THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE DREAMS, IDEAS AND GOALS COME TO FRUITION, IS THE CORE OF WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF THE FREEDOMS THAT ARE OURS IN AMERICA.

- Denise Burnett Stewart

SMALL BUSINESS DRIVES THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. IT THRIVES AND SURVIVES NO MATTER WHAT MAY BE GOING ON IN THE MAIN ECONOMY.

- Dick Gadomski

UNLESS WE PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WE WILL NOT HAVE AN EXCITING BUSINESS ATMOSPHERE IN OUR COUNTRY.

- Allen B. Morgan, Jr.

Ronnie RANDALL

Kele, Inc.
President /CEO (Retired)
Entrepreneur

Ronnie Randall is the retired president/CEO of Kele, Inc. (formerly Kele & Associates). Ronnie became a partner of Kele & Associates in 1985. Previously, Mr. Randall was a branch sales manager and Vice-President of G. H. Avery Co., where he started as an application engineer during his college years at Memphis State (now the University of Memphis). The idea for Kele was formed many years before Roger Johnson actually opened shop in the den of his house in early 1983. As principals in the G.H. Avery Company, a Mid-South temperature controls contractor, both he and business partner Ronnie Randall had personally experienced the birth of the building automation industry. Roger led the transition from a conventional temperature controls contractor to a building automation specialty firm in the Memphis, TN, area while Ronnie was doing the same in the Nashville area. The idea for a single source supplier that could offer a carefully crafted product selection, innovative product designs and convenient customized service for everything input/output grew into Kele, Inc., the first to offer an all-inclusive package. Kele’s customers embraced the concept and Kele has enjoyed over 30 years of continuous growth in both the domestic and international market arenas.

Ronnie is a facilitator of Steven Covey leadership and effectiveness principles. He also has served on the board of the Bartlett Chamber of Commerce, the Bartlett Arts Council, Inc., the Bartlett Performing Arts Center Fundraising Committee, the Bartlett Education Foundation and the Youth Villages Board of Directors.

Description of Business:

Kele is the leading supplier of building automation products to customers who specialize in environmental and security control for commercial buildings from office buildings to school campuses and retail malls. Kele’s customers install microprocessor based controllers from a number of manufacturers to control the building and Kele can provide everything needed to feed inputs (temperature, pressure, etc.) into the controller and output devices that the microprocessor controls (valves, dampers, motor speed controllers, etc.) Kele is unique in that the founding concept was to be a single source supplier who could provide not only products from stock, but solutions to difficult applications through industry expertise and product customization. Kele is headquartered in Bartlett and serves customers both domestic and international.

Year Business Founded:

1983

Thoughts on Entrepreneurship:

“Entrepreneurs are the ones who ‘Git ‘er Done.’ This country was built on the backs of entrepreneurs who had the vision, took the risks, made the investments, and had the creativity to build businesses that created jobs and the largest economy in the world. For us to continue in the leadership role, we need more entrepreneurs and fewer politicians.”