Big tops and BBQ

The FABCON Pleasanton plant hit the ground running on Thursday, June 4^th under hazy Kansas skies in a big white tent on a gravel lot and with a whole lot of barbecue.

This is the company’s first expansion in 14 years and the fourth plant in the U.S. Years of planning, months of hard work and weeks of prepping culminated in a grand opening event with vendors, suppliers, city and county officials, employees and their families.

“It’s wonderful ­– the excitement has been an inspiration for the community,” said Rocky Beltz, Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce President. “It’s breathing new life into the community. The momentum that it brings has created momentum with other projects.”

Beltz and others at the city, county and state levels made FABCON leadership feel at home from the start.

“The community involvement and sense of welcome to get this plant open has been fantastic,” said Austin Partee, Plant Manager. “We’re all working for the same thing: to be successful, to grow and to provide jobs to area residents.”

Welcome to Kansas

During brief welcome remarks, National Accounts Manager Jim Houtman talked about the good fortune of finding the Pleasanton location.

The plant was previously occupied by IPC, Inc., a subsidiary of Cretex Companies, Inc.  who conducted similar work at the site. The building infrastructure and surrounding yard space were in good condition, allowing FABCON to quickly modify  the building to manufacture wall panels. The location was perfect.

“We get to expand our market, follow our customers based on their success and get closer to markets that we already service,” said Houtman. “This plant is going to help us better serve our customers, allow us to grow and bring jobs back to the community.”

After IPC’s departure, jobs were lost and the space sat vacant until now. The new plant brings 35-40 jobs to the area, and a shot in the arm for the local economy.

“It’s nice to see a project of this magnitude in a rural area,” said Craig VanWey , Regional Project Manager at the Kansas Department of Commerce. “It’s a testament to our quality workforce and our transportation system that a company like this can locate here and compete.”

City Administrator Erica Kern also likes the fact that FABCON is established, committed and looking to grow.

“It’s a relief to have a diverse company with a solid foundation instead of a company just filling the spot for awhile,” said Kern. “We are so happy to have some activity on this end of town again.”

The plant is also an opportunity for current partnerships to expand. Jeff Henderson, Senior Vice President of Operations at Ryan Transportation, FABCON’s exclusive transportation company, was thrilled to be awarded additional work through the Pleasanton location.

“We’ve had a great partnership because it’s an open dialogue,” said Henderson. “We can discuss what has or hasn’t worked and get to know their processes so we can get our trucks in and out in the most efficient way possible. When you have an exclusive relationship, you get to do those things. It really makes a big difference.”

Talent Pool

Production Manager Mike Hayden and Project Manager Ryan Ksiazekwere impressed with the level of talent available in such a rural area.

“We were very fortunate to hire a really good core group of employees locally,” said Hayden. “They caught on fast, they’re highly motivated and ready to go. “

“There’s a great deal of technical knowledge and dedication in these new hires,” said Ksiazek. “They’re extremely resourceful. It’s amazing what they can help produce, whether it’s finding a piece of equipment or providing solutions to problems that pop up.”

Despite the knowledge and drive, president Mike LeJeune and others in leadership knew they would need proper training to get up to speed. They brought in veterans to help pave the way.

“It’s fun to build a team and see the enthusiasm from them and from the employees from other plants who are coming down to train,” said LeJeune. “There is a lot of excitement to get things up and running.”

Building A Team

Quality Assurance manager Fred Purdy was involved in the initial construction of the IPC plant and is happy to be back at work, this time with FABCON.

“It’s great to see this plant revitalized with the right mindset and backing,” said Purdy, who’s worked in the concrete industry for more than 20 years. He’s now building a team of other experienced staff he’s worked with for many of those years.

“There’s reason to be excited because these are guys that have been there and done that,” said Purdy. “It’s not about me, it’s about them.”

Safety Manager Jennifer Dunlop set aside her pursuit of a law degree to sign on with FABCON. She went to the career fair and realized she could put her education, including a Masters in Business, another in Human Resources and her law school knowledge all into a safety manager position.

