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purposeful training of people who are [stayed] longer, but now, more-specialized
committed to the future of the company,”
says President Alan H. Kittleson, noting
that Henkel conducts continuous on-the-
job training. It also maintains and up-
grades equipment constantly to provide
its people with the right tools to perform
safely and efficiently. He adds that the co-
mpany conducts regular meetings, safety
training and company functions at all lev-
els of the company to promote education
and safety.
Adapting to Changes
Because the market constantly changes,
Sheller says, Henkel has to be on its toes at
all times. For example, during the 1970s,
the company completed many nursing
homes. In recent years, however, it more
often has been working on new schools
and renovating hospitals. Schmit says
hospitals today are moving toward out-
patient services, and semi-private rooms
are being converted to private rooms.
“Work on rural hospitals is nation-
wide,” Sheller notes. “In recent years,
rural hospitals [have sought] to modern-
ize their facilities. In the past, patients
ethanol plant projects, but that boom will
facilities allow patients to stay overnight
or even return home the same day of a
surgical procedure.”
Recent consolidations in the healthcare
sector have also affected Henkel. For ex-
ample, at Spencer Hospital, located in
Spencer, Iowa, management has changed
three times in 13 years.
“We just have to offer great service
and continue to satisfy new personnel as
time goes on,” Sheller says.
Another challenge – and a concern for
contractors nationwide – is decreased
funding to maintain highway infrastruc-
ture such as bridges, Schmit notes. “The
bridge market has declined the past three
to five years, especially in rural Iowa,” he
stresses. “It’s a challenge when public
entities significantly reduce budgets allo-
cated for bridges. As a result, we have to
find other work for our crews who spe-
cialize in bridges. We have to figure out
how we can utilize that work force.”
Fortunately, he says, Iowa’s ethanol
market is booming. “From their experi-
ence working on bridges, [our trades-
men] are flexible enough to work on
change soon, too,” Schmit explains.
Power of Two
Henkel hopes to expand its markets,
especially for its subsidiary Accord
Architecture. Twenty-year old Accord
services the design/build sector of
Henkel. “Accord is experienced in proj-
ects that are complex, like working on an
existing business or a hospital that needs
to maintain operations during construc-
tion,” Sheller says. “They are also highly
talented designers.”
Henkel complements Accord by pro-
viding “a set of eyes from the construc-
tion perspective,” Schmit adds. Henkel
provides Accord input on costs, seasonal
constraints and constructability.
In the future, Henkel says, it will work
to strengthen its marketing approach, but
says what will stay unchanged is its flexi-
bility. “We want to continue to be known
for our quality work and earn the trust of
every new client we meet,” Schmit says.
“We simply want to ensure that once a
client has worked with us, they never feel
a need to look elsewhere.” ■
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