What began as a one-man operation in Houston, Texas, 12 years ago has grown into a thriving team of more than 150 employees at Locke Solutions.
On a cold Jan. 2, 2013, the company officially opened its doors to the public, bringing to life an idea that had taken shape years earlier. The journey started in the middle of 2011, when Asher Kazmann, now president of Locke Solutions, began developing a business plan and securing the funding needed to launch the company.
“When [Locke Solutions] was first started, my role was wearing a bunch of hats,” Kazmann said. “I was doing everything from CAD drawings and engineering to accounting — closing the books every month — to dealing with vendors and materials, and dealing with our customers and quotes.”
This hands-on approach from Kazmann laid the foundation for a company culture that values adaptability, continuous learning and a strong sense of purpose. More than a decade later, Locke has grown into a thriving business while remaining true to the Locke Way.
The Locke Way is built around the company’s purpose and core values. According to Kazmann, it’s all about doing the right thing for people — both customers and employees. This means emphasizing a positive culture and environment, challenging employees and using the company’s purpose as a lens for making decisions, always considering how it affects both the customer and the employee.
“We’re creating an environment, a culture that people want to work with and be at,” Kazmann said. “But to make the customer happy starts with making sure we are taking care of our employees.”
Growing from within
Every year, Locke is dedicated to providing continuous learning to help its employees grow in their roles. Locke’s leadership team has the opportunity to nominate employees to complete the Master Precaster program at the National Precast Concrete Association. The team looks for individuals who align with the company’s purpose and are dedicated to making the customer’s lives easier. They also look for employees who are eager to grow.
Johnathan Cruz, Locke’s structural design manager, has been at Locke for a little over eight years and was the first Master Precaster to graduate in the company, back in 2016.
The program was brought to Cruz’s attention by Kazmann himself, who knew it would be the perfect opportunity for Cruz to grow in his skills and as a leader.
“The biggest takeaway from becoming a Master Precaster that I had was how to communicate with people,” Cruz said. “Master Precaster taught me how to find common ground when maybe I don’t agree with someone on my team — to have those difficult conversations that sometimes you don’t want to have.”