Employers

The 6.92 Million Dollar Man

Joe Kimmel, reflecting on the gift to Western, said, “Giving and serving is what has made us so blessed. We give to and serve our clients, and now we want to give to and serve these students who will, in turn, give back to the construction industry. Giving and serving is the nucleus of the world, when the world is right.”

In A Christmas Story, little Ralphie Parker spends most of his time dreaming about the Red Ryder BB gun he wants for Christmas. Without it, the holidays will be ruined. Of course, he gets his Red Ryder BB gun, because sometimes, dreams come true.

John Bardo likewise understands that sometimes, December is the time when dreams come true. In December of 2005, Joe W. Kimmel and his employees at Kimmel & Associates announced a gift of $6.92 million to the construction management program at Western Carolina University, of which Dr. Bardo is Chancellor. With the additional $3.495 million in matching state money and other support that will come as a direct result of Mr. Kimmel’s gift, Western will receive $10.4m and will be on its way toward building what some industry officials believe will become one of the top CM schools in the

United States. In recognition of the contributions, the university announced the naming of the Kimmel School of Construction Management, Engineering, and Technology.

At a December press conference at the Western Carolina University campus in mountainous Cullowhee, North Carolina, Chancellor Bardo said, “The incredible gift from Joe Kimmel, his family, and his associates will provide much-needed support to an academic program that is near and dear to Joe’s heart …. We expect this pledge, combined with additional public and private support, will result in a school that will place Western on par with the nation’s finest institutions of higher education in preparing students for careers in construction management and related fields that are critical to the emerging economy of the state and the nation.”

Kimmel’s gift is in keeping with a philosophy that guides his life and also shapes the manner in which he directs Kimmel & Associates, the executive search firm whose more than 100 consultants concentrate primarily on the construction industry.

Over the past several years, Kimmel & Associates has looked for ways to serve the industry in which they work and insure its future growth and health. In 2004, Joe instituted the Kimmel Scholarship for Students in Construction (see separate article below), a scholarship program that invites applications from students across the country and awards $1000 to those recipients who are studying Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or some other course of study that leads to a career in construction; many of the past recipients work for or have completed internships with construction companies.

In three semesters, Kimmel & Associates has given 100 scholarships to students from 53 different colleges and universities in 27 states. As one CM student in California said, “The money was very useful, of course; what college kid doesn’t need help with tuition and books? But the great thing is knowing that a company like Kimmel is committed to helping a new generation of builders prepare for their careers.” (Students may apply through May 15th at the Construction page of kimmel.com for the Fall 2006 semester scholarships.)

Kimmel’s increased desire to assist young people has grown out of a sense throughout the construction industry that a tremendous shortage of young talent looms in the near future. Frank Bruckner, an Executive Vice President at Kimmel who has been with the company for more than 20 years, notes, “When I was speaking at the ENR Top 400 Conference in Chicago in 2004, the subject that all the industry leaders there wanted to talk about was the scarcity of kids coming up through the colleges who want to take their place in the industry someday.

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