Ioannis Pashakis//January 8, 2019
Kevin Becker, who has worked for the company for 32 years, bought Leo Kob Co. from former president and CEO Rick Erb for an undisclosed sum. As of Jan. 2, Becker is the firm’s president and CEO, with Erb acting as a consultant.
“(Erb) expressed interest in scaling back and moving to retirement and presented to have an opportunity for succession of the business,” Becker said.
Erb purchased the 114-year old business in 1977 from the founder’s son.
Leo Kob employes 48 people and operates from its 15,000 square-foot campus, which includes a corporate office, retail store, sheet metal fabrication shop, warehouse and maintenance shop. The company takes work throughout Central Pennsylvania. Becker said that he looks forward to building out Leo Kob’s service department through the hiring of more service technicians.
The contractor has found a niche in installing and repairing plumbing, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment in medical buildings, according to the new president.
“We’ve really succeeded in the health care market in southcentral Pennsylvania,” Becker said. “We’ve done a fair amount of work in hospitals and retirement-home jobs.”
Becker said that the transition in leadership has been a smooth one and the company doesn’t expect to undergo any major changes under his leadership.