While other firms have chosen to offer services in other industries, we made a conscious decision to stay focused on hydropower. It’s given us deep knowledge of what works in the field. And it’s not unusual for folks on our team to be here a decade or longer. Some have spent their entire careers at Kleinschmidt. We see that as a great thing. And our clients do, too.

When they work with a Kleinschmidt employee, they’re getting someone who’s an expert in hydro, river systems, fisheries, and the regulatory challenges they face. David Kinloch, President of Appalachian Hydro Associates, has seen this time and time again during his two decades of working with Kleinschmidt. And it’s a big reason he continues to turn to our team for his projects.

“Kleinschmidt, all they do is hydropower,” Kinloch said. “So, they’ve got the experience of hundreds and hundreds of projects they can draw from.” Kinloch reaped the benefits of Kleinschmidt’s hydropower knowledge base and internal support network on a recent project. He works closely with Jillian Davis, Director of Project Management at Kleinschmidt. They’d reached one-hundred percent design completion on a new dam project when Kinloch got a call from Davis.

Davis told him she had a new design idea she’d picked up that she believed Kinloch would like, but it meant starting the design process all over again. The inspiration came from another Kleinschmidt employee who reviewed Davis’ design. They recommended she reach out to a colleague who was working on a similar project and using the unique approach Davis later pitched to Kinloch. He was on board.

“So, we’ve got a design which is incredible,” Kinloch said. “It’s about as close as you’re going to be able to come to a maintenance-free hydroelectric plant.” (which saves a lot of money in the long term!) This process of sharing internal knowledge leads to better outcomes for a client and other projects that will follow. And it creates a distinct culture of delivering value. “I don’t think I could have gotten that from any other company other than Kleinschmidt,” Kinloch said. “Here’s the big deal,” Kinloch said. “It’s that Kleinschmidt only does the work you request. They aren’t trying to drum up a bunch of business. And that’s huge for us because we’re a tiny company and being able to get just what you need and nothing more, at a price that won’t break the bank, is critical for us.”