Adkins & Kimbrough Mechanical LLC

It takes a lot of coordination and communication to deliver high-performance HVAC and mechanical services to the commercial and industrial markets, and Adkins & Kimbrough Mechanical LLC (AKM) is no stranger to working in a pressure-cooker environment. The company was founded in 2005 as a veteran-owned business, and AKM has established itself as a reliable partner for mechanical services of all shapes and sizes.

The AKM team proudly leverages a design-build approach with the best available technologies and an unrelenting drive to exceed each client’s expectations to continually deliver mechanical systems capable of standing the test of time.

The company is based out of Bessemer, Ala., but the team of professionals will travel across the state and even the region to help a client in need. The company specializes in working with industrial and commercial clients alike, providing complete design-build services for HVAC systems and process piping. AKM has the additional ability to lend a hand on government-sector projects outside its licensed area, which has helped the team stay busy throughout the economic downturn.

“Being a veteran-owned business has provided us with the opportunity to contribute to a number of important and meaningful projects, especially for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,” says Amber Strain, vice president of AKM.

Serving Those Who Served

AKM’s work on a major expansion and dental clinic addition to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala., is impressive. The team was responsible for replacing seven of the facility’s air handler units, but the structure’s layout required the team to hoist the units onto the roof with cranes, only to be broken down into modular components to fit in the existing space without disrupting the hospital’s normal operations.

The company’s continued success on projects with highly challenging logistics stems from the fact that the team brings over 130 years of combined industry experience to every project. AKM supports its team with highly sophisticated technologies like BIM and 3-D coordination software, both of which help the company avoid on-site surprises and scheduling setbacks.

“We can provide clients with complete design and coordination services across all of the trades, so there’s never any confusion,” says Strain. “In our experience the service can save the client up to 30 percent.”

Of course, no mechanical contractor can get very far without supporting its staff with extensive and comprehensive safety training, and the AKM team takes a proactive approach in protecting its most valuable asset. The stakes are high, as Joel Adkins, founder and CEO of AKM, has served on the board of the Alabama chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) for over 11 years, in addition to currently serving on the state board for HVAC licensing.

AKM’s determination and persistence have paid off, as the company has snagged numerous Excellence in Construction awards, merit awards and safety awards over the years, as well as the ABC’s award for Subcontractor of the Year in 2010, which is the industry’s highest honor.

Supporting Economic Development

The team has little time to bask in the glow of its accomplishments, however; the company has teams at two of the state’s most anticipated developments. AKM was selected to provide mechanical contracting services to the new Bryce Psychiatric Hospital where the Alabama Department of Mental Health is replacing the 151-year-old structure it currently operates.

The new building will provide 268 beds for in-patient care, leaving the historic Kirkbride-influenced structure to be taken over by the University of Alabama, whose campus is located adjacent to the property. The cost of the new hospital has been pegged at $73 million, with AKM contracted at $7.8 million; this makes it AKM’s largest project to date.

Meanwhile the AKM team will be working on a project that is expected to become one of Bessemer’s major economic forces. The project landed in the company’s hands at a surprisingly opportune time. “We just moved to a new facility in Bessemer, and we are currently building the new Dollar General distribution center,” says Strain. “It is located just across the highway from our new facility.”

The $100 million distribution center is Dollar General’s 10th to date, and is expected to generate over 600 full-time jobs for the area. There is hope that the abundance of jobs will jump-start a small amount of additional activity in the area to fill in the empty space with shops and services to support the influx of professionals.

AKM has also made waves in 2012 by expanding into the residential market with a small team to handle emergency services and repairs in the local area. Even if the residential market proves robust and welcoming to AKM, the company plans on curbing its growth to focus on its strengths as a small and veteran-owned business. AKM has proven itself a fierce competitor in the public and private sector, and the team’s extensive industry experience and commitment to on-going safety training will ensure Adkins & Kimbrough Mechanical LLC is positioned to follow opportunity wherever it arises.