Category: In the Community

This May we celebrated our Millwright Apprenticeship graduates; Doug Praska, James Stapleton, and Shawn Hudnell. These individuals demonstrated great determination and perseverance in completing this demanding and honorable program.

The apprenticeship program is a four-year commitment, consisting of 156 classroom hours and 2000 field training hours a year. Apprentices complete four levels of training, where they master problem solving, math (up to trigonometry), precision layouts, welding, hydraulics, repairs and maintenance, rigging, and pneumatics. Participation in this program is voluntary; no employee is required to enroll.

At Keen, we believe in building strong foundations. This apprenticeship program is a very important piece of that puzzle. Congratulations to our recent graduates and thank you to all who help make this program a success!

Photo: Michael Leyva, Instructor, James Stapleton, Doug Praska, Shawn Hudnell, Jennifer Theulen, Apprenticeship Coordinator

On May 19^th, Keen proudly welcomed 11 interns to the team. We are happy to support their professional growth this summer. Our interns play an important role at Keen, as they bring fresh perspectives, a passion for learning, and additional hands to help manage our demanding project schedule.

January 22-24 the Keen team came together for training. Training started with Safety training sponsored by the Safety Steering Committee with Competent person, CPR, and rigging training. Thursday, we came together for Leadership training based on “Great by Choice” by Jim Collins. Cory, Dustin, and Matt started the day with company updates providing a time for everyone to ask questions about the direction of the company. We heard from long-term customer Jim Herr with Beck’s. Friday started with an impromptu Lean Coffee and ended with our annual party celebrating employees and their contributions. This year was extra special being our 10-year anniversary. We added the Spirit of Keen award with the first recipients being our founders Dustin Waters, Cory Larson, and Matt Frandsen. Our annual Merit award winners were also recognized. The Millwrights added a prestigious award with the Millwright Challenge coin. The Coin is awarded to Millwrights and team members who show outstanding contributions to Keen and the position of Millwright.

The feedback from our team was outstanding:

“The guest speaker from Beck’s helped me understand an issue I have been dealing with for quite a while, and I have a totally different view with my career because of what he had to say.”

“The whole leadership theme was great and really fit what we do here at Keen. It felt really good to see our owners in a town-hall-type setting and continue to be transparent, open and honest.”

 “I liked the assigned seating because it takes you out of your own bubble. The speakers were entertaining and knowledgeable.”

We look forward to planning a great training for 2026!

Nathan Etter and Joe Smith graduated from the Keen Apprenticeship Journeyman Millwright program on June 7^th. The Keen Millwright Apprenticeship program is open to all employees at Keen. The four-level commitment includes 8,000 hours on the job training and 600 classroom hours. Upon graduation apprentices are certified as Journeyman Millwrights by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). Keen’s first of its kind merit shop apprenticeship program is an example of how Keen builds their workforce and offers development opportunities at every level and position. If you would like more information on our apprenticeship program reach out to Karla (kjorgensen@keenprojectsolutions.com) or Michael mleyva@keenprojectsolutions.com.

The Keen team participated in Corporate Games 2024 with several employees testing their athleticism at multiple events including track, bowling, golf, bags, and pickle ball. Our teams had a blast hanging out with coworkers outside of work and being active. The Corporate games is a company-based competition starting in late May and running through the end of July. It offers and supports teamwork in an environment outside of the office with over 25 events your company can compete in.

Jack Wallace – Commercial Team Intern

This past summer at Keen was a valuable experience for me and my education. I mostly worked on the pre-con budgeting for a large project. In my past internships I worked on a jobsite and saw the construction process firsthand. At Keen I was able to see what goes into a project before it even breaks ground. Not only was this summer a good learning opportunity, but it also allowed me to expand my network in the construction world, (professionally and socially). Construction on the Tanker Wash Project should begin in the next few weeks, and while I won’t be on-site, I’ll know my work helped to make the job happen. I’ve enjoyed Keen a lot and I’m very appreciative of everyone who’s helped me learn and grow. I look forward to continuing this experience by working part-time during my final year at Iowa State.

Jocelyn Burns – Quality Assurance Intern

Working with Keen this past summer and fall has helped me learn a lot and gain a new perspective on Quality Assurance! I am a part of several project teams in several industries, and it has been great to learn so much so quickly. Keen helped me expand my knowledge of construction, starting up, commissioning, and troubleshooting equipment. I enjoyed working with people in all areas of a project cycle and building relationships that made me feel comfortable asking questions, offering ideas, and trying new things. Every day is a new, exciting experience, and I am excited to continue working with Keen!

Frankfort Crew

The first Field Appreciation Week took place in the summer of 2023. The Keen Cares committee created the annual event to show appreciation to the field team. The theme for field appreciation is Safety and hydration, gifts are chosen in support of this each year. The 2024 gift for the field team was a duffle bag, a cooling scarf, and hydration packets. The duffle bags are large enough that field team members can use them to store their safety gear (hard hats, harnesses, gloves, etc.).

The feedback after both year’s events has been positive. The team appreciates the recognition and especially the time spent with Leadership team members as they deliver the items to each location. We look forward to this yearly tradition! Here are a few photos from 2024 deliveries.

On June 7th Nathan Etter and Joseph Smith graduated from the Keen Journeyman Millwright apprenticeship program. In attendance were Michael Leyva (instructor), Lawrence Cunningham, Matt Frandsen, Chuck Smith, and previous graduates Frank McBrayer and Robbie Guthrie.

Nathan and Joe completed 8,000 on the job hours and 600 classroom hours. The four-year commitment requires checkpoints to prove mastery of the materials being covered. Here are just a few of the skills the apprenticeship classes cover: Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Conveyance systems, construction drawings, hydraulic systems, pneumatic systems, pump design & repair, rotating shaft alignment, optical alignment for site layout and equipment setting, rigging qualification, predictive maintenance, ultrasound and vibration analysis.

For questions about the program or if you are interested in applying, please contact Jennifer Theulen (jtheulen@keenprojectsolutions.com) or Michael Leyva ( mleyva@keenprojectsolutions.com). If you want to know more about the experience these are our current graduates: Frank McBrayer, Robbie Guthrie, Servando Perez, Joe Smith
and Nathan Etter. They would be happy to tell you about their experience and why you should pursue it as well! There are 19 millwrights signed up for this coming year across the four levels, are you next?

Earlier this year, we successfully held our annual all-company training event. The inspiring theme “People First, Building Second” underlines our commitment to valuing our employees above all, focusing on their personal and professional development in a supportive community. A notable innovation this year was the introduction of microlearning sessions. These brief, impactful learning bursts of 3-5 minutes were designed to efficiently convey key information and skills, and they were met with enthusiastic feedback from participants for enhancing learning without overwhelming.

The event showcased a mix of 17 interactive booths from both external partners and our internal departments such as HR, IT, Marketing, and Engineering, offering a diverse array of learning opportunities. This approach facilitated deep knowledge sharing across various topics and fostered stronger connections among team members.

Reflecting on this year’s event, the overwhelmingly positive feedback underscores the value of continuous learning and the effectiveness of our new microlearning format. As we look forward to the next annual training, we are encouraged by the growth and engagement of our team and are excited to build on this year’s successes.