How Mike Berrelez fixes the unfixable

Mike is a service adjuster who’s been with KONE for nearly 19 years. His reputation originates from his earlier days working in New Building Solutions and Modernization. “There were situations where a team would work for hours to get an elevator running before I could arrive,” Mike explains. “I’d come in the next morning, make a few adjustments, and boom, I’d get it running. They would say, ‘How’d you know how to do that? It’s like magic.’” Now in Service, he’s known as the person who can fix the unfixable.

“It’s not really magic though, it’s a lot of hard work,” Mike explains. He prides himself on the extensive training and reading he’s completed on his own time to deeply understand the equipment. His dedication and attention to detail also stem from his time in the Navy.

“I worked on heavy equipment, such as catapults and arresting gears on aircraft carriers, performing the maintenance and later becoming an operator,” Mike says. As catapults are essential for launching fixed-wing aircraft from short runways, measurements must be precise, and maintenance must be performed correctly for inspectors, Mike explains. But in this high-pressure environment, Mike learned the importance of keeping equipment up and running, building a strong relationship with supervisors and having great communication skills, all of which have translated well into the elevator and escalator industry. “At KONE, I understand the pressure when a customer needs their equipment back up and running, such as at a stadium for a major event.”

While Mike was familiar with high-pressure situations, the elevator industry was initially unknown to him. “I didn’t know anything about the unions or elevators, but when getting out of active duty I joined the Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) program,” he says. H2H helps transition veterans from the military into successful careers in building trades. “I remember I got out of active duty on a Thursday, and that Friday the union called and said they had an opportunity for me. Now I tell other vets all the time about the Helmets to Hardhats program,” Mike says.

For his first 13 years with KONE, Mike continued to serve in the Navy Reserves, and he says KONE supported him every step of the way. As he would need to serve his duty on a monthly basis, “KONE was always very accommodating with my schedule,” he says.

Today as a service adjuster, Mike loves opportunities to solve problems. “Especially when an elevator is broken that’s not in our Lifts-in-Service, and I go over and figure it out, it’s a great feeling of knowing I accomplished something. It’s like a puzzle you got to put together.”

His supervisor Jim is more than grateful to have someone like Mike on his team. “It’s the peace of mind knowing we have him on our team and we don’t take him for granted. And it’s not just about what he does as a mechanic, but also as a person and how he makes people feel,” Jim says. He also notes that Mike is a great communicator, always bringing a potential solution that “just makes my job easier,” Jim says.

Mike’s family is proud of him too. Mike has a wife and two daughters - ages 9 and 10. Although his daughters are too young to remember his time in the Navy, the city of Avondale, AZ - where he grew up - recently recognized him as a “hometown hero,” hanging banners with his photo around town (thanks to the help of his wife nominating him for the recognition program). Now his girls can see his picture in town and know not just who he is now as a great father, but who he’s been all along as a great person - for his family, his team, his customers and his country.