
A Match Made at KEP
Some call it a match made in heaven – we call it a match made at KEP! It’s not unheard of for our employees to find their life-long career AND spouse when they begin working here! With the festivity of Valentine’s Day, we thought we’d take a moment to celebrate and share the stories of couples that have met on the job. It is a true honor to know that KEP is a part of their stories!
Michelle and Carlos
For Michelle and Carlos, it all started during a Kaizen event on June 7, 2010. Michelle arrived at the Kent facility and quickly began volunteering for any job in the diproom so she could be near a guy who caught her eye – our very own Carlos! Flash forward a few months, and they had their first date on August 7 of that year. After 10 years together, Carlos and Michelle got engaged in June 2020, celebrating their marriage with close friends in September 2021 – many of them KEP co-workers!
If you’re wondering what it’d be like to work with your spouse, Michelle and Carlos give it two thumbs up. Since they report to separate plants, work different shifts, and complete different tasks – it’s a breeze. We are proud to have such a committed, loyal couple working with us! And in their words, “We never would have thought when we were hired that we would come away with a good job where we both have grown and also the person we’d marry – it’s something to be forever grateful for!

Mary and Rod
If there hadn’t first been a Michelle and Carlos – there never would have been a Mary and Rod! Thanks to an introduction from their friends who also met at KEP, Mary and Rod began talking on September 24, 2010 – about a month after Michelle and Carlos began dating. Mary had been at KEP since 1995 working on the stripline at the Winesburg facility. Rod began working at KEP as a tender with the Kent facility in 2005.
They were absolutely meant to be, as Mary and Rod said, “I do” in a small wedding ceremony on the square in Dover, OH just three months after they began dating. Flash forward to 2022, and Mary and Rod enjoy going to the beach, spending time with family, gardening, and hunting. They are also grateful to both be working at KEP, and are known for their healthy relationship and teamwork!
Our company is overjoyed to know we’ve played even a small part in people’s “forever stories.” These healthy marriages are a testament to the health of our work culture. We can’t wait to see who might be next!

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