Keeley'n Spotlight: Kevin Nesselhauf

For many of our people, construction runs in their blood. They grew up in the construction industry and saw firsthand what it’s like to build something from the ground up. Kevin Nesselhauf, Project Development Manager for our Building and Industrial Groups, grew up with a grandfather that served as a Union carpenter and a high school shop teacher that peaked his interest in architecture and mechanical processes. He brought his passion and talents to the Keeley family three years ago and has helped transform our groups into world-class builders, constantly exceeding expectations.

“My view on construction has evolved over my career, and I have come to really appreciate just how challenging this profession is. There are so many times when I am just astonished that we can put these massive projects together piece by piece, with all of the challenges that exist.”

Before joining Keeley, Kevin had the chance to work with the team on a project that his former company was a part of. After experiencing the Keeley difference firsthand, Kevin knew that he wanted to join a contractor that was known for their high-quality work and was respected throughout the industry. Through his immense talent and some personal connections, Kevin joined the Building Group. From the start, Kevin was given the freedom and empowerment to take his work to the next level. To this day, he continues to feel empowered in every aspect of his job.

“I have worked for both large and small companies throughout my career, and Keeley is unique in that it functions like both. We are given the opportunity to truly OWN our work and build our relationships like a small company. However, we are also supported by a high functioning support team – Business Development, Marketing, Safety, and Quality – who take care of the work that would bog us down at a small company. Personally, I have been challenged to do more of the things I am good at while being supported in both training and additional resources on the things that I may not be an expert at.”

Kevin has loved his years in the construction industry and is incredibly excited for the future. He loves the fact that he is able to work with so many diverse and talented people every day, all focused on challenging work while continuously showing how resilient and creative they are. Kevin is also a very hands-on team member, so he is grateful to have the opportunities to build amazing things, regardless of size.

“I have been on massive projects in my career that took thousands of craftspeople and cost billions of dollars. Those projects don’t match the joy that opening a new ALD can bring to a small town or renovating an existing facility can bring to the team members that work there every day.”

When it comes to the future, Kevin is most excited to help new and existing customers develop complex projects and understand the value that his team brings to our business. He finds it incredibly rewarding when he can interact with customers directly and help them achieve their goals. He is also excited to help develop new team members joining the Keeley family every day. The opportunities are coming in, but it is important that Kevin’s team has the right people for the job. As team members grow, it is important to be able to pass their knowledge and skills along to new team members quickly and effectively.

Throughout his experience in the industry, Kevin has learned a lot of lessons. The most important lesson he has learned is that there are so many knowledgeable people that truly want to help you learn and grow to your fullest potential. He knows just how valuable it is to have the self-awareness to realize that you don’t know everything and are not expected to. However, you need the ability to realize where you can learn and cultivate your existing knowledge using available resources to advance your career while helping others. If Kevin could give one piece of advice to those just starting out in the industry, it would be:

“Try to experience as many different types and sizes of projects as possible. Having a wider knowledge base earlier in your career can help you identify your strengths, weaknesses, and passions. It can make you more valuable to your team and can open more doors for you in your career. Do not be afraid to raise your hand and ask for more work. I believe I have been most successful when I have been most uncomfortable. Those times challenged me to learn more and to identify resources to help me grow.”

Kevin has loved his experience over the last three years, but his favorite thing about being a Keeley’n is the people. His team is phenomenally talented, fun, empowered, and accepting. He embraces Keeley’s focus on community service through #KeeleyCares and diversity empowerment through KeeleyOne. Kevin is also a fierce believer in our core values, PRIDE: People, Respect, Integrity, Discipline, and Empowerment. If he had to choose one value that he sees lived out most every day, it would be Empowerment. He sees his team members and Keeley’ns from across the company feel empowered to make their jobs better by improving themselves and their processes. They are empowered to do more to achieve results and make final products better.

“This type of character is not something you can really teach. It is something that must already exist in that person, and we have so many people exploding with this.”

Here at Keeley, we like to say that we are a career destination for our people. Kevin knows that he has found his career destination, and he hopes everyone that joins this family will find their career destination, as well.

“Culturally, I don’t think there is a better construction company out there. There are so many reasons to want to be at Keeley, but if someone is passionate about exceeding expectations, executing projects at high levels of quality and safety, making themselves better every day, giving back to the community, and being open and accepting of all people in our industry, they will fit right in at Keeley. These things aren’t lip service, they are the heart and soul of our company.”

Kevin, thank you for your passion, dedication, and excitement around your growth and our culture. Your journey is just getting started and we can’t wait to see where you take our company.