KEM STUDIO believes better design equals better living

Q&A with KEM STUDIO’s Jonathon Kemnitzer

MWM: Tell us how your partnership began?  How did you meet and what brought you together to form KEM STUDIO?

JK: My son just went through college orientation at the University of Kansas and it made me nostalgic about my orientation at the same university 30 years ago. At my orientation, I met Nicole Satterwhite (now a principal of Willoughby Design and KEM co-founder, Brad Satterwhite’s wife). Nicole and I became good friends going through the design program together (Nicole studying graphic design and I was studying industrial design) and when she met Brad (an architecture student), he and I discovered that we shared a mutual respect for each other's disciplines and a common appreciation for thoughtfully good design.

MWM: Can you expand on your unique discipline of fusing architecture and industrial design? Where did this concept originate and why do you think it gives you an edge in your industry?

JK: We do believe it gives us an edge. Because we have diverse talents and areas of expertise, it allows us to bring a unique perspective to every project.

At KEM STUDIO, we believe there are three scales of things we all interact with in life... the things that we manipulate (example - phone), the things that we're equal with (example - furniture), and the things that manipulate us (buildings). By fusing architecture and industrial design, we uniquely understand these three scales in ways that can enhance people's lives – from the spaces they are in, to the technology they hold in their hands. Firms that don't have that fusion of disciplines tend to fall short because they don't have that understanding of how a person interacts with something differently at a scale of mm to a scale of feet. 

MWM: How has your firm evolved since 2004 when you first started?

JK: For us, designing and running the business is something that is always evolving. When we started KEM STUDIO, our strength was being good designers and over the last seventeen and a half years we've evolved into better business owners. It's become a balance between doing the thing we love with the parts that we've learned to love.

MWM:  How do you keep yourselves and your team inspired?

JK: We are always trying to humbly improve as both people and designers. It starts by creating a team at KEM STUDIO so that we are all surrounded by talented people that we enjoy being around and can learn from. We also have a simple mantra “today is better than yesterday.”

We are active in our local design community, including AIA KC, and take part in school and university programs as mentors and ambassadors for the profession.

Another source of inspiration is our office, which is designed to foster collaboration, inspiration, and excitement and is a blend of a living laboratory, showcase and art gallery. It’s a place where we can test spaces and furniture concepts on ourselves before implementing them in projects.

MWM: You recently acquired the Stockyards Building and moved your new office into the building as well.  Are you enjoying it? 

JK: We love the history and the trajectory of the Stockyards District. We feel like it represents KEM STUDIO very well and we hope to continue the stewardship that Bill Haw established and continues to have in the area. We’ve been in this building (that we designed) for six years and are excited that we were able to invest in staying here.

MWM: Tell us about a few of your favorite projects to date and why they are your favorite?

Just a couple of weeks ago we completed a showroom for the NeoCon design conference in Chicago for one of our clients, Loftwall, that we're really excited about. We've been designing all of their new products for the last three years; so not only did we design the showroom, but we also designed all the products in the showroom. Similar to other projects like Charlie Hustle + Sporting KC and Upfit for Landscape Forms, it's just another example of how fusing architecture and industrial design creates solutions that are more approachable, livable and necessary in our lives... BETTER DESIGN, BETTER LIVING.

__________________________________________

Jonathon Kemnitzer, IDSA, is a co-founder and principal of KEM STUDIO. His close observation of everyday life and the way people interact with space and objects constantly informs his work. He is a collaborative designer who builds global brands through innovative solutions to make people's lives better through design. His work has been recognized in numerous national and international design competitions and publications.

Jonathon has an eclectic interest in music, film (he was once in a movie with Paul Newman) and the culinary world (he has a cocktail named after him). Additionally, he enjoys giving back to the community and is currently serving on the Product Design Professional Advisory Board for Kansas State University.

NAI Heartland's Joe O'Neill shares win-win attitude

This week’s Broker Spotlight features Joe O’Neill, an associate in industrial properties with NAI Heartland.

O’Neill first gained interest in manufacturing, logistics, distribution and warehousing while attending the University of Kansas during his involvement with KU’s Supply Chain Management Club.

Upon graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management from KU, O’Neill attained valuable sales experience selling capital equipment. These unique experiences, combined with his personal interest in real estate, ignited the beginning of his career in industrial commercial real estate.

Today, O’Neill’s primary areas of focus are landlord and tenant representation with regard to leasing, property acquisition and disposition of flex and industrial properties in the Kansas City metro area.

O’Neill explained how working with the other members of the NAI Heartland industrial team and learning from each other’s experiences has made him a better broker in the industrial market. He shares his winning attitude, interesting insights and more in this week’s Broker Spotlight:

RT (Rachel Treanor):  What does a Kansas City CRE Comeback look like to you?

JO (Joe O’ Neill): The dream comeback is for more businesses to look at Kansas City and realize the value here. Additionally, for them to believe in the greater potential our city has to offer with a new airport coming, our great central location, ample space for growth, and the work ethic of our Midwest people. Through these four big picture pieces, I hope business leaders will have a chance to notice and attract their businesses to the area. If this hope came true it should drive strong demand for commercial real estate throughout Kansas City.

