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ACP 1028 Shelby Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46203 ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED
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Says Goodbye to the Construction Industry
Kent Burget APRIL 2015
INDIANA
Building Friendships and Saving After Successful Construction Ca By Gary Price
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n 1985, Kent Burget was anything but successful. He had flunked out of Purdue University, moved hundreds of miles from his Indiana roots and was installing drywall in Alabama. He had no direction and less ambition. Thirty years later, he retired as president of one of the largest safety management companies in the world, employing over 120 associates and in the process having helped significantly shape the construction industry in Central Indiana and beyond. And to it top off he became one of the most well liked people the industry has ever known. How did it all happen?To Kent, the answer lies in his ability to fully initiate, develop and draw strength from three areas of great interest and activity: community, family and faith. His journey started when a relative suggested that he return to college at Auburn University in Alabama to pursue a career in construction. He had started to believe that construction might be his calling. It took a long car ride to the university to meet with officials to convince them to admit him after the debacle at Purdue, but they were impressed with his drive and he was allowed to take classes in construction and safety, ultimately securing his degree.
Beginning a Relationship with Lilly After another fortuitous call from a relative, Kent accepted a position as a loss-control specialist, at what was then, Herke Insurance. He was assigned to assist with a major client, Eli Lilly and Company, which would in the next few years be announcing over $1 billion in new construction, much of it occurring within Indiana. He traveled a few days each week to Lilly’s plants in Clinton, Indiana, about an hour’s drive north from Indianapolis. “Guys on the job sites were still carrying guns with them in 1991,” said Kent. “They were smoking cigars and drinking on the site and in job trailers. It was clear, even in those days, that basic changes in the job site culture had to change.” During that same time period, Lilly was
playing a major role in helping to fund a fledgling new organization, the Metro Indianapolis Coalition for Construction Safety (MICCS). Their first program was an attempt to implement a substance abuse program requiring all construction personnel to carry an identification card provided after passing a drug test. Workers would also be subject to random substance abuse testing on the job sites. Studies supported the proposition that substance abuse was a leading cause of accidents and injuries on construction job sites. This program was Kent’s first initiation into the ambit of MICCS. His supervisor at Lilly, Gary Potts, asked him to review and suggest changes to a letter that had been proposed by MICCS to send to all affected construction personnel regarding the new program.
“I was the little guy but I remember, to me, that helping with that letter was a big deal. When you talk about MICCS and helping the industry, it all started with the substance abuse program, which was first introduced at the Lafayette plant where I was working. I was actually at the roll-out of that first MICCS program.”
Adding More MICCS Programs Having gotten his feet wet, Kent became much more active in MICCS. The next industry-wide program was a standard prequalification form that owners and contractors would use to make certain that contractors met at least minimum safety requirements. Kent helped to create that first form, which was then called the “MICCS Short Form” and consisted of just five questions.
While the industry was embracing the idea that safety actions and statistics would be used to qualify contractors for work, Kent became active in the association, and was asked to make a presentation at an early membership meeting. “I presented on the importance of creating a ‘safety culture’ within a company and how to go about creating it. I still have that presentation.” But an even more challenging program was being developed by MICCS: the MICCS Certification Program. It consisted of a computer-based program to assist in grading safety programs while evaluating safety statistics. The program also had an audit component that required safety consultants to review safety programs for a number of required and suggested components.
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ving Lives: Kent Burget Retires n Career Kent was asked to work on the small committee that met monthly for over a year and then began meeting weekly for a number of months to follow, in order to create the program. The work was difficult and grueling. Several initial members of the committee dropped out after a few months and were replaced by others. Kent stayed on the committee throughout the process. “I thought we would never get through it,” said Kent.”
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Creating such a program in the mid-90s was no small matter. The technology was challenging but the political considerations were also difficult. The association had to determine how to create a program flexible enough to cover any type of building contractor. It was also necessary to decide which elements of the safety program would be essential and which would be recommendations.
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“ I’ve had the pleasure of working with Kent since the beginning days of the MICCS substance abuse testing program. He has always been very supportive of drug testing and Midwest Toxicology. His integrity and passion for safety is truly reflected in the reputation of SMG.” Tiffany Ellefson - Midwest Toxicology
www.radamsroofing.com
We met Kent many years ago when he started as a field safety technician.
Well Done Kent! R. Adams Roofing, Inc. 4990 Massachusetts Ave. - Indianapolis, IN 46218 - Phone: (317) 545-7663 - Fax: (317) 545-5663
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“Kent has always displayed a passion to serve and has been a pillar in the construction industry. His tenacity is evident in everything that he gets involved in. I have always considered Kent to be a mentor and truly appreciate everything that he has done to support ERMCO and the overall Indianapolis construction community.” Greg Gossett - ERMCO
It was a struggle, but all of the people in that room were committed to creating a quality program. At many points, we could have just said, ‘hey, this is fine, we’re done,’ but we wanted it to be special so we hung with it as long as it took.” The program was ultimately launched and was embraced by several major Indiana owners. It still exists today and has helped to improve the safety programs of thousands of construction companies.