“I’m very detail-oriented,” Dunlop said. “I love regulations so I get to do the law related stuff, I get to deliver safety training and put all of my experience to work.”

As far as working with Partee, Hayden and Purdy, she couldn’t respect and appreciate them more.

“I love it,” said Dunlop. “Austin and Mike and Fred are the best team to work for. And Christina, our production assistant is amazing. Everyone here puts in an honest day’s work and it feels like a little family.”

“They mean what they say about quality, safety and caring about their employees,” said Purdy. “I think they’re going to do whatever it takes to realize success,”

Ready To Roll

With 20 years of experience including at other FABCON plants, Ksiazek knew exactly what he wanted to see built into the new location.

“I want a facility that’s easy for the production folks to use,” added Ksiazek. “I’ve worked in the field before and I know there’s a lot of small things that can aggravate workflow. We want to  produce at high volume but also maintain high quality.”

In addition to safety and quality work, Partee and Hayden aim to create the right culture, perpetuating the FABCON way.

“We have a great opportunity to instill a new culture of safety. Cleanliness is a big part of having a safe environment,” said Hayden.

“We want to build pride into the workplace and I want everyone getting as much value out of their position as they can,” said Partee.

There’s no question that pride is already in place.

“These are some of the best beds in the country and we are producing the very best product available,” said Partee.

Room to Grow

The two beds at the Pleasanton plant are 250 feet long. LeJeune says there’s plenty of room to lengthen the beds to increase capacity.

“We’ll do a million and half square feet per year but if we needed to, we could handle 2.5 million square feet per year,” said LeJeune.

“We’ll be at full capacity for a good chunk of this year because we already sold what we budgeted,” he explained. “Our goal is to hit between $35 million and $50 million in revenue here this year.”

FABCON’s first projects out of the this plant are a Gander Mountain in Chesterfield, Mo., a Hy-Vee grocery store in Independence, Mo., and an existing data center project in Oklahoma that will now be serviced out of the Pleasanton plant. The work here will represent about 10-12 percent of FABCON’s business.

Off We Go

After a Kansas city-style barbecue complete with cole-slaw and potato salad, courtesy of Papa Bob’s catering, anyone wanting a tour could get a first look at the plant.  The ceremonial ribbon was cut, gratitude conveyed and a sense of achievement and hope were pervasive.

Now it’s on to the business of getting the real work done.

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FABCON is excited to announce that John Allgaier has been named the company’s new Director of Finance & Supply Chain.  John joins FABCON after spending 34 years with General Mills in varying sourcing and finance roles, most recently as Senior Sourcing Director – Brand Licensing. 

“Our ability to attract Fortune 500 talent to FABCON is a testament to our success as a company, the product we deliver and the people who make it happen,”  said FABCON CFO Mark Pederson.

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As production begins at the newly-constructed Pleasanton, Kansas plant, see our photo gallery below for a first-hand look at the brand new facility and equipment.

The post An Inside Look at FABCON’s Pleasanton Plant appeared first on Fabcon USA.

In the world of precast concrete, there is more innovation and opportunity than you might realize. At FABCON Precast based in Savage, Minnesota, they’re constantly coming up with new ways to innovate products, finishes, and systems. Human Resources manager Tracy Engstrand keeps busy looking for everything from field operations to drafters to engineers and salespeople. With hundreds on staff at four locations in Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kansas, Engstrand says there is something for just about everyone.

Getting In Is Just The Beginning

“The thing that makes FABCON unique is that it’s two companies in one,” says Enstrand. “We’re in both manufacturing and construction. That enables people who work here to move between the two if they choose.”

He gives the example of a safety manager that became a field superintendent, or the administrative assistant who is now the Director of Quality Assurance.The opportunity to move to an entirely different department and function doesn’t exist in many manufacturing or construction careers. “The more you broaden your understanding of the businesses, the better you can position yourself for other opportunities,” says Engstrand.

Retaining Talent

Engstrand says they make it a point to hire from within at FABCON. Again, he underscores the importance of demonstrating hard work and the willingness to learn more about the company as a way to advance.

