Subcontractor Spotlight: John Keno and Company, Inc.
Lakeside Alliance is proud to spotlight John Keno and Company (JKC), a third-generation, family- and veteran-owned small business that has performed construction and excavation work on some of Chicago’s most iconic sites. For the Obama Presidential Center, JKC is responsible for site clearing and excavation.
Check out our Q&A with JKC President John Keno Vignocchi:
What led you to pursue the kind of work you’re leading today?
I grew up on the North Side of Chicago and, as a child, I would go to “work” with my father playing on construction sites (it’s a practice that would not be allowed today!). I can remember being an assistant flagman helping to back up concrete trucks and signing their load tickets. Throughout high school, I worked as a laborer on construction sites throughout Chicagoland.
How did your time in the service inform your leadership and approach?
The army training, becoming an officer, Ranger and Airborne schools taught me about responsibility, integrity and collaborative teamwork and honed me into the individual that I am today. I laughingly say, eight years at Loyola Academy and Xavier University and five years of service in the U.S. Army taught me a thing or two about discipline and a “will-do” attitude. Words like “duty, honor, country” take on actual characteristics of your being. These expressions are not just words, but commitment to values that carry you through life.
Tell us a bit about your role. What does your day-to-day look like?
Over the years I have worn many hats in my business, including becoming a union operator, bidding and performing projects directly, working in banking and safety, and more. Today, I act as President. While that sounds impressive, in actuality, I am chief cook and bottle washer, getting myself involved with all aspects of the business, meeting with new clients, securing bank lines, negotiating insurance rates, and reviewing bids, to name a few of my duties. I am proud that my son Bill Vignocchi is representing the third generation, following in the family footsteps.
What sets JKC apart?
We approach all projects with a collaborative effort to deliver the job on time and on budget. Our goal is to adapt to our client’s company structure and be part of their team, providing transparent communication and problem solving. We strive to make ourselves not a simple trade partner, but instead our client’s excavation division. I think it is necessary to establish core values and make sure employees know what they are and adhere to them. I communicate to all my people, “Be helpful. Be part of the team.” Overall, JKC’s motto is “Can do. Will do.” A few words, but they mean so much more. They are a commitment to act.
What does it mean to you personally and for the business to participate in the Obama Presidential Center project?
The Center is a heritage project and my company, JKC, and myself personally, are so proud to be a part of the team constructing it. On occasion, when I’m meeting with people and they ask me what I do, I proudly say I am involved in the Obama Presidential Center project. I always get an acknowledgement that the project is special and that I am lucky to be involved. This is a project that I will tell my grandchildren, and hopefully great grandchildren, about.