Ingrams September 2023

Kevin Lewis PRESIDENT/CEO, HENDERSON ENGINEERS

Matt Linski PRESIDENT, BANK OF AMERICA KANSAS CITY

When Kevin Lewis became just the fourth chief executive to lead this 53-year-old Lenexa company last year, he cited five sectors that the company will focus on through the continuing integration of its engineering and construction services: business, community, health, retail and venues. The company specializes in designing and building the systems that make buildings function—electrical, mechanical, plumbing, refrigeration, security, and more.

When Matt Linski looks back over the past year, he’s proud to say that the national bank’s Kansas City operation has continued to revamp and invest in its financial centers to improve the outlook for cus tomers. He’s also optimistic about the immediate future in terms of a recession: “We see a soft landing at this stage,” Linski says. “The consumer has been very strong and the jobs market remains solid.”

2022 REVENUES: $183.5 million COLLEGE: B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Kansas State University; MBA, Bloch School of Manage ment, University of Missouri-Kansas City FAMILY TIES: “One of the things that have held from day one was that family feel, and that culture piece, and those things are going to ring true as we move forward,” he said upon taking the corporate lead. UP THE RANKS: He signed on with Henderson in 2004, then took on increasing levels of responsi bility, moving from project manager to project engineer, venue practice director, director of practices, and then chief sector officer before succeeding Rich Henderson as CEO last year. EMPLOYEE-CENTERED: Henderson officially became an employee-owned company in 2021, joining the ranks of multiple companies in this region specializing in engineering or construction services.

COLLEGE: B.A., Accounting & Finance, Missouri State, Missouri KC’S NEXT BIG THING: “Continued investment in the streetcar and finding ways to connect the Northland to Downtown.” ON THE NEW KCI: “A home-run! I have been there 20-plus times and am thrilled.” KEY MENTORS: “Mack Bowen and Rand Kohler both talked about being responsive, open and honest, and owning your mistakes. Both inspired me to build a network internally that has paid-off, and both said there is significant value in being intellectually curious.” MORNING READ: “My workout app and whatever I choose to tackle in the early morning hours.” DREAM CHARITY MISSION: “Children’s healthy habits.”

Ronald Lockton CHAIRMAN, LOCKTON

Greg Maday CHAIRMAN/CEO, SPECCHEM

Hard as it is to find a family-owned company that has assumed global proportions, rarer still is finding one that has increased reve nues every year of its existence, going back nearly 60 years. But that corporate legacy defines Lockton, one of this region’s entrepreneur ial home runs. Ron Lockton, son of the late founder, Jack Lockton, served as CEO before taking on the chair duties in 2020. He’s been with the company for 32 years during its journey from regional in surance brokerage and benefits consultant to worldwide powerhouse.

What’s the news from the concrete business? According to Greg Maday it’s—if you’ll pardon us here—solid. SpecChem is strong and growing. “We continue to add quality teammates,” Maday says. “Last year was no exception. Our associates are our No. 1 asset. Continuing to build upon our company culture is crucial. His thoughts on the odds of an upcoming recession? “Medium to high. I’m hoping for a ‘soft landing’ though. Inflation is real.”

KC’S NEXT BIG THING: “Need to keep working on our public schools. With regards to a project, I love covering (Interstate) 670 and connecting the Crossroads with Downtown.” ON THE NEW KCI: “It’s like we live in a real city. Well done.” SALUTING MENTORS: “I had many mentors. I tried to take pieces from all of them. I learned 35 years ago that company culture matters. And if you are in charge of the company, then you are in charge of culture.” MORNING LISTEN: “Morning Brew.” LEADERSHIP HIRE TRAITS: “People skills…understanding and teaching/motivating. Leadership-level hires must also fit with the company culture.” DREAM CHARITY MISSION: “We give our associates giving cards every year so they can donate to the charity of their choice. It’s an amazing range of causes that they support.”

2022 REVENUES: $2.72 billion COLLEGE: B.A., Economics, University of Kansas

SIMPLE FORMULA: What drives success at Lockton? Two factors working together, the company says: private ownership and long-term strategy. “As a family organization, we are not driven by the quarterly pressure from the financial markets,” it declares. BOOM: The company reported 17 percent revenue growth in its most recent fiscal year, pushing it past a record-setting $3 billion. THEY’RE EVERYWHERE: With more than 10,750 associates serving more than 300 corporate clients and operating from more than 140 locations worldwide, it’s not hard to find a Lockton office.

Mike Maddox PRESIDENT/CEO, CROSSFIRST BANK

Paul Malir PRESIDENT/COO, TRANSYSTEMS

Mike Maddox has never been afraid of going head-to-head with the big dogs; that attitude helped his team win an NCAA basketball title in 1988. Now, he’s taking on the biggest banks in the Kansas City region, and nothing has touched the growth rates of CrossFirst Bank since it opened its doors in 2007. It’s now the fifth-largest locally headquartered bank in local deposit market share at $2.2 billion and $4.8 billion overall.

For years leading up to 2020, TranSystems had been a model of corporate stability, with revenues hovering around $200 million year after year. Then came a major recapitalization with Sentinel Capital Partners, and … boom! Since then, Paul Malir and the team have been riding a growth rocket, going from 750 employees to more than 1,650 with at least five acquisitions and nearly doubling revenues in the process.

2022 REVENUE: $210.82 million COLLEGE: B.A., Business, J.D., University of Kansas/KU School of Law

2022 REVENUES: $345.2 million COLLEGE: B.S., Civil Engineering, Kansas State University; MBA, University of Kansas GROWTH TRAJECTORY: “We are still full steam ahead,” Malir says. “Our owners are very interested in our very hot market. We own about 30 percent of the firm, and they, our owners, own about 70. Tran Systems definitely wants to continue growth, and so do they. I would tell you that we are constantly looking for great fits, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you see more deals before the end of the year.” THE KC ENGINEERING HUB: “In the Kansas City area, it brings us amplified capabilities,” he said after the acquisition of a Baltimore-based firm earlier this year. “This group in particular, WBCM, brings us an enhanced building-structural group that we can combine with ours. We at TranSystems do a lot of bridgework, but it takes a different specialty to do building-structural, and so now the architectural force is even better in this area.”

TURNING HEADS: Earlier this year, CrossFirst was recognized by Gallup as one of seven companies globally to be named as a 2023 Don Clifton Strengths-Based Culture Award recipient. “This award recognizes organizations with strong workplace cultures that get the best out of their employees by focusing and developing their strengths and placing them at the center of how they work every day,” Maddox says. “This award is a direct reflection on our employees and the extraordinary work they do every day to embrace our strengths-based culture.” KEEN FOR COMPETITION: It’s almost impossible to overstate how competitive the Kansas City banking market is; out of 120 total banks, only 18 can claim more than 1 percent of the deposit market share. CrossFirst stands at 3.5 percent—and climbing.

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September 2023

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