WBB: Why did you decide to move to Wilmington?
KEN: "I had worked with the construction company in Winston-Salem for about four years and felt that I was ready to start my own business. I felt that this area was destined to grow, especially with the opening of I-40. While many thought that as soon as I-40 opened up, there would be this mad rush of people. I felt that it would take some time so I would have to be in it for the long haul. This proved to be true, but I was prepared for that."

WBB: When did you start your business here and were there any problems?
KEN: "My partner Greg Kerr and I started McKinley/Kerr in 1992. Although the past 18 years have been good, the first couple of years were pretty tough. We really had to beat the bushes for jobs. It really builds character when one day you are out looking for clients and the next day you are finishing concrete by hand. That's what I had to do in the beginning because I couldn't afford to pay anyone else to do it. Even though the market has been good, I try always to be aware that it could slow down. This is why I have tried to diversify with some government contracts while staying in the private commercial building business."

WBB: How many people do you employ?
KEN: "I have about 30 who work full time. While I know that I can grow this company larger, I have tried to keep it to a size that I can manage and can keep each employee busy. I am very fortunate to have a great and loyal staff both inside and out and because of that I have made a commitment to keep each one employed. I never intend to be a contractor to hire for a job and when you're done let go. I just don't do business that way."

WBB: What do you see for the future of this area?
KEN: "I see continued growth, but realistically, it has to slow down some time. I feel that I-40's opening has been a mixed blessing for many, but for me it has been positive. We need to plan for this growth and build a better road system. We must have better long range planning. For this reason I serve on the County Planning Board. In this way, I hope to give something back to the community that has been so good to me. Some may think that with my construction background, I am biased. But, I have to live here, too, and don't like the heavy traffic anymore than anyone else. I don't hide the fact that I am for growth, but it has to be good growth and conducive to a good quality of life."

WBB: In promoting your company, have you gotten into promoting on the Internet and a web page?
KEN: "Yes, as a matter of fact we have a web page. We are very excited about that and invite you to try it at McKinleybuilding.com. We hope that this will add a new dimension to our marketing and allow us to participate in e-commerce which will in turn offer my clients better service and access to my business."

(Above section was extracted from an article by Tommy Walker for the Feb/Mar 2000 Issue of Wilmington Business to Business Magazine.)