RT:  How do you keep your skills sharp in this competitive climate?

JO:  Staying current with news and market trends. Work hard, stay current, more business comes in and it is a self-fulfilling prophecy to staying competitive.

RT:  What gets you excited to get to work every day?

JO:  Creating win-win situations. When you can source the property a client, partner or colleague is searching for that makes them happy, and you provided them that service. That is a win-win and a really good feeling.

RT:  What deal do you wish for in your future portfolio?

JO: Referrals and repeat clients. Both are testaments of great service and again that win-win I always aim for. Repeat clients often means a business is growing and that is exciting to be a part of.

RT: Who is your mentor and why?

JO:  Nathan Anderson has been monumental in getting me up to speed in the world of CRE. Before getting into the business I met with multiple industry veterans and everyone said a good mentor is key to success. This has proven to be true. Nathan has the rare combination of being very successful in this field as well as possessing strong coaching skills. I feel very lucky to work with him.

RT:  Who do you mentor?

JO: Starting out not knowing anything in a new industry it is a lot of take. Any chance I get to share what I have learned or let my colleagues know of a successful strategy is an opportunity for me to give back or pay it forward. We are all learning every day and the NAI Heartland office has a great culture where you can ask anyone a question.

RT:  How can prospects contact you for more information?

JO:  Thank you for the opportunity to share my contact info. I can be reached by email: joe@nai-heartland.com or by phone: 913-890-2010.

KC SmartPort’s Elli Bowen receives ‘Women in Supply Chain’ award

This week KC SmartPort, a nonprofit economic development organization that works to attract freight-based companies to the Kansas City region and affiliate of the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC), announced that Elli Bowen is a recipient of the 2020 “Women in Supply Chain” award from Supply & Demand Chain Executive (S&DCE) magazine.

S&DCE is the only magazine in the supply chain industry that focuses on return on investment (ROI), professional development and change management. The publication introduced the new award category, designed for female leaders in the supply chain space, to celebrate its 20-year anniversary.

As the vice president of business development for KC SmartPort, Bowen works to close supply-chain related deals for the 18-county, two-state Kansas City region. Over the past four years, her projects, including Chewy, Inc., Hostess, Amazon, PAE, Are You Game and American Box, among others, have amounted to $332 million in capital investment, 2,165 jobs, approximately $78 million in payroll and more than 3.5 million SF of industrial space.

“The supply chain and economic development fields are a relationship business and Elli has built a reputation of hard work and professionalism. The clients we work with have recognized that in Elli and are eager to work with her,” said Chris Gutierrez, president of KC SmartPort. “She has a positive attitude and looks for opportunities to assist her clients and move projects forward. She is one of the best.”

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in late-winter 2020, Bowen has worked on seventeen freight-based expansion projects, including e-commerce, food production and distribution, and advanced manufacturing, as companies expand to handle increased demand.

In Kansas City distribution projects are up 25% and manufacturing projects are up 21% from the same time in 2019, according to the KCADC.

"Supply chains have been buffeted by significant changes in recent years, including the surge in e-commerce. Elli’s ability to thoroughly understand the importance of location on e-commerce strategies has led to her success and in turn, the success of our region,” said Roger Woody, executive lecturer emeritus of Supply Chain Management at the University of Kansas, and Bowen’s nominator for the award.

“In addition to the important role Elli plays professionally, she also works hard to cultivate supply-chain awareness at various levels – from grade school through higher education - helping to strengthen the region’s workforce development,” Woody said.

Through Bowen’s position on the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) KC Heartland Roundtable Board of Directors, she also works to grant scholarships for local students to attend supply-chain conferences and further their professional connections. In affiliation with the University of Kansas and Kansas State University, as well as local initiatives such as KC Tech Academy and Skilled KC Technical Institute, Bowen also helps cultivate supply chain opportunities and promotes hands-on experience to aspiring professionals. This includes internships, part-time work, full-time employment, technical certifications, higher education programs and more.

“It is essential for women to have a seat at the table as successful companies require diverse leadership teams. As the supply chain industry continues to diversify, it's imperative we all get involved with programs and institutions who are working to attract and train diverse, versatile professionals, said Bowen.

According to S&DCE editor-in-chief Marina Mayer, S&DCE received more than 200 entries this year for the new award, which honors female supply chain leaders and executives whose accomplishments, mentorship and examples set a foundation for women at all levels of the supply chain network. 

“Elli Bowen is a special talent. She has the ability to balance the intense demands of her customers while maintaining full knowledge and respect for what her regional partners can do to support a relocation project. Elli is the very definition of a highly intelligent, selfless and capable honest broker. The KC region and our organization are incredibly fortunate to have her on our team,” said Tim Cowden, president and CEO at KCADC.

The full list of the 2020 Women in Supply Chain winners is available here. This award news will appear in SDCE’s September 2020 issue.