If you ask Ken Krych to describe himself, “introvert” is one of the first words he’ll use.
“I live outside my comfort zone,” he says with a laugh. “I’d be perfectly happy on a tractor in a field.”
Yet for the past 33 years at North Central Bus, Ken has built a career centered around people.
What started as a “job” as a technician, after a layoff from another company, has turned into a career unlike almost any other. Over the years, Ken has worn more hats than he can easily count—technician, warranty, parts, service, customer training, train-the-trainer, IT before there was an IT department, and now Customer Support Manager overseeing North Central’s growing body shop.
“I’ve done everything but sell a bus,” he jokes. “Nobody’s asked me yet.”
That willingness to adapt has become one of Ken’s defining characteristics. Every new challenge has been another opportunity to learn, grow, and help move the business forward.
“I like to be busy. I like to be challenged,” he says. “I’m kind of a chameleon. I adapt and learn.”
Today, much of his focus is leading North Central’s body shop—an area he believes represents one of the company’s biggest opportunities for future growth. But ask him what he enjoys most about his work, and the answer has little to do with vehicles.
“Helping people succeed,” he says without hesitation. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s work-related or not. If I’m helping a co-owner, chances are I’m helping their customer too. I just want to help people.”
That mindset extends to how he approaches ownership.
Ken admits he’s careful with spending—his coworkers might even call him frugal—but he sees that as part of being an employee-owner.
“I think of this business as my own,” he says. “I look at the impact. I think about the return on investment. That’s how everyone should approach it.”
Some of the accomplishments he’s proudest of, including helping move North Central into its current facility and launching the new body shop, weren’t individual achievements. They were team efforts.
That’s what has kept him here for more than three decades.
“The teamwork,” he says. “The way we’ve always worked together to meet and exceed the needs of the business.”
Throughout his career, Ken has also remained open to learning from others. Former President Don Schiffler left a lasting impression by listening first and making thoughtful decisions—qualities Ken has carried into his own leadership style.
Outside of work, Ken returns to his introverted roots. Each year he and his wife make the trip to their off-grid family cabin in Ontario, accessible only by boat or plane. There, they fish, unplug, make their own electricity, and enjoy a pace of life that’s about as far removed from the bus business as possible.
It’s where he recharges before returning to tackle whatever challenge comes next.
Looking back, Ken is most proud not of any one title, but of the opportunity North Central gave him to continually grow.
“I don’t know that anyone will be able to do what I did here,” he reflects. “The company has grown so much that many of those responsibilities have become entire positions.”
His advice to new employee owners is simple.
“Be open-minded. Do more than what’s asked. Be entrepreneurial.”
And perhaps the greatest surprise after 33 years?
“The value of the ESOP,” he says. “It gives me peace of mind. I wouldn’t have been able to build something like this on my own.” For Ken, ownership has never been about a title. It’s about saying yes to the next challenge, helping the next person succeed, and leaving the company stronger than he found it.