Passing the Torch
Third Generation of Trumble Family Leads Kennedy Pipeline Construction
Connectivity runs deep. That’s why Matt Trumble, at age 28, continues the three-generation family legacy of running a pipeline-laying business that does not even bear the family name.
Matt is President of Kennedy Pipeline Construction (Kennedy), which specializes in the installation of sewer, water and storm drainage systems. Based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., the company serves public and private customers within a 75-mile radius. Kennedy was the original name of the company—purchased nearly 50 years ago—which was retained due to its familiarity in the industry and its reputation.
In 1969, Matt’s grandfather, Stuart Trumble, bought and incorporated the pipeline division of a company called Kennedy Mechanical Contractors, which provided a varied range of construction services. He purchased it because he saw great potential working in the building and construction industry.
Granddad Stuart semi-retired and turned the company’s operations over to his son, Mike, in the mid-1980s—but he still had much direction to pass on to him. Together, father and son were good managers, treating their employees well and driving up the satisfaction of their clients and subcontractors, says Matt.
By the time Matt was 25 he had proven, to both his grandfather and father, his exceptional interest and ability to lead the company on his own. Though the opportunity was also available to any of his 29 cousins, Matt had dedicated himself to becoming the best candidate—motivated by the prospect of following in his father’s footsteps.
Matt has certainly demonstrated leadership and dedication on the company’s largest project to date. Kennedy is currently installing pipelines on the 1,347-acre Orange County Great Park project, which is larger than New York’s Central Park. The site is a former Marine Corps air station that has been converted into a sports park, complete with a botanical garden, lake, canyon, performing arts stages and a nature corridor. Kennedy is handling $5.1 million of the total $1.1 billion price tag.
“It was the first time I heard my dad say how impressed he was with the way I ran the company; it was really neat,” Matt recalls. “Although we accomplished many impressive feats and were involved in several great southern California projects, this one seemed to impress him the most.”
Family Connections
Underground pipeline construction is in Matt’s blood. In fact, he goes to work each day as a sort of tribute to his beloved father, Mike, who passed away in March 2016 at age 55. He still gets emotional when discussing the man who was his mentor, his best man at his wedding, his best friend.
Matt started working for the company by cutting the lawn at the office. His dad later tried him out in different positions at the business, which suited Matt because he didn’t want to be known as just the boss’s son who climbed the ranks because of who he knew.
Matt laid pipe and operated equipment with the rest of the crew for three years. Then, he started to participate in bidding and purchasing, and managing the financial books.
Granddad Stuart, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, decided to divide the company’s shares among his five children, one being Matt’s dad. After Granddad Stuart’s death in 2014, Mike loaned Matt the money to buy out the other shareholders and form the new corporation, Kennedy Pipeline Construction.
An Underground Mission
Matt has accomplished much as a company leader. At $7 million, Kennedy’s annual revenue today is three times what it was during his grandfather’s initial years. Even while still practicing the hard work and honest dealings on which the company was founded, he concentrates on enhancing technologies, maintaining a fleet of increasingly sophisticated equipment, meeting and exceeding safety standards, and fulfilling public expectations on providing clean water and efficient sewage clearance. He also takes pride in improving the company’s commitment to infrastructural sustainability and expert excavation so that no harm comes to the environment or to the aesthetics of the California landscape.
“I’ve always had the attitude that you have to adapt to survive,” Matt says. “Keeping up to date with current environmental issues and staying knowledgeable about the specifications and requirements that our customers are dealing with gives us a competitive edge. Being able to provide suggestions for creative solutions as problems arise is something we take pride in. You are never done learning.”
Pipeline construction is ubiquitous to development. Its underground mission is critical to public health and sanitation—even to the safety of those living above.
“It’s still interesting to think of how we put the infrastructure in and, months later, there’s a high-rise or a park on top of it,” Matt says.
From Here to the Future
Kennedy has 30 pieces of equipment to choose from to perform work, including 12 crew trucks, earthmoving equipment and a crane.
Each day, Matt visits every active job site. “I strive to lead my group every way I can; being at the job sites has so many advantages,” he says.
The company has a full-time office staff and the capacity to swell from 25 to 50 total workers each day depending upon project needs. Kennedy often brings on subcontractors as needed to develop cast-in-place concrete structures or to handle grading, traffic control and other tasks to fulfill some of its larger contracts.
Among its repeat customers are the Moulton Niguel Water District, the Santa Margarita Water District and the Irvine Ranch Water District, plus various general contractors, developers and homebuilders.
Matt plans to carry on his family’s legacy of hard work, customer satisfaction and good business practices—but only time will tell if Kennedy Pipeline extends to a fourth generation. Matt’s real mission in that regard is simply to pass on his love for the work and the life lessons he’s learned to his own son, Bennett.
It’s like laying pipe itself: you put in the hard work now for benefits that come later.