KMB Design Group: Leading Industry Growth Through Technology and Workforce Expertise

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When asked how KMB Design Group (KMB) tackles problems and what sets KMB apart, Stephen Banks, KMB Design Group’s Senior Partner said, “I believe it’s our responsiveness and collaborative approach with all invested parties. We truly partner with our clients and yes, we just do these things better.”

KMB has been providing full-service engineering solutions throughout the U.S. and Europe for over 12 years.  Licensed in all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Europe, KMB’s staff of over 125 engineers and design professionals have completed over 47,000 projects including 18,000 small cells in 48 states.

Before coming to the U.S. in 2002, Banks was at the helm of a telecom engineering company in the United Kingdom. His expertise in telecom infrastructure facilitated the rapid growth and success of KMB’s telecom division which provides site acquisition, engineering, and construction management services. KMB’s turnkey small cell services include master lease negotiations, pole selection, engineering, attachment agreements, make ready and construction management.

Stephen A. Bray, PE, President & CEO, and Banks both believe in maintaining a keen focus on technology and investing in their workforce. “The best systems and processes need cutting edge technology. We invested heavily in the first tablet computers and laser survey tools and have maintained this investment to ensure that our field personnel have the most advanced and practical equipment possible,” said Bray. “This allows all of our field teams to transfer site notes, videos, and photos directly to our in-house engineering team for real-time review, collaboration, and problem solving.”

How does this approach help clients? Banks recounted a recent scenario when one of KMB’s field engineers came to the aid of a General Contractor (GC) who had encountered hidden conditions on a site that required a structural design modification.  The engineer was able to update the structural modeling software while in the field and obtain remote Professional Engineer review and approval. This responsive engineering enabled the GC to continue working without any delays, resulting in both cost and time-savings for the client.  “We use the cloud and Microsoft Teams to seamlessly connect the field and office; field staff utilize video chats with the in-house engineers to collaborate on solutions in real-time,” said Banks. We truly live our company tag line of Responsive Engineering | Proven Results.

Discussing the future of wireless, Banks says 5G deployment and the expansion of IoT is as challenging as it is exciting. “As soon as consumers and business developers have increased connectivity and bandwidth capacity, they will consume it beyond our wildest dreams and the need for additional macro sites, combined with small sell densification coverage with CRAN, will be key,” said Banks.

KMB employs an in‐house Small Cell team that specializes in site acquisition, design, structural engineering, traffic engineering, permitting, and custom Small Cell design services. They understand the varying telecom requirements that are unique to municipalities across the nation. This local and industry-specific expertise helps accelerate the permitting process, keeps deployment metrics in line, and positions KMB ahead of competing firms.

KMB is also involved in public sector investments for improving private wireless networks. “We are currently working on one large project to overhaul a 700/800 MHz radio system project for a city’s 6,250 buses and support vehicles,” Banks said. “We were also recently awarded a large project for another public sector company that will require the engineering, design and deployment of approximately 150 new towers over the next few years.”

Banks and Bray consider their workforce the pulse that continues to drive KMB’s success. “KMB is only as good as the men and women on our team. As a company we are very focused on culture and the personal and professional development of our staff,” said Bray. “We encourage our staff to come to us with their ideas, goals, and aspirations, or to suggest something we can do better. This is their professional development roadmap and it’s exciting when they come with a 5- or 15-year plan.”

Bray concluded, “We celebrate our people. When I see someone that has grown their career and is now a director or senior leader, I love it! There are no limitations for growth at KMB.” For more information or to contact KMB Design Group, visit https://www.kmbdg.com.

 

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