Teams from three of M+K’s offices recently got together and faced the thrilling rapids of the New River Gorge in West Virginia for a long weekend, stepping outside their usual work roles to embrace an adventure that highlighted teamwork and trust.

The weariness from long flights and drives quickly faded as excitement built over meeting colleagues—many for the first time—and soaking in the breathtaking scenery of West Virginia for a three-day weekend excursion.

We split into two groups—with the adrenaline junkies rafting the challenging and technical Upper Gauley River (which is rated in the top five whitewater in the world), and the rest of us on the slightly tamer Lower Gauley – which was still loaded with plenty of class IV and V rapids.

Evenings were spent around the campfire, sharing stories, roasting marshmallows, and enjoying local moonshine crafted by an employee’s brother. Each sip added to the fun and camaraderie, creating unforgettable memories and deepening connections beneath the beautiful night sky.

Michelle Doby, from ATL:
“The rafting was fun, and I really enjoyed getting to know everyone from the other offices. Opportunities like this one where we can do activities and meet people throughout the company are very valuable.”

Yara Bawab, from PHL:
“Being a recent addition to the M+K family, it was a great way to meet new people not only from my office who I may not interact with on a daily basis, but also the other offices.  I could connect with people on a level that may not be reached just within office talk and having these connections makes for a funner work environment  I also have fun stories I get to share now!”

Reika Shimizu, from SD:
“I truly appreciated the efforts our colleagues from the east coast put into making sure the San Diego office members could participate – through bringing extra camping gear, extra food/beverages, and any other necessities. This kind of thought, care, and generosity really made me feel like I’m part of a company with coworkers and leaders that put in the work to make sure we are included, even though we hadn’t met most of them before this trip!”

Michael Mihal, from ATL:
“Interacting with people I have never met and may never meet again was worth the experience because it gave us an opportunity to be present. The experience taught me that some colleagues share the same “lust for life”. I feel these events are a great offering by the company and hope they continue to offer more provided they can swing it.”

We were honored to once again serve as judges for various regions of the Timber Strong Design Build Competition [TSDB]. This competition tasks each team of university engineering students to design and build an artistically creative 2-story wood light-framed building that is sustainable, aesthetically pleasing and structurally durable. The students operate as a design/build firm and develop skills with wood design, BIM modeling, structural calculations, and hands-on actual construction of their structures at the competition.

Our representatives included Ricky Zabel who helped judge the Pacific Southwest Regional competition [hosted by University of California San Diego – UCSD], and Jared Hudson who judged at the Gulf Coast Region [hosted by Auburn University].

Per Ricky Zabel: “It was great to help judge the TSDB Competition, both for the reports and the in-person build. The combination of the technical design and hands-on building process are an invaluable opportunity for students to gain real life structural engineering experience. The confidence and understanding exhibited by the students really makes me excited about the next generation of engineers in the wood-framing industry!”

The Timber Strong Design Build Competition is sponsored by: Simpson Strong-Tie, APA [The Engineered Wood Association], AWC [American Wood Council], and ASCE [American Society of Civil Engineers].

M+K’s award-winning culture is a big part of our continued success. We work hard because we love what we do. We play hard because…well, because it’s a blast! Every year we sponsor lots of great company events. Here are a few of our team members hitting the slopes at Blue Mountain in the Poconos.