Nearly 45 years after KEC Company was founded, its owner at the time, Keith E. Card, decided to retire and made the decision to sell all of the company's property and assets to five of his key employees who had each given more than 20 years of service. It was late 1994 when KEC officially became an employee-owned company and this ownership structure remains in place today.

Providing the leadership foundation for KEC are, Jim Elfring (President), Scott Pfeiffer (Operations Vice President), Matt Card (Contracts Administration Vice President), Les Card (Estimating Vice President) and Timothy Stephens (Chief Financial Officer).

Excavating, grading and concrete paving trapazoidal channel in Los Alimitos.

The day-to-day operations of the company are handled equally by the quintet, each person with his own area of responsibility. According to Elfring, the success of this ownership structure is attributed to a "having a high level of respect for each other's expertise, and voting on everything".

The success of this leadership formula is evident and, to date, KEC's foundation seems solid with the company having grown into a $30 million per year enterprise.

KEC Performs falsework erection on the Central Avenue Bridge in Chino, California.

KEC's base of operations is located in the city of Corona just north of the 91 Freeway. The company's five-acre parcel is home to an equipment yard and more than 8,000 square feet of administrative office space. From this location, KEC provides underground construction services to all of Southern California, "from the Mexican border to Santa Barbara and from the Ocean to the River".

The company also owns a screening plant and sand pit operation in the nearby city of Norco. This particular operation sees an average of 1,500 tons moved per day.

Most of KEC's projects are done for public works entities in the areas of highway and bridge construction, large storm drains and underground shoring.

On a recent project for the Irvine Community Development Agency, KEC contracted to provide public works improvements to an undeveloped area of Bonita and Shady Canyons south of the University of California at Irvine.

The area is nestled between Interstate 405 and the San Joaquin Hills Toll Road (Highway 73) and is slated to become a part of a planned "preservation" community in which the surrounding vegetation and landscape will be minimally disturbed.

The $13 million dollar project will be completed by Summer 2002 and involves all work related to the construction of a large double-barrel storm drain, widening of streets and placement of all underground utilities that will eventually service the homes that are developed on the property.

(Above) Most of KEC's projects are done for public works entities in the area of highway and bridge construction, large storm drains and underground shoring.

All totaled, the project will incorporate approximately 5,000 linear feet each of reinforced concrete box, 18" to 96" of reinforced concrete pipe, 12" sewer main, 66 kV electrical line and 12 kV electrical conduit, as well as all appurtenances.

More than 50 personnel are being employed on the six-month project with portions of the project being subcontracted out to other companies, including the rebar, electrical, landscaping and asphalt paving.

KEC also recently completed an extensive sewer project for the City of Santa Monica that involved placing more than 10,000 linear feet of 54" sewer main to facilitate the movement of sewage from the communities of Malibu and Pacific Palisades under Santa Monica and on through to the Hyperion Treatment Plant in the city of Los Angeles.

The $12 million deep trench and shoring job took approximately a year and a half to complete and provided many challenges along the way.

KEC assisted with the complex engineering design of the project that had the company constructing huge bypass structures on "live" main lines. Some of the other challenges routinely faced on the project involved adhering to stringent noise requirements and meeting the numerous demands of some local businesses.

(Above) KEC constructing grade control structures at Peters Canyon Wash in Irvine, California.

Elfring attributes the project's success to the expertise of KEC's field personnel, some of who are third generation company employees. In addition, all of the company's supervisors have been employed between ten and 20 years with the company.

When asked how they manage to find such key personnel, Elfring jokingly adds, "we grow them", referring to the many examples of multiple-generation employees working for KEC.

The employee-oriented atmosphere of the company is also reflected in a better relationship with its customers due to the fact that employees work in a comfortable environment and are eager to bring forth the best of the company to please their customers. "We all try our hardest to make life easier for our customers by accommodating and anticipating their needs." Adds Elfring.

This company-wide attitude has helped KEC to continually build upon its half-century of business and looks to be a major factor in propelling the company toward continued success.