Loren Wesley Vankirk, a longtime electrical contractor, leads Vankirk Electric as CEO. In this capacity, he leverages more than 40 years of experience in the field to oversee daily operations of the electrical construction company and handle its financing, marketing, and strategy. An avid traveler, Loren Wesley Vankirk has seen numerous places in Europe and is fond of visiting Mexico.One of the most popular tourist attractions in Mexico is Chichen Itza on the Yucatan Peninsula. A huge Mayan city, Chichen Itza was built around 400 AD and had grown into a center of Mayan economic and political activity just 200 years later. The city was comprised of various types of stone structures, including commercial and residential buildings. These buildings covered close to two square miles. Along the outskirts of the city, there were smaller homes that made up suburban-esque areas. However, some of the most notable structures in the city were the pyramid, El Castillo; a large cenote (sacred spring); and the astronomical observatory, El Caracol. These structures were testament to the Mayan’s advanced civilization.Over the next several centuries, Chichen Itza was abandoned a few times by the Itzas, a Maya group, before being conquered by the Toltecs. The influence of the Toltecs was strong and pushed Chichen Itza into becoming a religious and trade center. These conquerors also introduced the practice of human sacrifice to the Itzas.When the Mayan civilization fell into decline in the late 1400s and early 1500s, the city became entirely abandoned. It remained lost until a New York lawyer rediscovered it in 1842. Since then, Chichen Itza has undergone significant restorations by the Mexican government and Carnegie Institute, and has become a popular tourist destination.
As the CEO of Vankirk Electric, Loren Wesley Vankirk guides a Winder, Georgia company that has consistently expanded its market share over the past 25 years. A longtime Downtown Development Authorities member, Loren Wesley Vankirk has informed redevelopment and planning activities in Winder, including direct involvement in projects in the city's historical district.One of the historical buildings of the area is the Easy Pay Tire Store, which was purchased in the late 1940s by Larry and Dorothy Jones, who also operated a furniture store on North Broad Street until 2011. As reported in the Barrow Journal in 2015, the Easy Pay building was subsequently purchased by longtime area residents Wes and Karen Vankirk. While it was described as being “rundown” when it was acquired, the beauty of the historical structure was such that the decision to renovate it by the couple was nearly immediate. The successful transformation of the site is part of a larger trend of preserving the civic character of a small-town community situated within the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Loren Wesley Vankirk is a respected presence in the Winder, Georgia community who guides Vankirk Electric and provides contracting services across the nation. With a passion for business strategy, Loren Wesley Vankirk considers Richard Branson's first book, Losing My Virginity, as one of his favorite reads.Originally published in 1998, the book details the dynamic, work-centered, and risk-taking approach that brought Branson to the pinnacle of achievement. His innovative model drew from his accomplishments in creating global companies with limited bureaucracy and management hierarchy and no central headquarters. This allowed him to successfully take on British Airways and the business establishment, both in the air and in the courts. Along the way, Branson also had larger-than-life adventures, such as surviving a hot-air balloon crash in the Sahara Desert while en route to completing a pioneering circuit around the world. He also signed some of rock’s most noteworthy acts, from the Rolling Stones to Janet Jackson, and staged a rescue flight into Iraq before the Gulf War began. Richard Branson recently authored the follow-up book Finding My Virginity, which provides insight from the entrepreneur’s past 20 years. Its 2017 publication was timed to coincide with his 50th year as an entrepreneur.
A business owner and third-generation electrical contractor, Loren Wesley Vankirk serves as the CEO of Vankirk Electric, Inc., a comprehensive multi-family electrical service company. In addition to leading a national company, Loren Wesley Vankirk prioritizes giving back to the community by supporting nonprofit organizations such as Boys & Girls Club of Winder-Barrow County in Georgia.A youth development program for boys and girls aged 6-18, Boys & Girls Club of Winder-Barrow recently got a new home in the Wimberly Center for Community Development along with several other nonprofit organizations. The new 20,000-square-foot community center is at the former site of Winder-Barrow High School on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.One of the services this Boys & Girls Club chapter provides at the Wimberly Center is “Making Minutes Count for Success,” an after-school and summer camp program for children in 1st through 5th grades. The free program emphasizes leadership development, recreation, and homework assistance. It can accommodate 100 students from County Line, Holsenbeck, Kennedy, Statham, and Winder Elementary schools, and transportation is provided from certain pick-up locations.
