Photo courtesy John Kimball and his wife, Sheila, participate in the Ebensburg Dickens Christmas Parade.

When he was just 10 years old, John Kimball, a native of Ebensburg, had first-hand insight into business practices and procedures while working on mail delivery for his father’s company, LR Kimball & Associates.

With him now nearly a decade in the business and over 60 years of his first introduction to business, Kimball’s values ​​of family and community pride have not yet escaped him.

“I just want to help the city or anyone who needs my help” Kimball said. “Whether they need help on projects or have questions about other projects I’ve done over the years, I just want to be there and bring all the expertise I can. “

Kimball, 74, is the former senior vice president of LR Kimball & Associates, who is the Ebensburg Borough Engineer and has overseen numerous infrastructure projects across the country.

The longtime Ebensburg resident advertises 64 years of business experience, and although his family business was sold over a decade ago, he has ventured into new career paths focused on construction of a better and healthier community.

“Over the past 20 to 25 years, whenever the borough needed help with various projects, especially recreational projects, John has always answered the call. Ebensburg Mayor Randy Datsko said.

The Kimball family has been rooted in Pennsylvania and the Ebensburg area for generations.

The family arrived in the Western Hemisphere in 1634 and emigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1700s.

Members of the Kimball family fought in the War of Independence, Civil War, and every conflict since, and the family eventually landed in Ebensburg.

The Kimballs were devastated by the stock market crash of the early 1930s and lost everything. After moving to the Erie area for two years, they returned to Ebensburg where they eventually built the corporate foundation that spanned almost 90 years.

The Kimball family owned several small businesses, including two hotels, a butcher’s shop, and an ice-cream delivery business.

Eventually, Kimball’s father, L. Robert, founded the family business of LR Kimball and Associates in 1953.

“The Kimball family was truly a benefactor of our community”, said Datsko. “They were determined to keep their headquarters here in Ebensburg, and even with the size of the company, they have always remained true to their roots.”

John Kimball and his eight siblings worked for the company at one point, with several of his siblings having had careers with the company.

It was there that Kimball learned the values ​​of family and teamwork in the workplace, which he believed were his father’s most important values.

“He had a great influence on all of us”, Kimball said. “It was really a family business. He treated every employee as if they were family and respected them as such.

When he started with the company in 1957, Kimball said there were only about 50 employees.

Over the next several years, the company had more than 700 employees before being sold in 2010 to CDI Corp, based in Philadelphia.

The Kimball Corporation has overseen projects in every state and completed approximately 1,000 projects per year. Kimball said some of his most notable projects were Cambria and Blair Prisons, the now closed Loretto State Penitentiary, Route 22 from Cresson to Altoona, Johnstown Airport, Altoona Area High School and several sports facilities at Penn State University.

“We have had a lot of success”, he said.

Kimball has held a number of positions with the company, and during his 52-year career he has visited every state except Alaska and Hawaii and has driven 1.6 million kilometers between 12 different vehicles.

But despite the many projects overseen by the Kimball family, the company has been recognized for never turning a blind eye to its own community.

L. Robert Kimball transformed an empty gravel lot in downtown Ebensburg into what is now Kimball Park, and the company oversaw several projects in the city, including the Ebensburg Airport.

“The company has always been here in town and at one point was probably our biggest employer,” said Datsko. “They’ve been our borough engineer for almost as long as I can remember, and they had a vision for our city. They have been great in helping these various projects and getting it right the first time.

Following the sale of the business in 2010, Kimball founded two small businesses, Kimball Motion Analytics and American Family Health.

Both companies focus on family-centered health.

American Family Health offers families consultations with a variety of health professionals to examine genetically inherited diseases, conflicting medications, physical acceptance of medications and the body’s ability to process them, as well as physical wellness programs and food.

“We seek to make the whole family a healthier unit rather than treating individuals when they fall ill”, Kimball said.

Kimball Motion Analytics analyzes a patient’s skeletal and physical processes wirelessly using artificial intelligence and assigns exercise programs to improve the health and well-being of the body.

The program, Kimball said, is for all sports, physiotherapy, and others.

Kimball first drew inspiration from the two companies after the deaths of L. Robert and his mother, Mary Louise.

“I wanted to create something that would focus on families as a whole, because when my parents were sick, they were treated individually.” Kimball said.

The two companies are a passionate project for him, he said.

“Everything is focused on helping the family towards better health and preventive education” Kimball said.

Kimball has served the Ebensburg community in a number of other capacities as well, from the Board of Trustees of the Ebensburg Public Library, the Board of Trustees of the Historical Association of Ebensburg, the Advisory Board of Johns Hopkins School of Education or by working with Saint Francis University School of Education.

Recently, Kimball was awarded one of Ebensburg’s top honors – as Grand Marshal for the 2021 Christmas Dickensian Parade.

Although surprised, Kimball said he was honored to be recognized by his friends and neighbors.

He said his father had previously been a Grand Marshal, which made the accomplishment even more special.

“I felt very honored and it was a really special evening” he said. “It was a highlight for me in my life in Ebensburg.”

While his time in the community and his other business ventures keep him busy, Kimball said his family has remained the priority and he looks forward to seeing it continue to grow.

He proudly bragged about his first grandson, Calvin, and he said the Kimball family expects another addition very soon.

Her two sons, JR and Bobby, are both expected to marry in 2023, and her daughter, Klein, has been touted for her successful career in the Allegheny healthcare system.

He also relied on his trusted partner, Sheila, who he says is the “Light of his life”.

With a happy and healthy family, he said the opportunity to live and prosper in the small town of Ebensburg was the icing on the cake.

“I have been to many small towns in every state, but there is nothing quite like living in Ebensburg”, Kimball said. “I love the city, I love the people and there is nowhere I would rather be.”

Mirror staff writer Calem Illig is at 814-946-7535.

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