2026 Ones To Watch - Rising Stars: Kyle Hereth, Wendel

“Kyle brings a thoughtful, relationship focused approach to business development, helping position Wendel’s engineering services for continued growth. She has a strong instinct for identifying opportunities, connecting with clients, and building partnerships that last. Her work supports both market expansion and long term strategy, while her involvement in professional organizations and nonprofit leadership reflects her commitment to the broader community. Kyle’s energy and perspective continue to make a meaningful impact across the team.”

What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role?

Construction has always been part of my life. My father owned a welding company, so job sites were familiar to me from a very young age. I have vivid memories of being a kid and hearing him point to buildings and say, “I worked on that. I built that.” That idea that your work can leave a visible legacy left a lasting impression on me.

What continues to inspire me is the tangible impact of what we do. In this industry, you don’t have to wonder if your work made a difference, you can see it, walk through it, and experience it. The buildings we create will outlast us, and being able to influence their design, functionality, and longevity is incredibly rewarding.

Equally meaningful is that the projects and clients I work with directly benefit my own community. Knowing that my work contributes to the places where people live, work, and connect makes it deeply personal and fulfilling.

What accomplishment or project so far in your career are you most proud of?

After more than a decade of working alongside developer clients, I reached a point in my career where I wanted to take everything I had learned and apply it to something of my own. That led me, along with my business partner, to start our own small development company.

What I’m most proud of is that we were able to take projects from concept to completion. From navigating the permitting process to overseeing design, managing construction, and ultimately handling property management, we built a fully integrated operation. In our first year alone, we successfully developed and grew our portfolio to over $1 million in assets.

Beyond the financial milestone, what makes this accomplishment especially meaningful is it represents a full-circle moment in my career, transitioning from a supporting role to project owner, and reinforces my ability to deliver projects that are both financially successful and impactful to the community.