“We’re looking for people who want to learn all aspects of the business and then move up,” explains Engstrand. “If you’re willing to learn the foundational stuff about drafting, estimating, manufacturing and field operations, then you really start to understand the breadth and depth of what this business entails.”

President Mike LeJeune echoes that sentiment.

“If you prove yourself, you have the opportunity to advance to any position, including mine,” says LeJeune.

Director of Quality Assurance Linda Whitmore says she’s living proof of that concept.

“While I was working in my first role here, the company paid for me to finish my college degree,” she says. “From there, I was given as much opportunity as I could handle. I have been the Director of Project Management, the Director of Corporate ISO and the Director of Quality Assurance.”

Whitmore says she’s not the only one to be afforded opportunities at FABCON.

“People who like a fast-paced environment do well here and are rewarded with new challenges,” says Whitmore.

The FABCON “Type”

Engstrand is the first to admit that manufacturing and construction are not for the faint of heart. The industry can be challenging and at times, volatile.

“There are a million things happening here at once and we’re really date driven so you have to like that fast pace,” says Engstrand. “You’ve got to be a person that’s motivated to get things done when they’re due. We’re putting up multi-million dollar buildings so there’s a reward in getting to see your work when it’s all done.”

He explains that many of the current employees are there because, in simplest terms, they like to make things.

“Construction people like to build and they lot of pride in what they do,” says Engstrand. “There’s a fair amount of science – for example making finishes on panels in the plant. We have to adhere to processes and requirements but at the end of the day, it’s fun to look at the finished product and know you played a part in getting it there.”

Sales engineer Linh Pham gets it completely. She loves to point out buildings she’s worked on to family and friends.

“I’ll see one and say, ‘That’s my building!’” says Pham. “It’s neat to be a part of the project from the early conceptual stages, and to see schematic designs realized and turned into reality.”

She also enjoys the opportunity to influence the end product. “I once proposed a small suggestion on a local Target store,” she explains. “Even though it was small suggestion, they implemented it on that project and on subsequent stores I saw.  Now I can smile every time I walk past the front entry at those Target stores. ”

The FABCON Way

LeJeune says he’s worked hard to create a culture of respect and ethical conduct at FABCON. He and the rest of his leadership team try to lead by example.

“We have what we call the FABCON way,” says LeJeune. “The most important thing is respect because it makes everyone work hard for each other. We’ve created a culture that’s conducive to great performance.”

Project manager Tyson Intile agrees. He likes the atmosphere of hard work and constant support.

“You hear other companies talk about their open door policy but we truly have one here,” says Intile. “Our leadership is very accessible. I’m very comfortable picking up the phone to call the officers – or anyone that I work with. Everyone answers the phone to see how they can help.”

Engstrand says to keep people like Intile and others in place, they have to stay competitive with pay, benefits and for many positions, flexible schedules.

“We try to offer flexibility and provide the technology for people to do their work off site more effectively,” says Engstrand. “We pay attention to what we’re asking of employees in terms of trying to balance their life. That helps us create a more positive culture by showing employees that we care about them and want them to be successful.”

To learn more about FABCON’s wide range of career opportunities, visit our Career Spotlights page.

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FABCON is excited to announce the addition of Don Burns as the new Plant Manager in Ohio.  Don brings to Fabcon 30 years of manufacturing experience in everything from stampings and circuit breakers to baking equipment and torque converters.  Don has worked for a number of manufacturers including Siemens and Schaeffler Automotive, a tier one provider to the auto industry, and with that comes experience in the mature Lean cultures they have.  We are confident that Don will add to what is already a great team in Ohio.

Don currently resides Dublin and is an Ohio State engineering graduate.  Don has two grown children, also both engineers.

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FABCON is excited to announce the first of our new three-part video series titled The FABCON Way.

In the first video, CEO Mike LeJeune discusses the company’s values and the wide variety of exciting career opportunities that FABCON has to offer.

Stay tuned as we look closely at FABCON’s Mission and Vision and offer viewers an inside look at FABCON’s product benefits and the LEAN manufacturing process.

