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BUSINESS NEWS KAI CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES IN TEXAS KAI, one of the largest minority- owned and -led AEC firms in the country, is thrilled to celebrate 25 years of delivering exceptional design and build services across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and surrounding Texas communities. KAI was founded in 1980 in St. Louis and has operated an office in Dallas since 1999. The company expanded with the acquisition of Fratto Engineering, Inc. in 2019, and in 2021, KAI’s Texas staff consolidated into one location at 5010 Riverside Drive in Las Colinas. Today, KAI’s DFW office is growing rapidly with over 70 employees. Its diverse design and construction services, as well as a local footprint, allow KAI to offer superior service to its North Texas partners in aviation and transportation, education, healthcare, community, government and more. KAI was named AIA Dallas’ Firm of the Year in 2021, a testament to the firm’s strong work and dedication to the area. The firm’s strategic growth is focused squarely on transforming communities, and they do this by seeking the most complex, culturally conscious and politically sensitive projects that will make lasting differences in the lives they touch.
“Rebuilding communities that give children a safe place to live, learn and play, providing job opportunities for minorities and building housing for low- income residents is at the heart of KAI’s success story in DFW,” said KAI CEO Michael B. Kennedy. “We’re thrilled to be at the forefront of several transformative projects in North Texas as we continue to grow our presence and operations. At KAI, we’re dedicated to enhancing communities, and we’re proud to be part of initiatives in the DFW area that make a difference for the past 25 years.” A few noteable KAI projects in Texas include:
In addition, KAI is excited to be involved in the forthcoming National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Dallas Police Academy on the University of North Texas Dallas campus. KAI employs a diverse company-wide team of over 170 architects, engineers, interior designers, builders and support staff at its headquarters in St. Louis and offices in DFW; Kansas City, Kansas; and Atlanta, Georgia, with additional project offices throughout the U.S. The firm specializes in residential, commercial, K-12, higher education, healthcare, science and technology, aviation, mobility, sports and entertainment, government, water and community- focused projects. An expert of urban master planning and design, over 60 percent of KAI’s projects are centered in what most would consider “project neighborhoods.” “Our mission every day is to improve the lives of community residents during and after our projects. This passion drives everything we do, no matter the size or scope of our role,” said KAI President Darren L. James, FAIA, NOMA, NCARB. “Working together with community partners, we have realized that mission for the past 25 years, and we are grateful to continue serving the community and pursuing our goal to positively transform communities for many more years to come.”
Aquatic and Recreation Center at McCowan Park (DeSoto) Multi-Phase Renovation and Expansion of Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas (Dallas) DFW Airport Program Management (Central Terminal Area and Terminal F) Dallas College Cedar Valley Campus Student Engagement Center (Lancaster)
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South Oak Cliff High School Renovation (Dallas)
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H.S. Thompson Elementary School (Dallas)
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you about their attitudes toward work/life balance. We need hours and we need commitment. All of the most successful people I know in this and other businesses are hard workers. They don’t seek to minimize it. They love it. And they don’t need tight job descriptions, either. They do whatever is needed to be done at the time. 2. Nice. Is this person nice? Do they have good manners? Do they show interest in other people versus just talk about themselves? What kind of impression do they create? Do people who meet them instantly like them or not? Do they have a lot of friends? It’s a big deal. A lot of success will be based on how other people feel about you. Being nice goes a long way. And part of that “nice” is being calm under fire, too. No one enjoys being around people who are stressed out and overly emotional. 3. Humility. Does this person want to claim credit for themselves or do they give credit to their team? Have they demonstrated their ability to work on a team in sports, school, or their work? This is another quality that is going to lead to success in an environment where little of what
we do is an individual effort. It also helps other people to like you. 4. Communication skills. Does the person look at you when they speak? Are they a clear verbal communicator and writer who avoids cliches and buzzwords and terms normal people wouldn’t understand? Do they use the language properly? All of this is super critical and very difficult to train in adults. Like it or not we are all judged superficially for our communication abilities. These four things are beyond essential if we are serious about building an enduring organization that will evolve over time and outlast any of us as individuals. Commit the resources it takes to radically expand your candidate pool and then look for these qualities in every hire at every level. You will be rewarded with higher performance and fewer people problems if you do! Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.
THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 4, 2024, ISSUE 1560
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