Movers & Shakers: Brad Konik, George Konik Associates

A look at the people behind the numbers in area business:

Title: President

Age: 41

Brad Konik is continuing to build the kind of long-term client and candidate relationships his father developed at George Konik Associates, an engineering and information technology recruiting and staffing firm marking its 40th year in business in 2014.

Those relationships, the younger Konik said, "created a great foundation for our company that's allowed us to grow and be successful in the good times and allowed us to survive the down times."

Also critical was his father's focus on technical recruiting, specializing in staffing and recruiting in engineering, manufacturing, IT and software engineering and architectural services, Konik said.

"In the majority of fields that we specialize in, unemployment is for all intents and purposes at zero percent," Konik said. "The majority of people we're placing are working. We're finding them new opportunities because demand is through the roof."

George Konik founded the firm in 1974 after a hockey career that included playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Fighting Saints. Brad Konik joined the firm in 1997 after graduating from Harvard University, where he was a hockey captain, and a year in professional hockey.

The younger Konik acquired the company in 2000, overseeing business development and operations. Tom Goettl, vice president and longtime employee of the firm, bought part ownership in 2009.

Q: How did your father start the firm?

A: He was an electrical engineer by trade. He was hired away from Honeywell to come into the recruiting business and a few years later decided to start his own company.

Q: How has the focus on engineering and technology helped the company over the years?

A: We've been able to attract and keep a great base of core clients while at the same time adding new clients because of our specialization. We end up gaining new clients because of their frustration in working with the be-all, end-all staffing firms.

Q: How has technology changed the firm's work?

A: The critical switch was the advent of mobile technology and e-mail. Before that a lot of our business was done in the evenings, because that's when we could reach candidates at home. Now we're actively able to recruit arguably 24 hours a day.

Todd Nelson