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FABCON is proud to announce that Ryan Ksiazek has been named Corporate Project Manager.  In his new role with the company, Ryan will be responsible for our internal construction, capital, and improvement projects.   

Ryan brings significant knowledge of general construction and construction management along with development of brown field and green field sites.  His career prior to FABCON includes project management of Train Stations, Intermodal, Hospital, Schools, Clinics, Clean Room, Office, Civil, Pavement, Remodel, Hazardous Cleanup, Colleges, Parking Facilities, and most recently lead the fit up of the new Kansas Plant for FABCON.  Ryan began his career with FABCON in March of 2014 as a Project Manager.

Ryan and his wife, Maria, currently reside in south Minneapolis.  He and his wife enjoy cooking, gardening, camping, and are expecting their first child in October.

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FABCON is excited to present the second of our three-video series titled The FABCON Vision.  CEO Mike LeJeune discusses FABCON’s ongoing efforts to create a culture of safety, service, quality and efficiency.

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When FABCON decided to acquire American Precast and expand into the Ohio market 20 years ago, it was part of a package deal. There were two plants, one in Columbus, Ohio and one in Indianapolis that looked attractive. Both of them, however, needed a lot of work to get up and running.

“We bought new technology to cater to new markets in the area and it was a great way for us to expand and serve those markets,” says Jim Houtman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We bought both plants but had to update, repair and retrofit a lot before we could operate.”

It was just two years after Houtman had started the national accounts program. Ohio was a huge distribution market with its central U.S. location. There was already work for the plants in national customers Home Depot, Myer out of Michigan and Topps out of New York.

“The expansion essentially doubled the size of the company,” says Houtman. “It also gave our customers greater reach for their expansions.”

A Look Back

The Ohio plant staff will tell you they were somewhat autonomous in the early years. Management split time between the Indiana and Ohio plants so many decisions were made on site and on demand.

“It was nerve racking at first,” says former plant manager Bill Hunt. He came to FABCON from competitor American Precast.

“A new job always comes with anxiety but it all turned out really well,” says Hunt. “FABCON leadership knew what they were doing and once you got to know them and saw how they were doing things, you knew they would succeed.”

“Bill and I hit it off right away,” says sales engineer, Mark McSweeney. “You wanted to be on Bill’s good side, though. He was a great plant manager who really understood our processes.”

And like many FABCON jobs, tasks were accomplished by willing hands, no matter the job description.

“If they had production issues, they would call Bill or me,” says McSweeney. “We worked through a lot of issues, sometimes taking corrective action and sometimes preventive.”

Eventually the Indiana plant closed, meaning more work and more focus for Ohio. It was also a time for additional growth.

Room to Grow

The Ohio plant originally opened with a 600-foot bed and a handful of offerings. That would soon change.

In early 2000, FABCON began using Versacore+Green, the most advanced wall panel ever.

“That was revolutionary for FABCON,” says McSweeney.

Within a few years, another 600-foot bed was added. Then a 200-foot extension was added to one of the beds, then the other to create two 800-foot rolling beds. And finally in 2005, a 300-foot long bed was added to accommodate a 12-foot wide panel product.

“That helped us to service distribution centers, warehouses and other large projects,” says McSweeney. “The unique situation here is that our competition, ELB Precaster, did all 12-foot wide product and there was a demand in the market for it. That was the driver for us.”

“Those expansions created a panic because the people working in those areas just didn’t think they could do all of that,” says Hunt.  “But that proved to them that they could do it. Then it became a 7 day-a-week operation. That’s a lot of product to turn out.”

The offering was still somewhat basic compared to today’s choices: no exposed aggregate, no brick panels, no fancy finishes. Just wall panels.

Ronda Link remembers it well. She had quit her job with American Precast and was hired on by FABCON to work as a project manager. She didn’t know then she would spend the next 20 years at FABCON.

“The big change was going to multiple shifts,” says Link. “That was a huge change in the environment. We didn’t have just 9-5 shifts anymore. We also improved the quality of the product at the time. It reduced the number of panels we couldn’t use.”

Link remembers her time at FABCON fondly. She also credits the company for her son, Rick’s longtime career there.

