Sparks Fly During Tour of McKenney's

The kids club has enjoyed getting to know the folks at McKenney's Mechanical Contractors and Engineers over the past year. The relationship began in 2003 when employees in McKenney's Tenant and Design/Build Depts. banded together to make a generous holiday donation to the kids club. EAKC director Jill Sieder met with McKenney's staff to collect the donation, and learned more about the company's busy East Atlanta facility, which makes and services industrial-grade plumbing, HVAC and building automation fixtures and systems, including some major components of the new Georgia Aquarium. After talking with McKenney's human resources manager, Linda Eison, she realized it would be a great learning opportunity for the kids to find out more about careers in building and mechanical contracting at a company that's in our neighborhood, just a mile down Moreland Avenue.

In the summer of 2004, McKenney's hosted the East Atlanta Kids Club for a special "career day" that included a tour of their corporate offices and manufacturing facilities. Engineers and designers explained what the company makes, how blueprints work, and the education needed to pursue their interesting career paths. Human resources staff explained other apprenticeship and career opportunities for employees at the company, who have both high school and college degrees. Then they led the kids, staff and chaperones on an an extensive tour of their plant, where they got to see up close how they cut sheet metal, weld together giant pipes, and how a variety of impressive industrial tools and machines operate. All of the workers at McKenney's were friendly and generous with their time, answering the questions of their curious visitors.

The kids had a blast touring the plant, as well as chowing down on hamburgers and hot dogs in the McKenney's cafeteria. Some of the older kids in the group walked away from the experience with very valuable, concrete insights into what it's like-- and what it takes--to work for such a productive company.

EAKC is honored that McKenney's employees chose to make another holiday donation to the kids club in 2004. We look forward to expanding our partnership with McKenney's this year.

	We made fast friends with McKenney's Angela Williams. She told us all about her job in human resources, and also joined us on the tour. She is pictured here with Shantikwa Kelley, Myesha Daniels, and Jenika Joseph.
EAKC Exec. Director Jill Sieder holds a level while McKenney's HR Manager Linda Eison looks on.	EAKC Program Director Kevin Banks, Kids Club member Maurice Kelley, and EAKC Exec. Director Jill Sieder pose with a metal sculpture fabricated by McKenney's employees.

 

 

 

 

If you would like to learn more about the East Atlanta Kids Club, contact Executive Director Jill Sieder, jsieder@mindspring.com, at 404.635.0795, or Program Director Kevin Banks, kbanks@risg.com, at 404.627.8050, or visit www.eastatlantakids.org.