In a time when workplace culture can be underappreciated or overlooked, Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC (KEG) reminds us that genuine connection and trust are still the foundation of AEC firm success. The firm’s people-first policies, like banking time after 40 hours per week or its festive “4-3-2-1 Policy” (more on that later), illustrate how culture can drive both morale and margins. In this issue of The Friedman File, we explore how this firm of “KEG-ers” is winning at work and in life.
Culture in the Open
Spend a little time with the folks at Kaskaskia Engineering Group (KEG) and one thing becomes clear: this is a firm guided by its own compass, doing what it believes is right without worrying how it plays to the outside world. This fearless confidence is further reinforced on the KEG website, where their Dogs page features more than forty canine companions—nearly half the number of the firm’s 85 employees—and the Babies page bursts with an overwhelming cuteness that would make even the most hardened visitor smile. From their outside persona to their internal meetings, their people-first focus shines in an industry driven by deadlines and demands.
This isn’t a marketing tactic; this is who they are and how they operate. Witness the words of Founder and President Geri Boyer on their “About Us” introductory video: “We have two kegs on tap all the time at Kaskaskia because we want flexibility and diversity, even in our beer.”
But it’s not about the booze; it’s about appreciation and treating employees (aka, “KEG-ers”) as people. Boyer continues, “It’s important to our culture and important for employees to feel that, you know, they’ve worked really hard and so at the end of the day they can relax and have a beer together.”
Rooted in Heritage, Focused on People
Headquartered in Belleville, Illinois, KEG now has eight locations across the Midwest and is licensed in more than a dozen states, from Minnesota to Tennessee. The growing company’s work spans transportation, environmental, structural and geotechnical engineering, and it also has a subcontracting arm it calls KEG Build.
But as strong and comprehensive as its technical chops may be, what makes KEG truly stand out is how deliberately the firm integrates humanity into its operations.
Boyer’s founding vision was shaped by her own experiences as a woman in engineering in the 1990s, when work-life balance was not perceived as a right. She set out to build a company where employees, no matter their gender or demographic, could succeed professionally without sacrificing who they were outside the office. This conviction still defines the firm today.
KEG’s branding offers another window into its values. The firm was named for the Kaskaskia Indians, who first inhabited Kaskaskia Island, home of Boyer’s maternal relatives. Its logo of two feathers joined at the stem honors her family’s Native heritage and represents partnership, a core value that continues to guide the firm’s values and growth.
Flexibility Done Right
For KEG, flexibility is a guarantee. The company’s 40-hour work week policy reflects this philosophy: work your 40 hours a week, and do it in the way that best fits your life and your projects. Get the job done, and there’s nothing else to be said or asked.
If a KEGer puts in extra time to meet a deadline, all billable hours over 40 are banked. “If you work 50 hours one week, that extra 10 goes into your bank,” says Vice President of Engineering Bryan Donze. “You can take it when you need to recharge. We want people to reset. It’s easy to burn out these days, and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Flexibility doesn’t mean sacrificing results. In fact, KEG’s profitability model depends on it. Donze explains that the firm builds its financial targets around realistic chargeability goals for each role—how much of an employee’s time can be billed to projects while still leaving space for training, meetings and professional development. “We’ve backed our budgets into what’s sustainable for our people,” he says. “If everyone meets their chargeability numbers, we’ll be profitable. It’s that simple.”
The approach is working; KEG is perennially in the upper quartile of profitability for firms of its type, size and region.
Vice President of Operations Rebecca Boyer, Geri’s daughter, says that trust is foundational at KEG. “We know people are getting the work done. The real challenge isn’t monitoring time; it’s keeping communication open and making sure that everyone’s needs are met.”
This mindset is both principled and practical. This isn’t only the right thing to do; it is also strategic. When employees feel respected and in control of their time, they meet their goals, stay at the firm longer and help attract others who share these same values.
