Meet John Kehl



Title: Architectural Design Support

How he describes his role: I work with architects on a daily basis, helping them design our products into their project. That can develop into other things as well. Sometimes I work with our dealers on customized options on our standard doors or on a project or product we've never done before. I was involved in the very first SteelWeave grille that was made at CornellCookson. That was interesting because it involved the whole team and it was top priority. This was one of the most challenging but fun projects I've worked on here. You wouldn't believe the unique questions we get. After some time in ADS, you would think you'd have heard them all, but that's not the case, which keeps it fun.

Tenure at CornellCookson: I started in November 1985, so I'm coming up on 36 years this November. I have an engineering background and started in the National Accounts departments. I've worked with rolling grilles in all kinds of mall locations. I worked in the engineering department and then the sales department, then back to engineering, and now I'm in ADS. I've been in ADS around 10 years. The ADS role is my favorite because it's a lot more diverse in the project requests and the variety with which I interact with architects and dealers.

Most memorable/favorite project: When I was in contract engineering, I did a project for the Anchorage Convention Center. At the time, we hadn't done anything like that before. The GKD project I worked on is also a favorite of mine because we not only designed it, but also installed it.

If John could do another job for just one day: I would've liked to have been a fighter pilot.

Last TV show watched: "Hoosiers"

Words of Advice for Others in the Industry: Don't take things too seriously. Try to make the best of whatever situation you're in.

Favorite desk tchotchke: A picture of an old car that I have.

Hobbies: I enjoy restoring old classic cars, and am a muscle car fan. I did a partial restoration on my very first car. I also have a car now that needs some restoration that I'll work on soon.

Outside of work, John likes to: Spend time with his family. He has two kids, a 21-year-old son who attends Lehigh College and a 20-year-old daughter who attends Loyola College in Maryland.

If you'd like to get in touch with John, feel free to contact him here: clopay.cornellcookson.com/ads-team/ads-contact-form.

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