News

Shawn Kirk admits that he barely knew a hammer from a trowel when he first started at RLTurner. But when he attended a job fair two years ago, he saw a career that spoke to him and a crew of which he wanted to be a part. The hiring team, in turn, saw someone willing to learn and work hard.

Kirk landed the job and was assigned to his first job site: Greenfield Elementary. “I called Tim Merritt, the superintendent, and he told me in his raspy voice to meet him at the job site first thing in the morning,” Kirk says. “Then he told me, ‘you can’t miss me; I’m pretty easy to find.’”

Kirk found “Papaw” sitting on a bench next to the school. Papaw immediately put him to work hauling and hanging doors, took him under his wing, and gave him plenty of gruff instruction and advice along the way.

Next, Kirk moved to the Early Learning Center in Indianapolis and worked with Nic Staton. “That’s where I learned to do concrete,” Kirk said. “Nic always has a particular way he wants things done; so he was a good guy to help me get started.”

Papaw, Nic, and many others took the time to teach Kirk the trade. Kirk, in turn, has established his construction skills and not only committed to RLTurner’s concrete apprenticeship program, but to also continuing the company’s culture of mentorship.