Five years and growing
By Brandy Nance
Originally published 12:00 p.m., May 24, 2008
Updated 03:19 p.m., May 23, 2008
It’s been five years since Dustin Ochs, owner of Central Kansas Engineering Consultants, 17 W. Fifth Ave., ventured out on his own and formed his own business — and the young company is going strong.
Ochs started his company out of a spare bedroom in his home five years ago. The business expanded to where it is today, on West Fifth Avenue. According to its mission statement, the company was “formed with the intention of assembling an experienced staff for the purpose of providing quality engineering, materials testing, quality control inspection and contract administration services to the communities of Kansas.” The company now has an office in Manhattan as well as Emporia.
Ochs said the company has five full-time, two part-time and two seasonal full-time staff members. The two “seasonal” staff members are used during busy times as needed.
The firm provides many different services such as civil engineering and construction administration services in dams; drainage plans; falsework and shoring plans; mechanical, electrical and plumbing plans; structural inspections; bridge services; and turnkey projects such as civil, architectural and structural services for apartment complexes. Ochs said the firm provided services for the Ashley Estates 32-unit condominium complex on Prairie Street in Emporia. The company has provided services in communities all over the state of Kansas.
CKEC also strives to give back to the community, Ochs said. The company tries to donate some services at least once a year. Some recent projects include donated services for the addition at the Emporia Senior Center; an Armed Forces Memorial in Gridley and the Masonic Lodge parking lot in Emporia.
There are many challenges and benefits to owning a firm, Ochs said.
“Most firm owners will agree the biggest challenge is cash flow,” he said. “... and good timing on expansions. One of the big challenges is knowing when to expand.”
One of the major benefits is flexibility, Ochs added.
“Everybody that works here pretty much has a flexible schedule,” he said. “It’s a very laid-back atmosphere ... You can come and go as you please as long as the work gets completed.”
Ochs also strives to make a family atmosphere for his employees and he rewards his employees for a job well done.
“For our five-year anniversary I am taking the whole company and a guest to Las Vegas,” Ochs said. “That’s a nice little benefit.”
While Ochs is the sole owner of CKEC, he involves all of his employees in decision-making. When considering a new purchase, the whole staff looks into it and Ochs determines whether it is financially feasible. When the company office was purchased and remodeled in 2005, each employee helped pick out colors and gave design input.
“I try to treat everybody as a partner,” Ochs said. “It (the remodel) was done as a family effort. ... We worked as a group.”
Sean Bulinski, an engineer at CKEC, talked about why he enjoys working for the company. Bulinski said at CKEC, employees get to work directly with clients and visit the projects they are working on. Ochs said he sets it up that way so the employees can take pride in what they are doing. The engineer working on a project also is encouraged to go to meetings with clients.
“They meet with clients as much as I do,” Ochs said.
“For the three years that I’ve been working for Dustin, I’ve been more a part (of the company) that any I’ve ever worked for,” Bulinski said. “I can drive by a project and say ‘That’s mine. That’s the project I worked on.’”