The Business: Ken’s Construction Control, based in booming Southern Nevada, serves lenders, construction companies and individuals involved in construction projects by inspecting to make sure the work is done right and dispersing funds.
The Players: Ken Rick, a Nevada Southern University (now UNLV) business major who became involved in the construction control business shortly after arriving in Las Vegas 30 years ago.
The Problem: Rick was born paralyzed from the neck down, but was determined from an early age to overcome his disability and stay active. Despite having to use a wheelchair to get around, he decided to go into business 17 years ago.
The Background: Rick, who grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, decided to apply to go to school in Las Vegas after seeing a government pamphlet praising Nevada Southern’s progressive advantages offered to the handicapped. He was accepted by the school and shortly after arriving in Las Vegas, started a tutoring business for students of all ages to pay his university bills and make a living.
Through tutoring, he made contacts that led to his employment by a local savings and loan operation to provide construction control services on projects funded by the S&L. This involved acting as a middleman to make sure contractors and subcontractors did the work right and were paid for their services.
In 1982, a lender financing a casino in Laughlin asked him to perform construction control for the project. The S&L got wind he was considering doing a project on his own and asked him to leave. Rick had been putting out feelers in the construction industry to determine if a niche existed for an independent company to act as a middleman. “They did me a favor:’ he said of the S&L’s decision to terminate his services. Ironically, the casino project in Laughlin never became a reality, but Rick was able to use his industry contacts to launch his business. He discovered banks were unwilling to finance an unproven business, but he was able to get a start-up loan from a friend. Rick believed his disability would not stand in the way of becoming successful, but he obviously faced challenges. Construction sites, for instance, posed problems because many are not accessible to a person in a wheelchair. He could drive by sites, but could not navigate his chair through excavated ground and construction materials.
The Solution: Rick approached his new job the way he has always approached life, with a strong belief in his ability to succeed. He turned negatives into positives. “I’ve been in a wheelchair all my life:’ he said. “The chair tends to make people think you are more trustworthy. I guess people figure I can’t run as fast as they can.”
This trust carried over into his financial dealings, and he was able to persuade a bank to give him a Small Business Administration-backed loan a year after he opened his business. This enabled him to move from his rented office to a 900-square-foot house across the street, which he converted into a facility suitable for commercial use. He solved the problem of inspecting construction sites by contracting with others to accomplish this task.
Rick has gotten a break in life because his physical condition has improved. Once paralyzed from the neck down, he now has sensation throughout his body and can drive and perform many other activities. He has been married for 18 years (to Arlene). But to stay active in his job and personal life has meant hard work on his part. Although he has a motor for his wheelchair, he seldom uses it, preferring to strengthen his muscles by using his arms for locomotion. He also does intensive workouts to improve his physical condition. “I had a trainer in Green Valley who did not see limitations. He saw challenges,” Rick observed. His lack of grip prevented him from lifting weights, so the trainer had him use special Velcro gloves that solved the problem.
Rick said he benefited from an awareness in the business community that facilities must become more accessible to the disabled. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has played a role, but he believes businesses would have become more accessible on their own be-cause it makes economic sense. As an example, he said cab companies began using vans with lifts to transport wheelchair-bound customers before ADA was passed about 10 years ago.
“Persistence and determination:’ Rick said when asked how he has succeeded. His business is profitable, with average revenue increases as high as 10 percent a year. He started a second business, K&E Loan Servicing, seven years ago, which collects payments and generates tax statements for second mortgages. He has a staff of five and plans to build an 11,000-square-foot office building at the same location. Rick believes in being aggressive and has expanded his scope to do business in five nearby states. “I know this sounds hokey, but I just don’t see the disability:’ Rick said, summing up his belief in himself.
