FIRE TESTED: I
KENNEDY WIRE ROPE & SLING
f you were one of the 700 guests attending the open house to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling (KWRS) in Corpus Christi on May 15th, you probably caught onto the invitation tagline: “Sound the alarm!
We are getting fired up for food and fun!” If not, you probably wouldn’t believe their true story of success, even if you heard it firsthand from one of the many long-term employees, such as General Manager, Chip Schwamb, who has been a part of the KWRS team for over 20 years.
Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling was founded in May of 1979. Te company launched with only eight employees, occupying a modest space on Lexington Boulevard in Corpus Christi, TX. Kennedy was small, but they weren’t starting from scratch. Teir hard working team was experienced and anxious to be a part of the new company, and founders Jacqueline Kennedy, Garland Kennedy and Garland Kennedy Jr. had a vision for creating a diverse, service-first company that could grow to become an industry leader across the state of Texas. In only two years KWRS had outgrown their original space, and the purchase of a 24,000
square-foot building on a five-acre stretch of Flato Road was a sign of things to come. Kennedy’s team exploded under increasing demands from a growing industry. Te new location afforded more space, but it also allowed for important equipment upgrades that further increased the efficiency of their workforce. Te company was able to take on large-scale jobs and offer in- house product testing, and the addition of a spooling truck meant that Kennedy could offer its customers on-site service. “It helps to be part of one of the largest markets in the world,” says Kennedy, “but the reason
for our growth has been service. When the customer is in a bind, we take care of them.” In the late 1990’s Kennedy’s role in the expanding market had grown beyond their previous capacity, leading the company to a purchase of an additional five acres of property and the
20 MAY-JUNE 2014 WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE
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