Today, we’re chatting with Karen Crnkovich, owner, president and ‘chief hand-shaker’.
A: This is a question I get asked often. Many assume I ‘grew up’ in this industry—that my father or brother were in the HVAC or plumbing industry—but that is not the case. I began my professional career in sales, representing a variety of industries, including hotels, web development, digital printing, and real estate.
In 2006, I married the founder of my company, Don. He started DMC Service in 2004 with one truck and a dream. As time went on and the company grew, he needed assistance running it, especially in the office. In 2009, I took an online QuickBooks class and soon after took over all accounting functions, including payroll (tracked by a complex Excel spreadsheet), taxes, payables, and invoices. It was very overwhelming, as I was still working a full-time job outside of DMC Service. Essentially, I had two full-time jobs.
In 2010, we made the decision for me to join the company full-time. In addition to accounting, I took on human resources, sales, and marketing responsibilities, as well as working in the field, tagging along on jobs—especially after-hours emergency ones. Even then, I did not take a paycheck. It wasn’t until 2012, when I bought in as the majority owner, that I took a very modest check. In 2014, Don parted ways with DMC Service, and I bought his remaining shares, rebranded the company as Diamond Mechanical Contractors, and the rest, so to speak, is history.
A: I really enjoy it and relish the challenge of being a trailblazer and an ambassador for the trades. All industries benefit from having women present. Occasionally, I experience prejudice, mostly in large networking or training events. Men, especially lifelong mechanical or plumbing contractors, are just not used to seeing women in their spaces. However, once they realize I am not the ‘secretary,’ it sparks a conversation. They learn about what I have been able to build, and I earn their respect.
I am a firm believer that individuals who are in the minority—in my case, a woman in a male-dominated industry—must show patience while those in the majority become comfortable with the idea that we are here. And this is happening! Women are increasingly choosing careers in all areas of the trades, especially as HVAC technicians and plumbers. More and more, I see women training to be technicians and succeeding. I am so grateful to be here at the beginning to witness this growth.
A: Our company has a very decentralized business model. This means our technicians take a company van or truck home and go directly to their first dispatch or job of the day. This saves them travel time back and forth to an office. Because of this, we have two very quick conference calls at 6:50 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. sharp, Monday through Friday. Our team leaders take roll call and then run through the day’s schedule as we know it at that moment.
In our business, the day is constantly changing. One moment, you believe you have everything scheduled perfectly, and then an emergency—or several—pops up, and we are reshuffling everything. I am lucky to have an extraordinary team, including Kyle, our COO; Donnie, our Plumbing Team Leader; Clifton, our HVAC Team Leader; and Diana, our Customer Experience Manager, who keep everything running efficiently. My day is filled with administrative duties such as speaking with customers and vendors, handling marketing and growth initiatives, mentoring managers, and engaging in general business-building activities.
A: I am originally from Michigan, where all my family still lives. The Kansas City area is the ninth metro I have lived in during my life, but it is the one I have lived in the longest—over 20 years. I received my bachelor’s degree from Mizzou (Go Tigers!) and live in western Olathe with our two Yorkie Terriers, Rosie and Reggie.
A: When I am not working or snuggling with puppies, I enjoy volunteering and serving our community. I am a member of the Junior League of Kansas City, MO—a women’s volunteer and training organization, am involved with my church, St. Paul Catholic, and am a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
I also founded Strong Homes–Strong Families, a nonprofit focused on helping at-risk homeowners with mission-critical repairs. Besides all that, I enjoy going to Royals games, traveling, and hanging out with friends