Rick came on board in 1988 to help in the field and eventually made his way into the plant. He moved to Pennsylvania to open the Mahonoy City plant, and then back to Ohio. 27 years later, Rick is now the plant manager in Minneapolis.

“You can’t believe how excited I was to see Rick flourish,” says Link. “I’m very proud of him. Mike LeJeune gave Rick and I multiple opportunities and we’re very grateful.”

Rick Link recalls the challenges related to growth and the level of commitment from his colleagues required to meet the expectations.

“We would have been alright maintaining the status quo but the officer group always challenges us to go to the next level,” says Link. “We have high standards and great history of performing well. The team they assembled at the time could handle the stress and that’s what got us through.”

It was a team that didn’t know what it was capable of until they were asked to perform at a higher level.

“You couldn’t satisfy enough customers and you never had time for a dull moment,” says Hunt. “You wondered where the day went every day. It was challenging but exciting. You went home satisfied because you got a good day’s work in.”

Moving Forward

Over the years, the offerings expanded, more finishes were added and new customers signed on, including Geis, Duke Realty, Browning and Opus. A 20-year timespan also means a changing of the guard.

Ronda Link retired in 2002 and Hunt in 2012. Rick Link now manages Minnesota. And the new Ohio plant manager, Don Burns, just started his role, ushering in the beginning of the next FABCON-Ohio chapter.

“The Ohio plant was a smart, strategic growth move that put us in position to be a stronger competitor in the marketplace, ”says Houtman. “It continues to be a great example of efficiency and profitability.”

“We’ve come a long way from the plain, gray wall,” says Hunt reflecting on 20 years of work. He still likes to look at the buildings he helped construct as he’s driving around town. And he’s looking forward to the next 20 years of watching FABCON grow, evolve and thrive.

FABCON Ohio By The Numbers

Number of Buildings Constructed: 1,500

Revenue: $665 Million

# of Customers: 750

Key Clients: OPUS, Duke Realty, Prologis, Geis Companies, Exxcel Project Management LLC

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By designing, manufacturing and installing all of our panels, FABCON is able to ensure that each component of every project is completed in a professional and timely manner.

Our ability to be a one-stop precast shop has allowed us to consistently provide our partners with superb customer service and state-of-the-art craftsmanship - The FABCON Difference.

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This excerpt was taken from Dunwoody College of Technology’s Leadership Lecture Series

CEO & President of FABCON Companies Michael (Mike) LeJeune presented at the College’s latest Leadership Lecture Series event on May 7, 2015. The series—offered the first Thursday of every month—has brought several prominent speakers to campus to speak on a variety of leadership topics.

The premise of Mike’s presentation was the “Importance of Corporate Culture” and what leaders can do to create a successful one.

Mike began his presentation by sharing the progression of his professional life with the audience, highlighting some of the challenges he first began to experience during his early years with FABCON. Mike explained that after years of trying to find the root of the problem, he realized it was something much bigger than he was expecting: it was the overall culture of the organization.

“The most important thing I can do as a CEO is create a corporate culture where everyone can succeed,” Mike said.

Mike’s decision to shift the corporate culture of FABCON ultimately shaped a set of important guidelines he and his employees now follow–something they call “The FABCON Way”:

• Keep your integrity.
• Focus on what is right instead of what is wrong.
• Say thank you.
• Treat everyone with respect.
• Focus on the process, not the person.
• Really listen.
• Know it’s okay to make a mistake.
• Explain why you want someone to do something; share with them the big picture.
• Celebrate success.
• Have fun.

Mike explained that by following this simple but effective list of corporate ethics, FABCON—and its employees—have emerged stronger and more successful than ever. He hopes his story and these tips encourage organizational leaders in a similar situation to do the same.

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SAVAGE, MN - FABCON is excited to welcome Jeremy Hossler to our Pennsylvania plant’s engineering team as the company’s newest design engineer.

Jeremy holds a B.S. degree in Plant and Facility Engineering from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He has both plant facility design experience along with significant experience in building design and construction.  

