magazine

In the Spotlight
Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson:
Improving Community
Infrastructure
By Jarrod Tully
An historic courthouse would
seem to be an unlikely office
space for a start-up business.
But that’s exactly where Louie
and Mary Ellen Veigel got their
start. From the basement of Stark County
Courthouse in Dickinson, ND, a small consulting
engineering services company was
founded in 1938. The husband and wife team
began serving clients in North Dakota and
eastern Montana. Over the years, they grew
the company while building a reputation as
a client-committed, hard-working team. In
1984, the company, which was still expanding,
adopted the name Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson,
and in 2012, embraced the name KLJ.
KLJ has been in business for over 75 years.
There have been many changes over that time
but the initial core values that shaped the
company at its inception are still just as important
today. The KLJ management group
places great value in developing quality relationships
with their local communities, as
well as their own employees.
“KLJ is committed to improving the
health, safety and welfare of each employee,”
says the corporate communications coordinator,
Jill Furaus. “We offer a flexible schedule,
allowing employees to maintain a healthy
balance between work and personal life.”
This dedication to their employees is recognized
in the state as KLJ was recently named
2013 runner-up for the Best Place to Work
award, which was presented by the North
Dakota Young Professionals Network. “Work
ends up consuming the second largest amount
of our time, led only by sleeping,” says KLJ
CEO Niles Hushka. “We try to create an environment
where people are challenged and
encouraged to make decisions. An empowered
individual then enjoys their job and then takes
that joy forward and applies it to the customer
relationship. Our customers win.”
One of the keys to success for the storied
company is its ability to work directly
and efficiently with clients right in their own
KLJ’s experience in the oil and gas industry.
backyard. “KLJ has evolved into an industry
leader by excelling locally. Our office locations
and local knowledge offer our clients
a strategic advantage through understanding
and knowing the communities in which we
live and work,” says Furaus.
What started as a small family business
has grown into a large, multifaceted company
Continued on page 124
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