“KBDG has provided me with all the necessary tools that I needed to be successful. No request I have ever made has ever been rejected out of hand.“
GET TO KNOW OUR TALENTED TEAM MEMBER,
LEvi whitworth
He joined Kajima Building & Design Group in 2018. Since then, he has worked on numerous projects, with MTMUS 390 being his proudest. We would like to congratulate Levi on his continued success at KBD Group!
Interview with LEVI: Q&A
Question: Why did you choose your profession?
I have followed in the rather long footsteps of my family in construction. My father and uncle were in construction, and my grandfather and great-grandfather were as well. They were all road builders. I can trace my family ties with construction back to the 1700s, during which one of my ancestors was a ‘famous’ canal builder (I am not sure if ‘famous’ is the correct word for a canal builder).
My grandmother was a bit obsessive about family history and conducted extensive research. I have always been very interested in history and would eagerly listen to the old stories that were passed down. During the Korean War, my grandfather was drafted by the US Army. By a twist of fate, he was assigned to an engineering division and spent his time in Korea operating heavy equipment to build roads for the Army, rather than carrying a gun. It seems that construction is in my blood, whether I like it or not. To say that construction was my destiny might seem a bit anticlimactic. Perhaps it wouldn’t make a Hollywood bestseller, but it pays the bills.
Question: What do you like most about working at KBD?
I have been fortunate enough to have been assigned on wide variety of projects with KBDG and my former employer. I have been given enough authority to make a very significant impact on my assigned projects.
I also feel that KBDG has provided me with all the necessary tools that I needed to be successful. No request that I have ever made has been rejected out of hand. I’ve never had a request denied right away. It feels good to be trusted and see the results of my hard work make a big difference for the project.
Question: What is your proudest moment at KBD?
One of my proudest moments was the MTMUS 390 project in Alabama. It was a relatively small project situated on a large campus with lots of construction. My project was the only project on the entire campus to be completed on schedule.
Question: What do you find the most challenging at KBD Group?
The projects that I get assigned to have distinguishing features that make them very challenging. At the Red Bull project in Glendale, there is an interstitial space that had (6) 30,000-pound units, miles of different types of pipes, a catwalk, a walkable ceiling, and very expensive specialty flooring. No one knew exactly how it was going to all come together at the beginning.
Through months of due diligence and hard work we were able to put together a plan that was successful and finish in time so the owner could start installing their equipment as scheduled.
Question: How has KBDG helped you in your career development?
KBD has helped me develop by assigning me challenging work. I learn best by doing and being forced into the fire which makes steel harder.
Question: What do you do when you’re not at work? Share a fun fact about yourself.
My wife and I absolutely love to travel. I am into photography, reading, and history, I like to make a wager every now and then, collector, and cigars.
Question: What advice would you give to new hires or those starting out in the construction industry?
My advice to new hires would be to keep things in perspective. Building a building is not a easy thing to do. The only way to swallow an apple is by one bite at a time. You can be as good as you want to be.
Hard work beats talent every day of the week. Learn how to sketch effectively to communicate. The best way that I have found to communicate across different cultures and different languages is by sketching. We are a drawing-based business. You don’t need to be an artist, and practice makes perfect. I like documents that look nice and professional.
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