Staff Spotlight: Luis Hernandez Completes CET™ Education and Certification Program

Staff Spotlight: Luis Hernandez

This month, Kencor Elevator Systems begins a new “Staff Spotlight” series, profiling our employees for their special achievements in education and professionalism. Luis Hernandez receives recognition in this week’s Spotlight. We also applaud Chris Bernard, Randy Moody, Scott Gray, Martin Hollinshead, and Vince Hillbish, who all completed the Certified Elevator Technician (CET™) Certificate in the last six months and who make meaningful contributions to our talented team.

Elevator mechanic Luis Hernandez is a six-year veteran of Kencor, Inc. who recently completed the Certified Elevator Technician (CET) Education and Certification Program. For Hernandez, his milestone achievement is just another step in his progression to advance his industry knowledge and ability: “I’m ready for the next big challenge,” he said, “that’s my mindset all the time.” Hernandez’s efforts to improve his expertise fulfill one of Kencor, Inc.’s core values: Education. At Kencor Elevator Systems, we strive for continual learning, both formal and informal, to lead the vertical transportation industry in applying best practices.

Created by the National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC), CET™ Certification was developed “to provide the elevator industry with a means of obtaining and verifying knowledge and experience requirements related to compliance with industry codes, elevator and escalator specific technical theory, components, and competencies.” This comprehensive educational program requires substantial fieldwork training, representing an estimated 8,000+ hours on-the-job. Students complement on-site skills development with curriculum broadening their knowledge of elevators, escalators, lifts, applications, safety standards, and much more. CET™ certification students must also pass an examination of their accumulated knowledge and skill.

“The CET helped me overall become a more responsible person,” reflected Hernandez. “Because it’s done at my pace, it gives me that push to better myself.” Luis observed that he joined the elevator industry earlier than some of his peers; he enrolled in the CET™ Education Program shortly after joining Kencor, Inc. and has committed himself to growth in his professional practice.

“What he doesn’t know, Luis finds out,” said Kencor, Inc. Director of Construction and Modernization Jim Kennedy, remarking on Luis’s commitment to problem-solving by connecting with his colleagues and even reaching out to manufacturers to answer questions. “He’s always on-point and top quality. Luis doesn’t take shortcuts,” Kennedy said. As a result, Kennedy noted, “He always brings jobs in on time and passes inspection.”

Hernandez views every job he works as a learning experience, but he’s especially proud of sophisticated projects that he completed on-time, including the Amtrak Paoli Station. “Everything was more heavy-duty and complex, and I learned the most from that job,” Hernandez said. “I keep that job in the back of my head.”

Hernandez views his CET™ certification as a necessary step: “It’s important to have because it’s a credential you earn. As time goes by, it’s getting harder to work in this field without certification. It’s beneficial to yourself and Kencor; my best advice is to push yourself to get it done as soon as you can,” Hernandez said.

Luis’s accomplishments are a result of constant hard work and an indomitable drive to seek excellence for himself and Kencor Elevator Systems. “I’m hard on myself and competitive with myself,” he said. “I’m always trying to learn, always pushing myself—I enjoy it.” Gladly, Luis has positioned himself to advance in a career at Kencor, Inc. rooted in his ability and measured by satisfaction. He said that his favorite part of being an employee with the company is “Having the opportunity to do what I love best—build elevators.”