Keeley'n Spotlight: Mike Stankewitz
Many of our Keeley’ns have been with us for years, taking on new challenges with a smile and leading our newer teams. Mike Stankewitz, Senior Project Manager in the Paving Group, has been in the Keeley Family for almost 15 years and is one of our most trusted leaders traveling across the country. He is dedicated to his job and team, setting an amazing example on what it means to be a Keeley’n.
After serving 22 years in the military, Mike joined our former sister company, ADB Companies, in 2000. Mike decided to make the jump to Keeley Construction in 2008, working on our Paving Team. He dove in head first, working for one of our nation’s largest retailers across the nation. After years with that client, he moved to Kansas until he just recently took on maintenance projects in the South. After his years of traveling and leading various crews, Mike is proud of the work Keeley does and feels empowered to improve every day. He knows he has the support of leadership behind him and has the freedom to come up with innovative solutions on his projects. He has been able to build relationships in every aspect of the job, helping bring repeat business and long-lasting relationships to the company.
“My favorite part about being on this team is the support I get from every level of the organization, whether that’s Larry, Rusty, or our Executive Leadership. I talk to Larry every now and then, asking him questions, and he helps me with my job. I just love it. I love my job. I have the best job in the world.”
During his time in the military, Mike found his love for construction after completing a lot of construction jobs, including building airplane runways and wells for clean drinking water. This passion for construction has carried him through today and taught him a lot of lessons, the most valuable lesson being patience. Mike has had to learn to be patient with not only his customers and his team, but with himself. Learning patience on the job has also allowed him to carry that into his life outside of work, something he is very grateful for. This is an ever-changing industry and there is a need for new Keeley’ns every day, so if Mike could give one piece of advice to those just starting out, it would be:
“Pay attention to your leaders and they will lead you down the right path. Listen, have a strong work ethic, and do things safely and right.”
After so many years in construction, Mike has seen a lot of evolution. His favorite part of the industry is this evolution and the new technology that is constantly being released, making his job easier and more efficient. This makes Mike incredibly excited for the future. He loves what he does and is passionate about training new team members, but he is also looking forward to the opportunity to help open up more territories, build new relationships, and strengthen existing relationships across the country.
Given his long tenure with Keeley, Mike knows what it means to lead with our mission and values guiding him. Our core values – PRIDE – ring true for him every day. His favorite values that he sees lived out the most are Respect and Empowerment. Everyone truly respects each other and the work that is being done. Every team member is empowered to do their job and do it well, benefitting not only their team, but the entire company.
Mike knew he found his career destination back in 2008 and has enjoyed watching this new generation learn the job and thrive. He knows that anyone would be lucky to call Keeley their home.
“What’s made me stay here is the way I’ve been treated. Also, the growth of the company has been nothing short of amazing. If you’re smart enough to learn how to do your job, career advancement within Keeley is inevitable. Keeley truly strives to foster growth within our people and provide them with the resources they need to feel empowered to take their career to new heights.”
Mike, thank you for your dedication to Keeley (and your tattoo of our logo)! Your leadership is invaluable and we could not ask for a better Keeley’n to be out there every day, representing us across the country.
