Nestled in the round-about loop that is Technology Lane in Fishers, IN, sits one of IEC’s longest-standing members. Kinder Electric is now closing in on their 33rd year anniversary, having been founded on May 30th, 1985 in David Kinder’s garage.
“Dad would have his workshop in the garage, but his office was set up in the living room,” Matt Kinder remembers fondly of his father’s beginnings.
“Matt got involved in the business when he was about 12 years old in the warehouse,” David laughed. “He didn’t have much of a choice. We wanted to keep him busy in the summers. Then we’d loan him out to our workers when they needed help. They’d say ‘He’s small, he can run some wire in these tight spots! And hey, if anything happens, we’ll drop him off on the side of the road and have you pick him up.'” Luckily, it never came to that.
But Matt did become increasingly involved in the family business, and the days of working from the garage wouldn’t last too much longer. Now a powerhouse in Fishers and Northern Indy, Kinder has about 65 employees and constantly stays busy. Most of their business is brought in by word of mouth and the strength of their relationships to people and companies in the area: they have no website, they don’t manage a Facebook page, but they are still well-known in their industry for the quality of work that they do.
“We’ve got so many clients that we’ve worked for for so many years, and it’s nice to have that relationship,” Judy Kinder, office manager and wife to David, remarked.
“It’s a people business,” David added.
When asked about what they attribute their success to, they pointed to the diversity of their services. They work new homes, multifamily, commercial, custom residential, estate residential, service, and production. They also said that it was because of this diversity that they were able to hold their heads above water during the 2010/2011 recession. Because they are so multifaceted, as the business from one part of the industry declined, they were flexible enough to move their business to another thriving area of electrical construction.
Joining IEC in 1999, Kinder is one of Central IN IEC’s oldest members and a critical part of laying the groundwork for the chapter. When asked about why they decided to join IEC, Matt said relationships. David was already good friends with people who were working on building the chapter, and it seemed a perfect fit to continue to help each other develop their businesses. Now that Kinder is so well-established, they continue to send their workers to our Apprenticeship Program, with seven workers currently enrolled in various stages of their education.
But, like many other companies in the industry, they’re always looking for more qualified workers. The problem now being that the work is out there, but there aren’t enough boots on the ground to go out and get it all done.
And although they don’t actively pursue creating a website or a Facebook page, that doesn’t mean that people hold back on giving their opinions of the company. Facebook created a listing for them, flooded with raving reviews:
“Fantastic customer serviced and work,” says Curt, giving them a five star rating. “The Chris’s showed up on time and took a moment to review the work and make sure we were ready to go. They were very efficient and had the place all cleaned up at the end of the work. We hire them for all of our electrical work at home and office.”
Sarah: “They have been out several times to our home and are always efficient and super clean. I have referred them out to several clients and friends without complaints.”
Sharon spoke of Matt directly: “Matt Kinder, the general manager of the company, took the time out of his busy schedule to come to my home and give me a bid. A fellow contractor told him what my problem was and that I needed someone to give a bid right away. His knowledge of the scope of the problem and his professionalism was very refreshing.”
And there are even more.
Here at IEC, we’re proud to have Kinder as one of our members: for their loyalty, for the work they do, and how they are a great representation of professionalism and family values. We encourage anyone who has the need for an electrical worker, or who wants to get their start in electrical work, to reach out to them.
Are you interested in getting into the electrical field? Are you currently looking for employment? Give Kinder a call!
Kinder Electric can be reached at (317) 842-0809. Tell them that IEC sent you!
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