With his wealth of knowledge and experience, Jeremy should prove to be an outstanding addition to FABCON’s engineering corps.

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It wouldn’t normally make sense for someone to turn down business upon opening a new facility, but when FABCON opened its doors 15 years ago in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, that’s exactly what Robin Brown did.

“We weren’t ready and I didn’t want to tarnish our reputation by taking jobs before we could produce the material,” says Brown, now a National Sales Manager. “FABCON had a great reputation and my reason for waiting was simple: I knew that before we worked with major clients and the design community, it was important that we were confident that we could deliver exactly what was expected.”

That meant getting the plant and employees up to speed to be sure quality products were produced in a timely way.

“The jobs we accepted were specifically chosen because we knew we could do them well,” says Brown.

The strategy paid off. Within months, Brown and the company began to gain the confidence of major clients, grow organically and expand into the eastern part of the country.

Humble Beginnings

There is always a learning curve at the beginning.

“At one point I thought we were at a clear disadvantage because we were the new kids on the block,” says Ernie Wargo, plant manager. “But now I’ve got staff that have been together for 15 years and we’re in a much better position now.”

Wargo says the Pennsylvania plant is the only one that FABCON built from scratch.

“We identified past issues and our intent was to avoid those things here with this plant,” says Wargo. “We reaped the benefits from implementing some changes. Not to say that everything was perfect, but it helped,” laughs Wargo.

Mark Gasper remembers the beginning. He started as a drafter and now works as a sales engineer.

“This company has come a long way,” Gasper says. “We had to survive some struggles and learn how the east coast market is different than the Midwest. We had a completely different product.”

The product offerings and many other things were about to change.

Talent Pool

To help get the plant up and running, several transplants were borrowed from other locations. People like Chris Desrosier.

“I like to take something new and help make it successful so it can run smoothly,” says Desrosier.”

Desrosier has been involved with just about everything on production, including safety. Lucky for him, he had good help along the way. Like former boss, Mike Hayden.

“I have a lot of respect for Mike,” says Desrosier. “He runs things with discipline, just like learned in the Marines.”

Morgan Denton was another transplant. He came from Minnesota to head up drafting and engineering.

“I was impressed at the level of tenure from the start,” says Brown. “Precast is a niche business and FABCON had a large and talented pool of leaders, including Denton.”

“As we gained more experience, people became more willing to help each other,” says Gasper.

The team grew in numbers and strength. It was the team that would persevere through changes, big and small.

Product Changes

One of the first big changes was the switch from 12-inch hollow core sandwich panel to VersaCoreÔ.

“We were able to fill the hollow core and not have to put that two-inch outside layer on which was extremely important from a cost standpoint,” says Brown. “We were able to evolve to 8-inch, 10-inch, 12-inch and 12-inch sandwich thickness with R-values ranging from 10 to 24. That was key to our success.”

Another key change was offering wide bed panels. Stock at the time was an 8-foot wide panel. FABCON is now the only facility that offers panels up to 13.6 foot wide. It has helped bolster the warehouse and distribution market significantly.

Different finishes became more and more important to architects and other customers. Exterior top and bottom side finishes like steel form, sandblast and exposed aggregate broadened the offerings and made FABCON’s products even more attractive to existing and new customers.

“Architects and general contractors liked the new products,” says Gasper. “The codes keep changing so we made changes, too.”

Success and Steps Forward

For 15 years, the client roster grew with names like Whiting Turner Contracting Company, March Associates Construction, Inc., Home Depot and Prologis.

The next 15 years promise more change, and if leadership has its way, more growth. Analysis and preliminary planning are underway for potential plant expansions in New England, Canada or Southeastern USA.  Several factors including shipping and labor costs, availability of raw materials, geographic and commercial/industrial market potential, competition and our continual expansion with National Accounts customers will drive growth decision making.

“Freight costs impact our business so as we capture different markets, we need to open up overflow plants that are closer to jobs in that area,” says Brown.

“I see continual improvement over the next 15 years,” says Gasper. ”We’ll have a new product line in the future based on the energy codes and constant change in construction. I think the team will still be here and it will be great.”

