Meet the KA Interns: Part 2
Summer is intern season at Kraus-Anderson, when promising students augment their course studies with real-world experience in our offices and on our jobsites. Exposed to many aspects of KA’s operations, approach and culture, their experience here includes hands-on work with KA teams, and the mentorship of seasoned professionals.
“KA’s reputation makes us a destination employer for some of the most promising students in our industry,” said Al Gerhardt, COO, Kraus-Anderson Construction Company. “Yet we know it is the personal relationships they make during their time here that becomes so instrumental in shaping their intern experience, and convincing them to make KA their career choice. Our employees’ set the example with insight, perspective, and day-to-day work ethic that can’t be found in the classroom.”
Here’s a snapshot of some of this year’s interns.
Name: Michael Stenbeck, Project Engineer Intern
KA office: Minneapolis
Studying: Senior, Construction Engineering with a General Business minor, Iowa State University
KA Mentor: David Stark
Working on: Preconstruction for the Minnesota Vikings Headquarters project.
Takeaways: From the beginning Kraus-Anderson has felt like a family to me. Everyone one is extremely friendly and always willing to help. Even though I am only a intern they make me feel like a critical part of the team and that what I am doing is needed in order for the project to go smoothly.
Highlights: Probably the most valuable part of being an intern at Kraus-Anderson is that I have been able to get a little exposure in everything. Even though I have primarily been in the office HR felt it was important that I get out on site, so they went above and beyond to find someone who was willing to have me and work with me out on site for a week. Through being on site and in the office I have been able to get exposure in everything from preconstruction to closeout, initial site grading to punch list.
Name: Brittany Wickman, Project Engineer Intern
KA Office: Circle Pines
KA Mentor: Bob Janssen
Studying: Civil Engineering, Iowa State
Working on: CityPlace
Takeaways: KA’s culture is that everyone is really kind. KA employees want to help you grow and do your best in your career.
Name: Payton Hosch, Project Engineer Intern
KA Office: Circle Pines
Studying: Senior, Construction major with a minor in Business Administration, UW-Stout
Working on: Stillwater High School
KA Mentor: Dustin Phillips
Duties/responsibilities: Take offs and Cost History Project, safety audits, progress photos, reviewing PCO’s, PR’s and RFI’s, miscellaneous job tasks for my PM.
Advice to a new intern: Come into the job with an open mind, ask a lot of questions, and most importantly write anything and everything down, it will benefit you later.
Name: Preston Jenneman, Project Engineer Intern
KA Office: Minneapolis
Studying: Senior, Construction Management, UW-Stout
KA Mentor: Jessica Masterson
Duties/responsibilities: working with multiple project managers, project engineers and project assistants on bidding and estimating projects. Day to day varies among types of projects and duties associated with each. Almost all are in pre-construction phase.
Takeaways: Everyone is very kind and helpful here at KA. I’m not afraid to ask questions because I know I will receive a respectful and valuable response from anyone here.
Name: Joshua Carr, Project Engineer Intern
KA office: Circle Pines
Have you interned at KA previously? Yes, 2014 and 2015
What school are you attending? Senior, Construction major, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Career goals: My goal is to become a project manager, to run many different size jobs.
KA Mentor: Pat Mulcahey Senior Project Manager
Working on: Wayzata High School Addition and remodel
Duties/responsibilities: I have worked on; facilitating the baseball field, managing the punchlist, reviewing submittals, compiling cost history projects, submitting a weekly manpower report, reviewing PCO’s, creating a weekly WHS report, and taking progress photos.
Takeaways: It is a culture for employees to learn and grow. It is ok to make mistake, as long as I learn from them. I also feel like it is a family environment.
Name: Spencer Williams, Finance Intern
KA Office: Minneapolis
Studying: Recent graduate, B.S. Finance, Providence College, RI
KA Mentors: Greg Nilson, VP, KA Mortgage; and John Rogoz, VP, Finance, KA Construction
Duties/responsibilities: Finance analysis and risk management for KA Construction. Evaluating financial statements and ratios to determine financial health of potential subcontractors based on financial liquidity, solvency, free cash flow; Mortgage underwriting for KA Mortgage Company. Valuation of commercial properties based on income and expense analysis to determine return on equity.
Takeaways: KA is entirely open and welcoming, and I immediately felt at home when coming back to work again this summer. My co-workers embody positivity, hard work, helpfulness, and a dedication to KA and each other. I strive to meet these qualities as well.
Name: Tom Tessier, Project Engineer
KA office: Bemidji
KA Mentor: Steve Trudeau, senior project manager
Studying: Graduating August 2016, Project management, construction emphasis, Bemidji State University
Duties/responsibilities: LEED submittals, O&M manuals, contracts, submittal logs, bidding/estimating, punch list walk through, conference calls with subs, contacting subs/architects with questions.
Takeaways: Positive work environment, everyone is easily approachable and fun to work with.
Highlights: Working as a team to complete the job on time and in budget.
Name: John Burkhardt, Accounting Intern
KA office: Minneapolis
KA Mentors: John Rogoz and Logan Carter
Studying: Junior, Business Administration and Management; minor in Accounting and Finance, High Point University
Duties/responsibilities: reconciling financial reports, writing off fixed assets
Takeaways: There’s an amazing foundation of trust built upon the relationships among the office; they truly personify KA core values.
Advice to a new intern: Don’t be shy to ask anyone questions. The employees are always willing to help you out!
Name: Patrick McFadden, Field Engineer Intern
KA Office: Minneapolis
Studying: Senior, Construction Management, Northern Michigan University
Working on: half the summer at HealthPartners Neuroscience and the other half at the KA Block site.
KA Mentor: Brian Robinette at Neuroscience, and Allen Zaffke at the KA Block
Career goals: to become a Superintendent working in commercial construction
Takeaways: KA is very proud of its culture and history. Every day I see people actively working towards making KA an even better company, always looking towards the future.
Highlights: Working with such seasoned and respected superintendents, and having them as mentors, along with project managers and project assistants. Watching how they work, seeing their insight and problem-solving, and the way they treat difficult situations was invaluable.