Ken R.

Panel Builder

“I grew up in the Grand Rapids area, near where Windemuller’s main office is located. I graduated high school during the Vietnam War and went to school to learn electronics. Before long, I was working for an induction heating company, wiring panels. I got drafted after that and spent a few years in the army. Once I got back home, though, I wanted to get back to the type of work I’d been doing. I got a job working in maintenance for an aircraft parts manufacturer and stayed there for 17 years. When that business closed in the early 1990s, though, I realized that my industry had changed. I’d always worked without an electrical license, but in seeking a new job, I found that I needed one.

I buckled down to earn my license, taking on a temporary job building panels for APV Baker (now known as Baker Perkins) in the meantime. My foreman at Baker ended up referring me to this great company he knew of, called Windemuller Electric. In 1997, I started with Windemuller as a panel builder at the Wayland warehouse.

One thing I’ve loved about working with Windemuller for the past 22 years has been their flexibility. From the very beginning, they were willing to work with me to tailor a position that played to my strengths and emphasized the type of work I wanted to do. They’ve stood by their word all these years, allowing me to do work I enjoy without worrying about the parts that just aren’t for me.

Within the next few years, I’ll be nearing retirement age and I certainly hope to retire out of Windemuller. This company has become a home for me over the years, and the people I’ve worked with have been among the most talented professionals I’ve seen in this industry. I’m proud to be a part of that legacy, and to have Windemuller be a part of mine.”