Leading with Faith honoree — Paul Kuhrmeyer

President, Innovo Automation

Centerville
Age: 60
Parish: Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul
Spouse: Ursula
Children: Christopher, 32; Andrew, 30; Hans, 25
Education: University of Minnesota, University of St. Thomas
Number of years with company: 5.5

Paul Kuhrmeyer has seen God at work in his family, employees and in his own prayers. He says leading with faith in the workplace means being rooted in Christian values and Catholic doctrine, and “every quote, invoice, phone call, email and meeting is linked to faith-based communications fastened to morals, integrity and respect.” A convert to Catholicism, Kuhrmeyer also serves on the Cathedral Heritage Foundation, as a University of St. Thomas Catholic Studies board member, a lector at his parish, volunteer with Catholic Charities and an auxiliary member of the Order of Malta.

Q Describe your business.

A We are a full-service systems integrator. This means that our organization of 10 employees can design, draw, program, build, install, and service electronic controls that manage and monitor operations of specialty production or processing equipment. Our markets include food processing, industrial/manufacturing, municipalities and recreation.

Q Describe your position and role.

A I am the owner of the company, but my business card says “general manager.” This means that in our unique organization, I am responsible for oversight of financials, production, strategy, personnel, work-flow and communications.

Q How do you concretely apply your faith and Catholic values at work?

A Owning a small business is not easy. We have experienced a great deal of stress over the past four years. Most mornings, I come into work early (prior to any other employees) and pray the rosary or the Chaplet of Mercy. This has become my special time to speak with our Lord on timely and relevant items facing our business. I try to interpret the prudence I receive directly to our employees as examples of perseverance, patience, stamina and optimism. In turn, this has generated new customers and a culture centered around confidence and gratitude.

Q Please tell a story about a time when living out your faith at work really made a difference.

A We are a family business with all members contributing in various ways. Our collective prayers related to the business have been answered many times. We all feel the Holy Spirit working in our daily activities and we try to relay instances of divine intervention to our employees as often as possible. This is part of our strategic objective to evangelize and spread the word of God’s good work to all employees.

Q Who or what has inspired you to bring your faith to the “marketplace?”

A Originally, my parents are responsible for my solid Christian values. We attended church every Sunday and worshipped God faithfully. Additionally, my wife, Ursula, has been instrumental in cultivating my journey. Then, I witnessed a woman praying at St. Agnes long after the Mass had ended back in the spring of 2012. I received this incident as a sign to examine my faith more deeply. Was this woman the Virgin Mary? I believe so. Then in the fall of the same year, I participated in the RCIA program at the Cathedral and my sponsor was (“Practicing Catholic” radio show host) Patrick Conley. He was also very motivating. Finally, my three sons have also converted to Catholicism and together, we have all adopted an unyielding love of the faith.

Q What achievement at work are you most proud of?

A Clearly the development of a comprehensive, updated strategy was long overdue. This has guided our business for over four years now and is working well. We have also changed our name to Innovo Automation, hired scrupulous employees, and shifted our primary market focus to industrial/fabricators.

Q In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace?

A We witness God’s presence through the gift of dedicated, focused employees, who are honest and respectful at all times. We have also enhanced our customer base significantly over the past three years. This is clearly a divine intervention. But most importantly, the gift of working with my family and growing a business in a harmonious manner is the ultimate indication of God’s presence.

Q What advice do you have for others who want to lead with faith?

A Be transparent, encourage faith discussions among all employees, uphold moral convictions and embody faith in your vision, mission, purpose and core values — always.