Joining the Awards Committee
Concurrently, one of the first committees that MICCS created was the Awards Committee. The program is entering its 23rd year, but in the beginning there was nothing to model and members had to form it from scratch. Leaders of MICCS knew that they wanted awards given for safety and they thought those awards should be considered by the industry to be the most prestigious. Of course, they also wanted the awards program to be well attended. Serving on that first Awards Committee, Kent remembers believing that they had started something special when the doors
were first opened to let attendees in at the first event held at The Ritz in Carmel. “You could actually hear people gasp with surprise as they walked into a room with seating for the 350 people who attended that event. In one evening it had become
the largest gathering of construction personnel in Indiana,” he said. After the first two successful annual events, Kent was asked to take over as Chairman of the Committee.
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“During that era, we kept having to look for new and bigger venues to hold the event. We outgrew the Ritz, then the Scottish Rite Cathedral and finally, even the Indiana Roof Ballroom.” “But the thing that keeps sticking out in my mind as being personally the most challenging role that I was asked to play, was to serve as the co-emcee of that event. When I was first asked to consider being up on that stage for such a long period of time, I said no. Then I realized that declining was the easy way out and I had to do it. Standing up on that stage in front of over 650 people was daunting to say the least. We got through it the first time and after that, it was actually kind of fun.” The organization elected him and then re-elected him to the MICCS Board of Directors. A few years later, he was awarded the “Board of Directors Award,” given to a person who had made significant contributions to MICCS as an organization. His contributions to the organization were both significant and sustainable. He
had been a key figure in shaping each one of MICCS’s early programs, which endure and even thrive today.
Reorganizing the ‘New’ ISA The Indiana Subcontractors Association (ISA) had once been the largest construction trade association in Indiana. It had built its reputation as a counterpart to the general contracting industry, even assisting members in suing general contractors and conducting private meetings, dubbed “Business Practices Interchanges” in which subcontractors warned others about alleged misconduct of general contractors. A movement began to radically change that focus, to view general contractors as customers to be pleased and their business pursued.Kent was on the organizational committee that worked toward that goal, helping new Board member and new ISA President Darrell Gossett to develop programs for subcontractors that embraced the new philosophy. It began to be known as “the new ISA” and soon began working with
general contractors who hosted “GC Receptions” and new programs which featured information that subcontractors needed to know from the beginning about new projects, dubbed, “project rollout meetings.” The new focus was a resounding success as ISA once again began growing in numbers while attendance at their meetings blossomed from under 30 to well over 100 and continued to grow. Kent followed Gossett as president, and today ISA is clearly one of the largest and most active construction-related associations in Indiana.
How he perceived his work produced a subtle change in how people viewed him, too.“I think people recognized, from my work in the field and just as importantly from my work in the committee and board meeting rooms, ‘he really cares about us.’ And then as the company grew, all of those guys that I cared about actually became customers. It was being so involved in
The Importance of Safety Meanwhile, Kent’s career began to take on additional meaning as his work as a safety professional clearly resulted in fewer accidents and injuries. “When I was out in the field, initially, I really had nothing, no real bearings. But then, safety began to take on a meaning for me and I really, sincerely believed in it. I found a purpose and a direction.”
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“Kent has been an invaluable mentor to me over the course of my career in the construction industry. I congratulate him on building a very successful company!” Scott Grimes - The Mattison Corporation
Thank you Kent for your many years of dedication and service. Your contributions have had a major impact on our organizations.
Building Safety Excellence
Indiana Subcontractors Association
200 S Meridian Street, Suite 410 Indianapolis, IN 46225 www.miccs.org
www.indianasubcontractors.org
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safety services including an overall contractor safety management program. Other major owners began coming aboard, including Gerdau Ameristeel and LaFarge, both global companies that hired SMG for services that included work outside of the United States. And then the “Great Recession” hit the construction industry and SMG.
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Surviving the Economic Downturn “Life was pretty darn good, we had Lilly, Clarian, these global companies,” said Kent. “But all of these companies had hired
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the industry that helped me to meet all of those wonderful people who ultimately made it possible for Safety Management Group (SMG) to prosper.” Kent had become president of SMG in 1997 when he was also made part owner of the firm with Dan Touw and Dick Peterson. “At that point, in 1997, things were really beginning to take off, though Lilly was still about 95 percent of our business. I was working 20 hours a day, actually typing up invoices at night because we didn’t have a computer. There were only four associates at that time, “ he said.
Shortly after becoming president of SMG, and after having worked with David Doell of IU Health through the MICCS Certification Committee, an unfortunate fire occurred at the hospital (then called Clarian) that was started by the careless activity of a building contractor that would prove fortuitous for SMG. David Doell (who now works in the Facilities Department at Wabash University) and Doug Morris (who now similarly works for Butler University), who headed up the Facilities Department for Clarian, were two industry leaders who embraced MICCS and believed strongly, according to Kent, that “the hospital cannot get anybody hurt, their purpose is to heal people.” At the time, Clarian was going through a significant building spurt, rivaling the burgeoning programs at Lilly. The resulting partnership began with SMG providing “interim life safety measures” or components of a contractor safety program. Soon, the relationship blossomed into providing a full range of
us based on their capital expenditures, and when the economy hit, they cancelled all of these programs so they didn’t need us.” The company became leaner and smaller, reducing staff by about 30 associates.
