Homegrown Leadership: A CTL Success Story Kevin Reichert
One of the unique qualities of CTL is how many people make it their forever career. Maybe it’s the family-like atmosphere or the fact that people see the value in our ESOP. Whatever the reason, CTL has many success stories, and here’s one of them.
Kevin J. Reichert, C.P.G, graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1985 with a degree in Geology. The timing was great because, in the mid-1980s, all the oil companies and natural resource companies in the U.S. were letting their Geologists go. He worked as a Laborer for a construction company for a year and a half. Desperate to find a job in Columbus where a college degree might be beneficial and to be closer to his then fiancé, Colleen, who was finishing her Nursing Degree at OWU, he explored all his options.
In 1986 Dave Breitfeller, the Construction Services Department Manager for CTL, hired Kevin as an Engineering Technician. As he walked into the office the first day Ali Jamshidi, CTL’s Senior Accountant at the time and current CFO, handed him his employment papers, which consisted of about three pages. He spent his first day on a large concrete placement at the UPS distribution facility in Columbus, Ohio. The next day he was called to the Vern Riffe State Office Tower project, where after one week of intense training on post-tension concrete, he was told you are now the Senior Technician on this project, “Good Luck”! Kevin spent most of the next two years at the new Capital South Parking Garage and Columbus Dispatch Printing Center, honing his newfound skills.
In 1989 Kevin was asked if he would like to be transferred to the Environmental Department. Seeing an opportunity to get to use his Geology degree finally, he accepted. That move also included taking over the position of Drilling Manager for the Columbus office. Kevin now found himself working as a Project Manager for environmental projects and Drilling Manager for three drilling crews, either of which could be a full-time position. He performed both duties well enough to receive Employee of the Year in 1992. In 1990, CTL hired a new Drilling Manager to take Kevin’s place so he could focus more on environmental services.
As Kevin and Colleen’s family grew to three boys with one on the way, he and his wife decided it would be best if they lived closer to family. Kevin presented a proposal to CTL leadership to open an office in Northwest, Ohio. They accepted his proposal, and the Wapakoneta Office was opened in 1994. The Wapakoneta Office initially only offered environmental services, but Kevin continued to sell all of CTL’s services.
In 1997, CTL’s Wapakoneta office was awarded multiple large testing projects and soon started providing Geotechnical and Construction Testing Services along with Environmental. Kevin was promoted to Vice President and Principal in 2005. Kevin attributes his 35-year success to his parents, who instilled good work ethics, his wife Colleen, who has been his rock for 34-years, and the CTL leaders, for providing him with the opportunity to grow within the organization.
