Necessity often leads to invention, and that’s true of Kinsley Construction, Inc., general construction and management firm in Baltimore, MD.
When company founder, Robert (Bob) Kinsley, was a college student, he originally founded a lawn grading business. In 1960, when poor seasonal weather hurt that business, Kinsley and a friend went into the concrete business instead. Not exactly a natural transition, but a great business decision.
And Kinsley kept experimenting with his business plan. That same year he and another friend took on a homebuilding project as an “extracurricular activity.” Three years later, in 1963, Bob formalized the company as “Robert A. Kinsley, Contractor” and then incorporated the company in 1967 as Robert A. Kinsley Inc., as a subcontracting firm in the concrete trade. Two years later, site work, paving and utility installation services were added to complement Kinsley’s expertise in flat and structural concrete construction. Then in the 1970’s, the company entered the general contracting market while retaining its own tradespeople and continuing to self-perform many major project tasks.
As the company’s capabilities have expanded and progressed, so has its list of services. Kinsley now consists of seven divisions focusing on specific areas of the construction industry, serving the Mid-Atlantic region. Seventy percent of its work comes from repeat clients.
Today, Bob’s son, Jonathan (Jon) R. Kinsley oversees the day-to-day operations as the president and COO of the privately-held, family firm that has built a solid reputation in the manufacturing/distribution commercial construction market, as well as adaptive reuse, historic restoration, and multifamily construction sectors. Bob continues to serve as the company’s chairman and CEO.
Kinsley Construction’s recent completed work includes The Hotel Indigo (historic restoration / renovation), McHenry Row II Office Building (adaptive reuse), 520 Park Ave. (adaptive reuse), Fuchs North America (manufacturing / distribution), The Stories at Congressional Plaza (multifamily), and Nottingham Commons (retail).
To further growth, the company recently hired an employee development manager who is developing clear paths of career growth for all positions within the company. “One of our guiding principles is to empower our employees to do what they need to for our clients and for the success of their projects. It also creates an environment where employees are able to influence their own growth,” says Jon Kinsley.
Kinsley also believes in giving back to the community. “We believe that our success is directly tied to the success of the communities in which we live and work,” says Jon. Kinsley supports a variety of local and regional organizations, from its company-wide United Way campaign that raised over $175,000; to employee participation in a local bike-to-work fundraiser. In addition, Jon Kinsley has been on the board of Penn-Mar Human Services since 2006 and was named chairman of the board in 2016.