“Kent positioned himself in the construction industry as the epitome of a safety professional. He is well-respected, trusted, and caring about every worker on a job-site; it can be said that Kent truly made a difference in his chosen profession.” JR Gaylor - Associated Builders and Contractors of Indiana
Congratulations Kent! It's been a pleasure working with you. Keep up all the good work and never stop inspiring! Associated Builders & Contractors of Indiana/Kentucky 5001 N Shadeland Ave - Indianapolis, IN 46226 317-596-4850 www.abcIndiana/Kentucky.org
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So, with the company back up to about 120 associates and its largest client landed and served without any reliance on him, the path toward Kent’s retirement was being laid.
A Family Atmosphere
“I helped at least 25 of them get new job offers, whether they ultimately wanted those jobs, I made sure that they had an option,” said Kent. Then a turning point occurred not only in terms of overcoming the recession but
also in providing Kent with confidence in the future of SMG even if that future would be without him at the helm. “The biggest thing to happen to SMG since our relationship with Lilly was American Electric Power (AEP) based in Colum-
bus, Ohio,” said Kent. “They realized that they had a large capital expenditure coming and they had no way of effectively managing contractor safety. They contacted every company on a national basis that they thought could provide that service to them, so we went head-to-head with everyone nationally and we won the contract. The cool part about that is that I wasn’t involved at all in the process. They are our largest client right now and they have no idea who I am.”
Kent is quick to point to what he terms, “family” as a major reason that SMG has flourished in good economic times and bad. The team that has helped from the beginning consists of Jesse Brazzell, Randy Gieseking, Ron Hanson, and Bobby Pirtle. With the execution of a succession plan, these four, minority owners for over nine years, are now the majority owners of the company. SMG has also added new minority owners Mike Martin, Chris Mitchell, and Mark Steinhofer. Kent considers all of the people his family. There were many days over the past 25 years when Kent spent more time with these people than his family at home.
GROUP OF COMPANIES wishes Kent the best in his new endeavors
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OVER 75 YEARS OF TOP QUALITY CONSTRUCTION.
FULL STEEL ERECTION COMPANY WITH OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE.
Rich History. Posiive Future. www.harmongroup.com
For bid opportuniies, please visit “Project Links” on our website and fill out the Subcontractor Pre-Qualificaaon Online Form.
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“Kent is a consummate professional, focused not only on the success of his firm, but also generously gave of his time to countless construction organizations and community causes. If there was a gathering of industry leaders, Kent was front and center. His leadership, passion and commitment to the construction industry will definitely be missed.” Sam Mishelow - Meyer Najem
He recognizes that his home family is another reason for the company's success. His wife Dawn, oldest daughter Jessica Bowden, youngest daughter Emma, and now granddaughter Charlie have always been supportive.
“Through the missed volleyball games, school activities, birthdays, and anniversaries –pesky MICCS banquet scheduling – not one complaint from the family, but only and always words of encouragement.” Kent will also admit his wife Dawn is the stronger of the two.
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“During times of business struggles and economic challenges, it was always Dawn saying not to worry and confirming things have a way of working out.”
The Next Steps Kent says he is making a clean break from construction. “The next chapter, I am not sure about it but I think I am done with this one. It’s been a game of business and I think that
I played it well and now I am going to go and play somewhere else. I think I’m done.” Kent becomes emotional when he talks about his next chapter, which will likely involve the outdoors. The idea started when Kent’s father died about 11 years ago.“When I was standing at his grave, I looked up and I saw a few deer and trees. I thought, boy, the outdoors is pretty neat. I think it was a sign and it started a whole sequence of events.” That sequence has included building and maintaining a lodge in Nebraska that hosts hunters who want to enjoy the camaraderie of hunting and the outdoors. He has since also become President of the local chapter of Pheasants Forever, a national nonprofit that has as its mission, the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs. The chapter, as well as local children, have benefited from Kent’s enthusiasm and business acumen.
“Some of my business stuff kicked in and I asked what was our mission. We decided that it was about kids, that no one takes them outdoors anymore, instead they are indoors, playing on their computers. Now, we send kids to camp. We have a couple of outdoor camps and we pay for kids to go to them.” When asked what advice Kent would give to others seeking to make a career in the construction industry, he says getting involved, for the right reasons, is key. “You have to be involved in the community, but you can’t go into it thinking about what you are going to get out of it. You have to think about what you can give back to the industry by getting involved in organizations that are seeking to make it better. When you do that, you find that you have the right people around you. My mom always said that you have to run with the right crowd, and this is just another version of doing just that. I got a whole life out of doing just that. I have been blessed with the return.”
REPRO
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