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Change of plans
If there is one thing Mike LeJeune knows about, it’s perseverance.
Growing up, LeJeune was pretty sure he’d go right into the steel business like his grandfather and father before him. But in 1989, they sold LeJeune Steel, leaving him to rethink his future.
“There goes my dream of taking over the family business,” LeJeune laughs.
The savings and loan crisis happened just after that, and the new owner made LeJeune the new CEO at the age of 31.
“He sat me down and asked if I thought I could handle it and of course I said yes. Then I went home and told my wife, Cindy, ‘I have no idea what I’m going to do. I can’t do this!’” says LeJeune.
He set his fears aside and went to work. He pressed through a commercial building recession and acquired a lucrative national account to help turn the company around.
In 1991, he was recruited over to FABCON to join the company as president, where the opportunity for growth was substantially better. 20 years later, he looks back at the ups and downs of working in commercial construction, and the innovations and hard work that have helped grow the company to what it is today.
A fresh face and a fresh start
The transition to a young, new leader took a little time.
“People were a bit apprehensive at first,” says Jim Houtman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Previously it had been a very family-related relaxed atmosphere and here comes this young, energetic, aggressive new face who wanted to shake things up.”
“My first impression was, ‘Who is this young guy?’” says Tom Kuckhahn, Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering. “The word ‘whippersnapper’ comes to mind because he looked young, but he really breathed a lot of life into the organization when he arrived.”
LeJeune’s early days at FABCON can best be described as a baptism by fire.
An acquisition completed in 1995 had not gone well: the two plants had doubled in size. Old equipment was replaced with new equipment and the staff hated it.
“We had a pile of hate mail from our customers because we couldn’t produce,” explains LeJeune. “On my first day I went from worrying that I had nothing to add to this perfectly run company to feeling like I was rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.”
Despite the internal issues, business was great. A huge building boom in the industrial segment and little to no competition in the precast market meant the jobs kept coming in. LeJeune worked with leadership to solve internal problems, turn customer attitudes around, and keep business flowing.
“I was pretty impressed with him and met him about the time Fabcon opened the Pennsylvania plant,” says Bob Anderson, President of RC Anderson Construction. “Here comes this new company trying to muscle its way into the market with a new president. I remember thinking he looked young but he was bright, energetic and always listened to our needs.”
Culture of collaboration
Once he had time to acclimate, LeJeune began to build a team. The average tenure of that leadership now stands at 13-14 years.
“Now we’re to a point where it feels like we can handle just about anything,” says LeJeune.
Kuckhahn agrees with that sentiment and credits LeJeune for creating a culture where teamwork is encouraged and the status quo is constantly challenged.
“Mike’s arrival at the company and some of the changes and evolutions go hand in hand,” says Kuckhahn. “Mike brought a sense of restlessness along with a positive energy for change.”
Shortly after his arrival, Fabcon expanded into new markets and made product changes to improve the offerings.
“When Mike started, the entire company realized that things were going to be different,” says Kuckhahn. “He was interested in improving the company, no matter where the idea came from or what area it involved, from products to processes. He’s rewarded those who have embraced that culture of constant improvement.”
“He took us from a mom and pop to a more professional organization,” says Houtman. “He had the tenacity and the vision to drive us to a new level. Now people really understand their roles and perform them at a high level of competency,”
The culture of collaboration also comes with occasional disagreements.
“We know each other well enough now that we can have a heated disagreement but still remain friends,” says Kuckhahn. “It’s because there’s camaraderie there.”
Building the business
LeJeune knew talent when he saw it. He convinced Robin Brown, previously a Stress-Con Inc. employee, to work for Fabcon. His customers are glad he did.
Brown and LeJeune convinced Ed Piekarz of Matrix Development Company to come and see the rolling bed technology at the Minneapolis plant and give Fabcon a chance. 20-some projects later, they’re still working together.
“What I like about Mike is that he believes the company is a resource to developers. We’re not just getting pricing, we’re getting knowledge and that’s information we can use when we’re selling projects,” says Piekarz, now CEO of New Jersey-based
TriCon Construction Services and Management Corp.
“You’re absolutely working together, even in difficult times. Never once have we ever been at odds. We have always worked it out. That kind of a relationship is unique, refreshing and builds trust,” says Piekarz.
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Making changes
Long known for its innovations, Fabcon continued to evolve under LeJeune’s leadership. A variety of changes happened during LeJeune’s tenure, though he’ll admit they’re not all his ideas.
“I don’t always have the best ideas but I know them when I hear them,” LeJeune says.
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Some of the biggest changes that happened at Fabcon during the last 20 years include:
- Hiring Mark Hanson and forming a project management department to keep projects moving
- Strengthened safety processes to ensure fewer injuries
- The transition to VersaCore+Green which came after several failed attempts and a lot of ingenuity and perseverance
- Expansion into Pennsylvania and Kansas City
- Laser automation
- Hiring a third party for hauling
- Environmentally friendly practices such as recycling water and construction materials
- Flexible work schedules for office staff
“These were all helpful to the business but they pale in comparison to what was accomplished before my time,” LeJeune says.
“Not all of the ideas have been successful,” laughs Houtman. “There have been some notable failures. But Mike gives people the flexibility to make decisions and when things go wrong, it’s not about punishment but about learning and growing.”
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Earning respect
Ask anyone at Fabcon what words come to mind when they think of LeJeune and the top answers are integrity, committed, persuasive, inspirational and likable.
“I consider Mike to be one of the top few percent of true authentic leaders,” says Don Westman, member of the Fabcon Board of Directors. “He always puts his people first. He truly cares about his team, has experienced incredible loyalty and maintains a level of respect across the business that few in leadership achieve.”
“Mike has a strong sense of family and values which gives him the courage to be who he is,” adds Houtman.
LeJeune serves on several Boards of Directors, including those at Fabcon, Dunwoody College of Technology and the YMCA. He enjoys helping others with their strategic planning.
Customers like Jack Grotkin, Co-President of RJ Ryan Construction, who has partnered with Fabcon on some 250 projects primarily in the Twin Cities area, say LeJeune and his team have earned his admiration.
“Mike has always listened to his customers and has made himself available to anyone who needs him,” says Grotkin. “He’s loyal to his customers and we’re loyal to Fabcon.”
LeJeune says accessibility is a priority, no matter who needs to talk to him.
“The welfare of FABCON is our number one goal. If you need me to help you out, I’ve got nothing better to do.”
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Better together
With a solid team in place and all eyes on future growth, LeJeune continues to credit those around him.
He borrows a concept from Andrew Carnegie’s Master Mind principle.
“We’ve got this great team and together, our minds work like a single master mind,” says LeJeune. “I think that together we can do anything.”
That same sense of perseverance and collaboration that got him this far, will continue to guide him through the next 20 years – or at least until he retires.
The post Mike LeJeune: 20 years of Integrity, Innovation and Persistence appeared first on Fabcon USA.
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