CUSTOMER CENTRIC DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
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INSIDE LEE INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTING’S PEOPLE-DRIVEN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WRITTEN BY
HARRY MENEAR
PRODUCED BY
TOM VENTURO
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LEE INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTING
Lee Industrial Contracting Senior Operations Manager Andrew Keilman and Director of Sales Michael Hahn discuss the company’s people-first digital transformation strategy
A
s the pace of technological advancement increases exponentially with each passing year, companies are given more
access than ever to solutions that increase efficiency, cut costs and drive competitive advan04
tage. However, in the light of new and dazzling technological applications, it is all too easy to lose sight of the core principle of a business relationship: the people. The shiniest, most powerful business tools in the world are worthless without the right people to wield them, and market leading products are irrelevant if they are not suited to the needs of the customer. For over 30 years, Lee Industrial Contracting has been working to bring turn-key solutions to heavy industry in a way that marries sector leading, top quality products with the right people in order to provide the best possible customer experience. “We consider our company to be a strategic partner with all of our customers. Their goal is our goal,” says Michael Hahn, Director of Sales at Lee.
“ WE CONSIDER OUR COMPANY TO BE A STRATEGIC PARTNER WITH ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS. THEIR GOAL IS OUR GOAL” — Michael Hahn, Director of Sales, Lee Industrial Contracting
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LEE INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTING
“ LEE HAS THE BEST PEOPLE IN EACH RESPECTIVE TRADE THAT WE DO WORK IN” — Andrew Keilman, Senior Operations Manager, Lee Industrial Contracting 06
As a people-driven company, Lee is always looking to do things in the most efficient, cost effective, meaningful manner that adds optimum value for the client in the form of end-to-end services. Over the years, the company has grown its capabilities, vehicle fleet and roster of specialized equipment multiple times over, becoming one of the most capable complete solutions contractors in the region. A powerful tool in its arsenal that allows Lee to add value for its customers is its uniquely diverse range of in-house capabilities. Performing 13 different trade services
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘LEE CONTRACTING IN-HOUSE DEPARTMENTS’ 07 in-house sets Lee apart within the
best people in each respective trade
industrial space. Self-performing as
that we work in,” he explains.
many different functions as they do,
We sat down with Hahn and Keilman
allows the company to control every
to discuss Lee’s corporate strategy,
aspect of its projects, from design
competitive advantages, and how the
and cost to scheduling and quality.
next steps in Lee’s digital transformation
For Senior Operations Manager,
journey will allow it to continue putting
Andrew Keilman, who joined the
people, partners and clients at the
company in 2014, the company’s
center of everything it does.
emphasis on an exceedingly high
“We’ve won Supplier of the Year for
standard for in-house capabilities is
General Motors two years in a row,”
what attracted him in the first place.
notes Hahn. One of the key drivers
“When I saw the operations, the people
behind Lee becoming General Motors’
and how everything was organized,
Supplier of the Year is the way the
I wanted to be a part of it. Lee has the
company handles safety, project w w w.l e e c o nt ra c t i n g . com
LEE INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTING
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delivery and the unique technological
Now, with the rapid advancement of
demands of providing its turn-key
business tools, Lee is preparing to take
solutions. “Our technology played
steps from private towards public
a big part in that award,” explains Hahn.
cloud infrastructure. The company is
Central to Lee’s technology strategy
currently in the process of switching
in the past few years has been the Lee
its operational software over to Oracle’s
Electronic Data Management System
NetSuite, which will enable it to have
(LEDMS), an in-house data center
a much more unified software structure
and management platform. LEDMS,
and accommodate future growth.
Keilman notes, houses the full spectrum
The transition to public cloud software
of Lee’s digital operations, from its
will help provide Lee with real metrics
quoting process to scheduling.
and real analysis on how the company
“It’s one of the big things that General
is performing month over month.
Motors really zeroed in on,” he remarks.
Most importantly, the transition towards
NetSuite will help the company gain
We can’t succeed independently
insight into its CRM process, helping
without all those folks at the table,”
Lee continue to build meaningful,
says Hahn. “The key is understanding
collaborative and long-term relation-
the client’s performance metrics.
ships with Lee’s clients and partners.
It could be dollars, quality or time that’s
The traditional relationship between
most important to them. If we can help
seller, supplier and buyer is evolving.
them save time and increase their
A traditional, purely transactional
ability to react to their customer
approach is no longer viable in the
requirements everybody wins.
modern world of ecosystems and
We also have something else that other
strategic relationships. Lee sees the
companies don’t offer: value engineering.”
shift in the status quo and is working
With its extensive roster of trades
to embrace a collaborative approach.
and in-house capabilities, Lee is able
“We have strategic partners, strategic
to explore a potential customer’s goal
subcontractors, strategic design firms
and create their request for proposal
and strategic materials providers.
(RFP), pitching them additional ways
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Andrew Keilman, Senior Operations Manager Andrew Keilman is a Senior Operations Manager at Lee Contracting. Kielman has been in the industry for over 22 years. He started at Lee in 2014 as a Pipefitting Coordinator and was quickly promoted to oversee multiple departments as an Operations Manager. Andrew was most recently promoted to Senior Operations Manager in 2019.
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LEE INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTING
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1989
Year founded Employee owned since
2015 434
Number of employees
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31400 Kendall Suite A Fraser, MI 48026
to increase value through their project.
areas of the company that meet on
“Value engineering has reduced cost,
a monthly basis and come up with
waste and time spent, all of which are
ideas to give back to our employees,”
invaluable to the customer. Between
says Keilman. From management and
70-80% of the time our customers go
communications techniques to trade
with our value engineering options.”
skill training, Keilman explains that
The emphasis on collaboration at
Lee’s team is dedicated to “building up
Lee isn’t restricted to relationships
all of our people, all the way from the
between the company and its clients;
apprentice level up to the highest tier
internal cooperation and support is
of management”. Not only are Lee’s
a core value that the executive team
employees made to feel as though their
works hard to support. Morale and
company is invested in them, but four
personal development are also
years ago founder Ed Lee made sure
important to Lee’s corporate culture.
that every employee was personally
“We have a morale team, which is
invested in the company. “Ed decided
comprised of people from various
to sell the company to the employees,
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Michael Hahn, Director of Sales Michael Hahn has been in the industry for 33 years and has been with Lee Contracting for 15 years. Michael started out managing the electrical department and quickly moved into sales to help build the business for Lee. Michael was promoted to Director of Sales at the beginning of 2019.
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LEE INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTING
“ THE KEY IS UNDERSTANDING THE CLIENT’S PERFORMANCE METRICS. IF WE CAN HELP THEM SAVE TIME AND INCREASE THEIR ABILITY TO REACT TO THEIR CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS EVERYBODY WINS” 14
— Michael Hahn, Director of Sales, Lee Industrial Contracting
so we became 100% employee owned,” says Hahn. Valuing its employees as much as it does, Lee’s corporate strategy places tremendous emphasis on safety. The company has a strong safety team that is involved in every project, job hazard analysis and tool box talks; the health and wellbeing of Lee’s people is paramount. As it embraces the next stage of its digital transformation journey, the company is keeping people at the heart of everything it does. Along with the management team, including Keilman and Hahn, are at the helm of a diverse, capable, innovative company that puts people first, using the power of human dedication and ingenuity to drive innovation. Looking to the future, Keilman is confident in the capabilities that Lee brings to the table: “We have the best people, the best tools, the best equipment, the best facilities and the best plan on every project that we do. I think that’s enabled us to be successful year after year.”
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Lee Industrial Contracting 631 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI 48342, US T 248-332-4646 www.leecontracting.com