KA Yard Director Dave Kummer Retires

Dave Kummer wraps up his KA career in May, having served as Director of KA Yard Operations through a time of substantial growth and change. Here, he shares insights into some aspects of this vitally important resource. 

You became Director of the KA Yard Operations in 2006, well into a successful career in construction, real estate development and property asset management. What drew you to KA?

DAVE KUMMER: In a word- Rich! Rich Jacobson and I go back to my role with a local developer/property management firm that I work for about 13 years. I worked with several of the KA offices during that time but the Midwest Division or more directly Rich provided me with a level of service that drew me to collaborate with him again and again. I was recruited away from that job to another that didn’t work out for me personally. So, my first networking stop to find my next opportunity was to talk to Rich and find out who he knew in the development side that I could talk to. He asked me to come work here with him.

At that time you started, the Yard operations were adjacent to KA’s Circle Pines office. Talk about how the Yard supported KA’s work at that time.

DAVE KUMMER: At the time I started there were two separate yard operations located at the Circle Pines location. One of my first assignments was to combine those two operations. Shortly after that the Small Projects Division that was operating out in Lino Lakes along with their yard operation, was brought into the Circle Pines office. We were able to maximize the use of trucks, tools and personnel.

What have been some of the steps forward in the growth of the Yard Operations during your time here? What factors have driven the KA Yard’s growth?

DAVE KUMMER: When I started here at KA we had 5 independent manned yard operations in the Twin Cities metro area and two in northern Minnesota. So, I was given the task of bringing them all together as one operation that shared trailers, trucks, tools, equipment, and consumables. Once that was complete and operating well, I had the opportunity to bring in some new people to run the day-to-day operations and streamline the operations. My yard manager at that time decided to go back out and work in the field. So, I interviewed quite a few new candidates and brought the field down to two individuals. Those two were Ryan Nelson and Eric Domino. I asked Rich to consider hiring both in order to enable more growth. That was 10 years ago, and we have expanded and grown the yard every year except for some economic recessions in recent years.

Give us some perspective on fleet management. How many trucks are currently in the fleet? What kind of mileage do they accrue yearly? How long do they remain in service? What other special handling considerations do our trucks – and their drivers– need to be equipped to handle?

DAVE KUMMER: Currently the yard has about 150 superintendent trucks and 17 delivery vehicles in the KA fleet which includes those in the Equipt, Empire and Self Perform groups. The mileage that they burn is all over the map. We perform on an increasing amount of out-of-town projects that means we are putting a lot more miles on our fleet and service trucks every year. Our KA administrative leases number about 45 currently but that is expanding year after year with the number of new hires and promotions.

To what extent are KA’s sustainability efforts impacting fleet management?

DAVE KUMMER: We have been exploring the feasibility of going to e vehicles, currently what’s available doesn’t meet the needed capacity for the heavy vehicles. We also have been testing out some hybrid vehicles for executive car use.

We are now using larger, 2 1/2 ton trucks for deliveries in an effort to get to multiple delivery sites with one vehicle. We have tracking on the vehicles and on the drivers’ phones which helps us be more efficient with dispatch needs.Rehabbed and branded jobsite trailer

The Yard team rehabs its old jobsite trailers, stripping the walls off to the studs, residing with Smart Siding and reoutfitting them with LED lighting, new cabinetry and added axles where needed to keep up with current safety compliance. Talk about this.

DAVE KUMMER: This has been a growing process over several years. Initially we were rehabbing trailers as they got older to get the maximum use out of them. They are in a rough use situation not only on the jobsites, but most people don’t realize the amount of damage they take just transporting them to the sites. The bigger the trailer is the more they flex going down the road; it’s like driving a giant sail.  This is extremely hard on them. That’s a lot of flat area traveling at road speed down the highways and subject to crosswinds as well.

A new trailer used to cost around $40K, with a life expectancy of about 10 years. Now it’s $90K.  We can rehab and rebuild one for $60K and it will be sturdier and last twice as long.

Custom built roll-off equipment allows for multiple functions from one truck 

What are some of the ways our Yard team has innovated to create new and improved resources in support of our people and our work?

DAVE KUMMER: We have such a diversely talented group in the yard that allows us to innovate in ways that are sometimes beyond my imagination. One of the best stories I like to tell is the way were able to combine the use of our delivery vehicles to get the most use out of them. One way is the roll off trucks that we have. The one thing big trucks like the ones we have in the yard don’t do well is sit idle. Downtime is very hard on big diesel trucks. So our crew was able to build rail trucks that accommodate various roll off devices such as box van,  stake bed, flat bed, and tanker roll off rigs. All of which were designed and built by our own employees of the yard. That allows our driver to use the same truck to perform many different tasks with the same truck and keep them on the road.

As we continue to grow our territory, including new offices in Phoenix and Fargo, how is the Yard serving this expanded geographic service area?

DAVE KUMMER: We are currently watching the Fargo/Bismarck area for a possible staffed yard operation. Also watching the Madison/Milwaukee area for the same. The yard operation itself is exploring possibilities for expansion and growth in the northern suburbs.

What’s on the horizon for the KA Yard?

DAVE KUMMER: I would venture to say continued growth, maybe a new and larger location. The Circle Pines building is old and needs a lot of attention. Our facilities group did an analysis of the property and structures, and the building needs repair. We are maxed out in that facility now so they are doing their due diligence to see if it makes sense to stay at that location or to find or build a bigger facility that will allow continued growth.

Looking back on your time at KA, what’s been the most rewarding/satisfying for you?

DAVE KUMMER: KA was a good place for me to land when I did. I’m in my 18th year here and I have made some good connections and made some long-term friends that I will continue to stay in touch with in my retirement. Through my work on the leased fleet, I have been able to talk with and get to know some people in places that I otherwise would not have gotten to know. Rich hired me back in 2006 and has been a great boss and a wonderful supporter of everything I have strived to accomplish during my tenure here. I want to thank Rich and everyone else I have had the opportunity to work with and work for.

Anything else you would like to say?

DAVE KUMMER: I am so grateful for my time here.