Keeley'n Spotlight: Jim Lee

Keeley has been experiencing incredibly rapid growth that shows no signs of slowing down. We are so grateful for the resources and opportunities that have allowed us to grow over the past year, and it would not be possible without our people. Jim Lee, Executive Vice President of the Building & Industrial Groups, joined the Keeley family a little over a year ago and has been a direct contributor to our success. His experience, passion, and dedication to Keeley and the industry are unmatched.

When Jim joined the Keeley family, he jumped in headfirst and fully embraced our world-class culture. After hundreds of one-on-one meetings with Keeley’ns and face-to-face meetings with customers, it is evident that he wholeheartedly believes in our people. Jim loves to visit jobsites and meet with our craftspeople around the country where he witnesses firsthand the pride that everyone has for their work and for our company. He takes this pride with him back to the office and uses this to ensure he is giving his best every single day. When he was hired, he was given the opportunity to work directly with the Building & Industrial Groups to help grow their services and national presence, giving him a sense of empowerment that he does not take for granted.

“This was a great honor and privilege to be able to work with these two groups and build on the success that already existed. Tom and Rusty have allowed me to shape the future and lead these groups with their guidance and they have provided me with their trust to make decisions and be accountable to our scorecard. We have just added a new office in Ohio for our Industrial Group which provides a great sense of empowerment, but also brings great responsibility to use this investment responsibly and create an ROI that meets and exceeds our goals.”

Jim has been a part of the construction industry for many years, but he truly found his love for it when he was building homes with a residential builder. The pride he felt seeing those homes take shape and the joy of seeing families enjoy those homes made him realize that the construction industry was where he wanted to be. Throughout his years in the industry, Jim has had some amazing experiences and learned a lot of valuable lessons. However, the most important lesson he has learned is the importance of recruiting, developing, and nurturing relationships with those that you work with and those that you work for. This business is truly all about the people. As for what his favorite part of the construction industry is?

“I love that construction gives me the opportunity to work with a lot of different people and different kinds of companies. Each company I’ve worked with has a unique business and approach. Learning about other businesses while building their project is a special opportunity.”

Construction is a growing industry that is constantly looking for new talent. Keeley is always looking for dedicated team members to help drive our mission, values, and scorecard goals. Jim has loved his time in this industry, and if he could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out, it would be:

“Be humble and ask questions of those that you work with. Learning how projects come together and how to truly be a builder is critical for the future of our business. Be willing to go the extra mile and do the things that will catch the attention of others. Be a learner throughout your career. Respect others, always have integrity, and uphold the golden rule. Finally, customer service is the key to success in this business and those that excel at it will grow their career quickly.”

Jim has enjoyed every second of being a Keeley’n and feels the excitement in the air every day when he walks into the office. He is grateful to be a part of something that is growing as fast as Keeley is, but growing with integrity and a purpose that involves giving back to the community. Giving back has always been important to Jim, and Keeley is dedicated to improving the communities in which we live and work through #KeeleyCares.

“The Urban League Food Drives are the epitome of Keeley culture. Recognizing the great need during the pandemic and rallying local business and all the volunteers from across the Keeley Companies is just amazing. Ultimately, the thousands of people that were fed and the love that was shown to those in need is what the Keeley Culture is all about!”

Everything we do is guided by our mission, vision, and core values: PRIDE – People, Respect, Integrity, Discipline, and Empowerment. Each of our values means something special to every individual, and Jim relates closest with People and Empowerment. Our people are consistently living out our values and our customer service mantra: Empowered to Exceed Expectations (E3). Jim is so proud every time he hears about all of the amazing things Keeley’ns are doing in their jobs and it is wonderful to see how these moments are embraced and recognized company-wide.

Jim knows that when he joined Keeley, he found his career destination. There are so many opportunities opening up every day and he truly believes that everyone should make Keeley their career destination.

“This is a wonderful place to work. We value our people and their careers. There is an atmosphere here that make you feel great to come to work every day. If you want to grow your career, there truly is no better place. At Keeley, you’ll get opportunities to find a purpose in life that goes beyond a job. A job here not only supports you and your family, but a career as a Keeley’n fulfills your need to be the best you can be.”

Jim, thank you for living out what it means to be a Keeley’n every single day. Your leadership over the past year has been nothing short of incredible and we can’t wait to see where you take our Building and Industrial Groups!