People-First Culture as Everyday Practice
The firm’s “4-3-2-1 Policy” is a unique and highly relatable example of how KEG brings that philosophy to life. The policy is this: if 3 employees find themselves together after 4 p.m., the company picks up the tab for 2 appetizers and 1 cocktail each. Whether it’s colleagues catching up at a conference, crews in the field or remote staff meeting halfway between offices, the goal is the same: connection.
KEG also offers 40 hours of paid volunteer time to each employee every two years, encouraging people to serve causes that matter to them, from Habitat for Humanity to classroom STEM talks. An internal weekly newsletter reinforces this collaborative attitude, blending business-focused updates with personal photos and travel highlights. And the firm’s PTO donation policy, which is used often, lets staff share banked and accrued time off with colleagues facing serious illness or family crises.
None of these initiatives are for show. They were created by KEG’s leadership to reflect the kind of workplace they want for themselves. This is accentuated by the fact that the firm’s leaders regularly use the policies that they promote.
“What leads us is that we’re not expecting staff to do anything we wouldn’t do,” says Rebecca. “If Bryan has to get his kid to dance class, he does what he needs to do to make that happen. I’m on a lot of boards, to be active in communities where we work and represent KEG. I find a way to make that happen while still doing my job. And the firm allows me to do that. It’s the same for everyone, and that’s the only fair way to do it.”
Recruiting, Retaining & Growing the Right Way
When KEG hires, it’s looking for more than skill. The firm seeks people who want to be part of a community, and who value mentorship, accountability and service. This begins with its internship program, where pairs of junior engineers mentor each intern. The approach builds leadership skills for younger employees and helps interns see a future with the company. And it’s working: roughly 85–90% of KEG interns accept full-time offers.
Beyond that, KEG’s benefits and culture help keep turnover remarkably low. The firm covers 100% of employee-only health, dental, and vision premiums, including full deductible coverage through a buy-down plan, so a single employee could have virtually no out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. It also pays the full dependent medical deductible and offers creative perks such as pet insurance reimbursement (up to $100/month), a minimum of four weeks of PTO for all employees regardless of tenure, and a PTO bank so no one is left stranded during family emergencies. Add in a gym membership reimbursement, tuition assistance, and a monthly cell phone stipend, and the result is a benefits package designed as thoughtfully as any ENR 500 firm’s plan.
“We can’t match the buying power of the world’s largest firms,” Rebecca says. “But we can make people feel supported, and that’s what keeps them here.”
The firm also encourages employees who seek to champion a new market or service area. In one example, KEG leadership backed a transportation engineer with an interest in research. “We allowed him to pursue those efforts on projects, and we continue to support him,” says Donze. “We’re trying to help him do it better, so we have marketing staff doing surveys and that kind of thing.”
Robust Dialogue & Avoiding “Termites”
Two other guiding principles are notable at KEG: robust dialogue and avoiding termites. Robust dialogue means talking openly, even about difficult or controversial issues, with respect and clarity. Termites, by contrast, are the small frustrations or resentments that, if ignored, can quietly undermine trust.
Leaders model both ideas in every meeting, and one way they do this is by using the phrase “Help me understand.” This invites discussion rather than confrontation. “It’s our way of asking questions without judgment,” Rebecca explains. “It keeps everyone focused on solving problems, not assigning blame.”
It’s a simple framework that works precisely because it reflects KEG’s broader ethos: honesty without ego, feedback without fear.
KEGer Takeaways
Kaskaskia Engineering Group is proof that doing the right thing—consistently, quietly and without excessive spin—can still be a highly successful business strategy. While some firms chase trends in engagement or flexibility, KEG has built its culture on long-proven and higher principles: respect, trust and shared purpose.
In a world where culture is often treated as optional or ornamental, KEG reminds us that in a successful AEC firm, it is neither. It’s the infrastructure that holds everything else up, moves everything forward and braces a firm to grow.
Have you given much thought to how your firm’s culture translates into day-to-day reality? Are your policies aligned with the kind of workplace you want to build? I’d love to hear how your firm is addressing these questions. Write me at rich@friedmanpartners.com or call 508-397-9213.