Abundant optimism, hard work and the right players will see them through.

“A lot of us have been here for 15 years so we’re in a much better position now to deal with these challenges,” says Wargo. It’s all about communication and planning.”

FABCON PA By The Numbers:

Number of Buildings Constructed: 950

Revenue: $765 million

Number of Customers: More than 350

Key Clients: Whiting Turner Contracting Company, March Associates Construction, Inc., RC Anderson LLC, OPUS East LLC, Home Depot, Prologis,

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MINNEAPOLIS – FABCON is pleased to announce that Angela Durant has been named Continuous Improvement Specialist for the field department.  Angela will be working to support and oversee FABCON’s short term and long term improvements in the field operations and project management departments.  

By coordinating, facilitating and following through with Lean activities, events and action items, Angela will work to promote and increase safety efforts while driving efficiencies throughout FABCON’s field operations. 

Over the last ten years, Angela has worked with Thermo Fisher Scientific and Coca Cola Refreshments, where she held positions as Practical Process Improvement (PPI) Program Manager and Management Systems Facilitator.  

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FABCON is pleased to announce that Mike Bunn has been named the Savage, MN Production Manager.  Previously, Mike was a FABCON Production Supervisor and Yard Manager.

Prior to FABCON, Mike served in the Army as well as owned and operated a construction business.  During those years Mike learned valuable and lasting lessons in leadership and business, where he has demonstrated these abilities in his tenure with FABCON.

Mike will bring a consistent, structured, yet steady presence to the Minnesota plant.  In addition to work, he continues his collegiate career full-time at the University of Minnesota, where he has two semesters remaining. 

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FABCON is pleased to announce the naming of Kimberly Nelson as the company’s newest Contract Administrator in the Savage corporate office.

Kimberly joins FABCON after spending time as a Law Clerk at Steinhagen and Crist.  In May 2014, she graduated from William Mitchell College of Law in May of 2014.  

Kimberly enjoys knitting and is a big Minnesota sports fan – especially the Vikings and Wild.   She also enjoys all types of music and spending time with her friends and her family.

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FABCON is pleased to announce that Bethany Villa has been promoted to the position of Risk Coordinator.   Bethany joined FABCON in October of 2013 and has had multiple roles, most recently as the company’s receptionist for the past year.   Her excellent organizational skills, positive attitude and quick learning ability will be a valuable addition to the company’s Safety Team.   

Bethany resides in Lakeville with her boyfriend and 5 year old son, Cayden.   She is currently working towards her degree in Business Administration. 

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MINNEAPOLIS – FABCON is pleased to announce that Curt Doric has been named to the position of Area Safety Manager.   Curt has been at FABCON for 17 years in numerous roles; including his current role as a plant supervisor in Minnesota. 

In all of his roles, Curt’s focus on the safety of FABCON employees has been evident in his efforts.   He worked very close with the entire Minnesota team to complete 2014 with record-setting safety results.   FABCON is excited to add his production experience to the safety team.     

Curt is happily married with 3 teenage boys. In his free time, he enjoys ice fishing and building rustic furniture.

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MINNEAPOLIS - FABCON is excited to announce that current Plant Engineer, Kavya Burugupalli, will be transitioning to the role of Corporate QA Engineer.  This is an exciting new opportunity that will allow Kavya to be involved in the quality assurance process, problem solving, and continuous improvement projects at our plants.

Kavya will also be a resource for all of our plants and plant expansions.  In addition, she will assume the role of Minnesota Regional ISO Manager.  Each of these responsibilities will provide Kavya with a valuable perspective and a broad knowledge base to understand the impact of quality issues at FABCON.    

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MINNEAPOLIS – FABCON is pleased to welcome Jeff Rhodes as the newest Production Supervisor at the company’s Ohio plant.  Jeff joins FABCON after spending time as a production lead for an Appleton, Wisconsin-based circuit board manufacturer.

Jeff and his wife, Rachel are originally from the Toledo area and are making their way back to Ohio after 10 years.  Jeff enjoys hunting, fishing and coaching special olympians.

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