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A Kansas City engineering firm selected one of its C-suite executives to lead the company as interim CEO.
The company's board of directors appointed Robert Harris as interim CEO. Harris takes over the role from former CEO Greg Trees, who resigned in March. Trees began working for Dialectic in 2016 as CFO and was elevated to CEO in 2020.
Founded in 1988, Dialectic Engineering is an employee-owned mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering firm headquartered in the Crossroads Art District. Dialectic has not set an immediate timeline in the search for a permanent CEO.
“Robert is well-respected among employees, and they trust that he’ll do what’s right for them and the firm in its focus on completing great work that is on time, all while delivering the stellar customer service that Dialectic is known for,” Nikki Probert, senior vice president and director of operations, said in a release.
Harris started at the firm in 1993 and has spent his entire professional career at Dialectic. In October, he was promoted to the role of chief technical officer. According to the release, Harris was one of several owners of Dialectic Engineering before the company began using an employee stock ownership plan in 2016.
“Culturally, we’re in a good place and I want to focus on making sure all of our employees feel supported and that the distribution of work is managed,” Harris said in the release. “A lot of our business comes from repeat clients, and our teams can carry a heavy workload at times.”
Harris will continue to be CTO, in addition to his responsibilities as interim CEO.
Dialectic ranks at No. 21 on the Kansas City Business Journal’s most recent List of engineering firms. The company reported having 63 local full-time employees in 2023.
In 2021, the company planted roots in the Crossroads Arts District with a new lease agreement and office space expansion. Essentially doubling its footprint, the firm took over the 11,300-square-foot basement floor, one level below its previous offices at 310 W. 20th St.
Take a look inside Dialectic Engineering's office in the Crossroads Arts District.
Dialectic Engineering's offices in the Crossroads Arts District have essentially doubled in size, with the firm signing a 10-year lease and taking over the basement floor of the building, located at 310 W 20th Street in Kansas City.
Local licensed engineers
| Rank | Prior Rank | Name / Prior rank (*unranked previously) |
|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Burns & McDonnell |
2 | 2 | Black & Veatch |
3 | 3 | Kiewit Engineering Group |