Government contractor enters mentorship program
Knight aims to create more opportunities for fellow vets
Kevin Knight wants to learn all he can to make his business, KMC Solutions, a viable venture for years to come.
The founder of the Hampton-based general contractor and development company recently entered into the All Small Mentor-Protégé program, a free six-year agreement under the U.S. Small Business Administration.
“It is my hope and goal that this will provide me with the jet fuel I need to be a longstanding company similar to my mentor,” Knight said.
Knight, a Hampton native, started the business in 2011 after he suffered a devastating eye injury while serving in the Army. He became the first in his family to earn a college degree, graduating from Norfolk State University as a business major with honors. He also earned his master’s degree in management from the University of Cincinnati.
An opportunity to maintain the lawn at Winchester National Cemetery years ago gave Knight the chance to put fellow veterans to work, and the business grew as a contractor with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and I’ve always loved landscapes,” he said.
His company, KMC Solutions, specializes in the construction, expansion, maintenance and upkeep of national cemeteries and unearthing land for Veterans Affairs to build community-based outpatient clinics. KMC represents the initials of Knight’s children: Kennedy, Macalister and Cameron.
Knight is eager to garner nuggets of knowledge and assistance in the form of mentoring and leadership from Cressy Commercial Real Estate, a South Bend, Indiana-based company, he said. The majority stakeholder in Cressy is Mno-Bmadsen, the non-gaming investment arm of the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi.
“The idea is for them to teach my key people how to do the things they have been doing for over 75 years,” Knight said.
Knight recalled first meeting Cressy’s leadership at a veterans conference, feeling a connection and mindfully growing their relationship for two years.
“It’s not just about finding any company,” he said. “You have to find a company that shares your philosophy, vision and mission.”
The program allows small businesses to receive assistance in different areas, including management, technical, financial, contracting, trade education, business development and administrative support.
Weekly meetings are held online with in-person trips to Indiana once or twice a year. Knight’s four employees work remotely in Arkansas, Missouri, Florida and Indiana.
In the three months since starting the program, Knight said they have trained in accounting and estimating software and business development skills.
“I want to produce generational wealth and opportunities for my fellow veterans,” he said.