(Goodhue, Minn.) April 22, 2020 - Knobelsdorff is growing its team to include four new hires: Jeannie Fairbanks, Procurement Manager, Kyle Johnson, Electrical Estimator/Project Manager, Megan Ramaker, Marketing Manager; and Jeff Schrimpf, General Manager, Energy.
“The addition of these new team members is vital for our business and plays a critical role in ensuring quality control and excellence for our customers,” said Karl von Knobelsdorff, CEO/President of KE. “We are thrilled to welcome Jeannie, Kyle, Megan, and Jeff, adding on to our already accomplished team.”
Jeannie Fairbanks takes on the inaugural role as Procurement Manager at Knobelsdorff Enterprises. Fairbanks has more than 20 years of experience in procurement, having worked as a buyer and regional procurement manager at DL Ricci/Hydratight. Most recently, she was the Senior Supply Chain Analyst at Intek Plastics.
Fairbanks began her career in an automotive and industrial supply organization, where she worked in inventory control and was introduced to purchasing.
“Early in my career, I became intrigued with procurement, and it seemed like a good fit for me,” says Fairbanks. “I’m happy to be back in the procurement field, and I look forward to building relationships with suppliers and internal customers, as well as collaborating with multi-functional groups.”
Fairbanks and her husband, Scott, have four grown children and 13 grandchildren. They enjoy spending time with their family and their two Irish Terriers, as well as summertime cruises in their classic car and truck.
Kyle Johnsonjoins the Knobelsdorff team as an Electrical Estimate/Project Manager. Before this role, Johnson worked at Quick Electrical Contractors, in Fairview, Ill., for 11 years.
Johnson has been in the electrical trade field since 2002. Johnson’s educational background includes an electrical apprenticeship, a residential program, teaching at an apprenticeship training facility, and an inside program that covered the commercial/industrial arena. He has held his residential inside journeyman’s cards since 2009. He has also studied instrumentation, solid-state electronics, microcontrollers, and PLC programming, and he completed AutoCAD training in fall 2019.
“I’m ready to take the next step in my career, and Knobelsdorff is the perfect place to do that,” said Johnson.
Johnson and his wife, Melanie, and their three kids look forward to relocating from Illinois to the land of 10,000 lakes, where they will continue to pursue their family hobbies of bass fishing and hanging out together at family movie nights.
Megan Ramaker takes on the role of Marketing Manager, with 15 years of marketing and communications experience, having most recently worked for FLM Harvest and Woodruff agencies. Her background includes agriculture and animal health, representing clients such as Bayer Animal Health, Cotton Incorporated, UPL, CLAAS of America, and Donaldson Filtration.
Taking on a good challenge is what Ramaker thrives on. “I like being able to view challenges from various angles, and from there, working with teams to discover the right solutions,” said Ramaker.
She and her husband, Patrick, have two children and enjoy time at their cabin and cheering on the Minnesota Twins.
Jeff Schrimpfis the General Manager within the Energy division. Schrimpf has a diverse professional background, having previously worked in the areas of project management, estimating, and as a regional construction lead. He has completed construction projects in 13 states.
In his vast career, Schrimpf has managed the construction of wind and solar projects, including the oversight of roads, foundations, transmission lines, racking installations, substations, solar wire management, and more.
In his past roles with Blattner Energy (Avon, Minn.) and NextEra Energy (Juno Beach, Fla.), Schrimpf played a vital role in meeting and exceeding safety standards. His notable achievements include serving as a facilitator of Blattner’s Changing Attitudes Towards Safety program, recording 30 hours of Osha certification, receiving safety awards for seven projects due to meeting Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR). In 34 projects with NextEra Energy Schimpf’s projects had zero recordable incidents.
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About Knobelsdorff Enterprises
Knobelsdorff Enterprises is a premier Electrical, Engineering, Automation, and Renewable Energy team offering endless opportunities and innovative solutions to customers across North America. Ranked #126 in Inc. 5000 Series List “fastest-growing companies in the Midwest”, Knobelsdorff Enterprises has grown from 5 to 200 employees in just one decade. With 30 plus years of industry knowledge, Knobelsdorff Enterprises is a leader in the dairy, food & beverage, grain, feed, flour & fertilizer, industrial & manufacturing, mining, oil & gas, and renewable energy markets. Visit KEway.com for more information.