The 2019 MacGyver Award goes to… Chris Skinner!

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By Gina Stuelke, CEO of Kenton Brothers.

We relived a part of our 123 year history last month in thinking of Bill Kenton. Some of you had the privilege of knowing him. Bill was the 2nd generation founding Kenton involved in the company from the time he was 12 years old until he passed away at 91 in 2010.

In the early years of KB, he ran the field services team and became known for his response when a tech would call in to the office express frustration on a job. He would say, “Well, IT DIDN’T GROW THERE… figure it out!”

Chris SkinnerSo in his honor, in 2015 we created an award to pay tribute to the KB security professional who has the tenacity and creative problem solving skills to get the job done while overcoming any adversity they may encounter. We liken this ability to the famous TV show and character from the 1980’s – MacGyver – who could pretty much solve any predicament with some ingenuity and the use of a paper clip or multi-tool Swiss Army knife! The definition of ‘to MacGyver’ something at KB is to fix something in a resourceful and improvisational way.

The 2019 prestigious ‘MacGyver award’ goes to Chris Skinner!

Chris exemplifies the KB Way and is a great contributor to our company. We appreciate his hard work, determination and work ethic! Chris has a great wife, Kathy and three spunky children: Wyatt, Griffen and Sofiya.

We appreciate Chris as a leader and role model for our technical services team. Congratulations Chris!

2019 MacGyver Award - Chris Skinner 2019 MacGyver Award - Chris Skinner

KB takes over Blade and Timber

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By Kristen Harper, Controller and HR Manager at Kenton Brothers

A throwing axe was a weapon used during the middle ages by foot soldiers and knights. Axes are usually thrown in an overhand motion (like a baseball) in a manner that causes the axe to rotate as it travels through the air with the hopes of hitting the desired target.

KB Team at Blade and TimberThe KB team embarked on a journey to Blade & Timber, a local axe throwing hot spot. While there, we were treated to individual lessons, unique competitions and lots of laughs. We continue to find the importance in working hard and building personal relationships within our team. It is what separates us from other companies… a companionship as co-workers that helps us overcome any challenge we face.

It is a published statistic that over 85% of all workplace failures have been attributed to a lack of communication. By incorporating team building events into your workplace, you can start tackling more effective communication by increasing positive co-worker relationships. It also never hurts to have some good old fashioned fun!

More from the Blade and Timber Website

Axe throwing is perfect for families, friends, date nights, corporate groups, team building, celebrating special occasions and meeting new people through our shared lanes and leagues. We can comfortably accommodate groups of 100+ people at most of our locations.
Learn more at BladeAndTimber.com.

KB Team at Blade and Timber

It Didn’t Grow There… Kenton Brothers 2018 MacGyver Award

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By Gina Stuelke, CEO of Kenton Brothers

Kenton Brothers - 2018 MacGyver AwardWe relived part of our history this week in thinking of Bill Kenton – some of you had the privilege of knowing him – the 2nd generation founding Kenton involved in the company from the time he was 12 until he passed away at 91 in 2010. In the early years of KB, he ran our service team and became known for his response when a tech would call in to the office and express frustration on a job.

He would say, “Well, IT DIDN’T GROW THERE – figure it out!”

So in his honor, in 2015 we created an award to pay tribute to the KB security professional who has the tenacity and creative problem solving aptitude to get the job done while overcoming any adversity they may encounter. I liken this ability to the famous TV show and character from the 1980s called MacGyver. MacGyver could pretty much solve any predicament with some ingenuity and the use of a paper clip or multi-tool Swiss Army knife!

The definition of ‘to MacGyver’ something at KB is to fix something in a resourceful and improvisational way. The 2018 prestigious ‘MacGyver award’ as voted by his peers went to Jeremy Shinneman.

Jeremy you’ve earned the title!  Thank you for being a great human and making KB look good!

Kenton Brothers - 2018 MacGyver Award

Kenton Brothers: 2018 MacGyver Award Kenton Brothers: 2018 MacGyver Award

It Didn’t Grow There! The 2017 MacGyver Award

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By Gina Stuelke, CEO of Kenton Brothers, talking about the 2017 MacGyver Award winner.

Kenton Brothers Systems for Security: Bill KentonWe re-lived a part of our history this week in thinking of Bill Kenton. Some of you had the privilege of knowing him, the 2nd generation founding Kenton involved in the company from the time he was 12 until he passed away at 91 in 2010. In the early years of Kenton Brothers, he ran our service team.

Bill became known for his response when a technician would call the office expressing frustration at a jobsite:

“Well, IT DIDN’T GROW THERE… Figure it out!” – Bill Kenton

So in his honor, we created an award in 2015 called the MacGyver award. The purpose of this award is to recognize the KB security professional who has the tenacity and creative problem solving attitude to get the job done… while overcoming any adversity they may encounter.

If the name of the award is familiar, it’s because we took inspiration from the famous TV show and character from the 1980’s called MacGyver. MacGyver could solve any predicament with some ingenuity and the use of a paper clip or multi-tool Swiss Army knife! The definition of ‘to MacGyver’ something at KB is to fix something in a resourceful and improvisational way.

The 2017 MacGyver Award Winner

This year’s prestigious MacGyver award was presented to Vern Gangelhoff.

Vern works at our commercial counter. I’m so proud of his desire to take on just about anything, as well as his desire to attack any situation. He uses his experience and skill to just plain get ‘r done. We’re very proud of you and so appreciate your hard work! Congratulations Vern!

Kenton Brothers Systems for Security: Vern Gangelhoff Kenton Brothers Systems for Security: Vern Gangelhoff

Spicy Hugs at the Kenton Brothers Chili Contest!

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By Neal Bellamy, IT Director at Kenton Brothers, talking about the recent Kenton Brothers Chili Contest held at our offices.

What do you do when there’s a chill in the air? Make chili, of course.

As the summer winds down and the leaves begin to change, we decided that a chili cook-off was in order. If you didn’t already know, Kenton Brothers has a passion for two things: Security & Food.

Food might actually come first. As the signup sheet was posted, the office was filled talk about all kinds of chili, chili recipes, and mouth-watering anticipation for the big event. One entry called “Spicy Hugs” had the whole office talking about presentation and what it might taste like.

Kenton Brothers Chili ContestOn a recent Tuesday morning, the kitchen filled with people and food. The air began to smell like Fall. Homemade cornbread, all the chili fixins and several pots of chili were made ready. Some people couldn’t wait for the starter pistol (I’m looking at you Kassie).

Looking at the various entries yielded interesting ways of making chili. Some had lots of beans, some with little. One or two were spicy, one was made with beer and one was made with cream cheese. All were good! Once it was time to eat, people talked as they stood in the kitchen and in the halls. Some of our guys were able to come in from the field, which is always nice. Lots of people went back for seconds, not much was left to take home.

After lunch, the votes were tallied. The winner by a narrow margin was Stephanie Thomason with her Chicken Enchilada Chili. I’m pretty sure the cream cheese is what pushed it over the edge. It was nice to stop for a minute and enjoy the company of the people that we work with. Food always brings us all together. Congratulations Stephanie on a chili well made!