Mozak Named Young Professional of the Year Humility, Honesty, and Hard Work are Keys to Career Success NICOLE DUVALL | American Fire Sprinkler Association
A “self-made man” is a classic phrase first coined on February 2, 1832 by United States Senator Henry Clay who referred to the self-made man in the United States Senate, to describe individuals whose success lay within the individuals themselves, not with outside conditions. Kevin Mozak, the 39-year-old president of Meridian Fire Protection in Edmonton, Alberta and founder/chairman of the American Fire Sprinkler Association’s (AFSA) Alberta Chapter, has been described as one such self-made man. Mozak started Meridian in May of 2006 as a one-man-in-a-van operation with only one contract. Today, the Edmonton-based company – which installs and services residential and commercial fire protection systems – has a fleet of 28 service vehicles and nearly 50 employees. As AFSA’s first Canadian national committee member, Mozak serves on three national committees, including the Apprenticeship & Education, Membership & Chapter Development, and Public Education & Awareness. For these reasons, AFSA is pleased to announce that Mozak has been elected by a panel of his peers on the NextGen Initiative as recipient of AFSA’s 2018 Young Professional of the Year award. The award highlights the efforts of a young and talented fire protection professional, who is under 40 and demonstrates exemplary technical, professional, and inclusive leadership skills not only in their own businesses, but also at a national level. The third annual award will be presented during the general session at AFSA37: Convention, Exhibition & Apprentice Competition held at the Gaylord National Harbor in Washington, DC. Building a Business Mozak started in the fire sprinkler business when he was 18. For a decade he worked for a handful of Edmonton’s largest sprinkler firms, including Grinnell Fire and Viking Fire. But in 2006, just after the birth of his first son, Mozak decided to head out on his own and found Meridian Fire Protection. Mozak recalls: “I borrowed some money from my father-inlaw and got a van. I didn’t have a business plan. I was lucky.” As Meridian’s core business began to grow, Mozak continued to do everything himself, often working from sunup to sundown. The hard work paid off and Mozak hired his former helper Michael Jackson, who still works for him today, to help run the company and complete work orders. 16 Sprinkler Age | July/August 2018
Kevin and his wife Nicole are working to instill the values of hard work and humility in their four boys – Connolly, Drake, Cash, and Cruz.
“Back then, no one wanted to do service and maintenance. In the beginning, we didn’t even have a website, but we did good work,” says Mozak. By 2007 Mozak realized he needed more employees to fulfill the growing orders. Mozak outlined a plan to add installing and upgrading systems in addition to maintaining them. As the business grew so did the accolades. In 2010, Meridian was named by Canada’s Profit magazine as one of its “Top 50 Start-ups.” Jackson, who has worked with Mozak for 17 years – 12 of which have been at Meridian Fire Protection, Inc., said he wasn’t surprised when his boss and friend sought to help others and the industry. “His tutelage to me as a new apprentice 17 years ago was always one of sharing his knowledge. He was never one to hoard knowledge to protect his own employability. Since I have attained my journeyman status, his support and encouragement to further educate myself in other aspects of the sprinkler trade has been pivotal in my being able to become a better fitter and provider for my family. This support and encouragement for education is not limited to employees, as he routinely offers support and serves as a sounding board for other contractors, customers, and Authorities Having Jurisdiction when needed.”
