts delivered in an elevated way. “The style is forward thinking, but it’s not unapproachable. It’s inclusive and that’s where we’ve created our niche. Let’s put things in our design that people want in their homes.” “ Th e style is forward thinking, but it’s not unapproachable,” Kalashian says. “It’s inclusive and that’s where we’ve created our niche. Let’s put things in our design that people want in their homes.” As with urban areas across the country, Kansas City’s down- town core endured a long, painful decline, as work and liv- ing shifted to the suburbs. But the renaissance is well under way as millennials are flocking to downtown, a fact recent- ly underscored by the $63-million conversion of the Kan- sas City Power & Light Building, probably the city’s most fa- mous skyscraper, into apartments. Th e Hotel Phillips, near the Kau ff man Center for the Per- forming Arts, the Sprint Center, and the Power & Light District, is also part of a larger hotel boom across all of

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 7, 2016, ISSUE 1142

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