Kevin Turpin is the Founder and CEO of weavix®, a pioneering frontline technology company transforming how industrial workers work through communications. Recognizing that frontline workers are industry's most undervalued asset, Turpin reimagined the traditional radio into the Walt Smart Radio System - a connected digital hub that helps workers do their jobs better while feeling more connected to their larger organization. Serving renowned innovative brands like Hanes, Hilton, and Kraft, this frontline-first platform has become the de facto system of record for operations, unlocking deep organizational insights that turn poor communications and low morale into a highly engaged workforce resulting in continuous improvements in safety, efficiency, and decision-making at all levels.
Turpin's unique entrepreneurial journey began in response to a natural disaster, starting with local restoration work that evolved into an industrial specialty services powerhouse. His early breakthrough came when he revolutionized industrial fireproofing worldwide by introducing innovative intumescent coating technologies to replace traditional methods. The innovation spawned PK Specialty Services, which he built with his two brothers into a multi-faceted enterprise spanning three organizations across all 50 states and five countries, employing thousands while pioneering two global frontline software platforms during his 25-year tenure.
A Kansas native, Turpin continues to build and invest in his home state, contributing to its growing industrial ecosystem. Kevin holds an associate in science degree and is married with three children. He was named in the Wichita Business Journal in "40 Under 40.”
The Back Story
Turpin's entrepreneurial journey began at the early age of 16 during the devastating Kansas Halloween Flood of 1998. While his hometown struggled with conventional cleanup methods, he innovated by modifying a pressure washer with heat, significantly accelerating the town's safe recovery while sparking his passion for building great teams and keeping them safe. He later transformed the industrial coatings industry by introducing a new way to fireproof with intumescent, becoming the world’s authority of fireproofing by applying this new technology onshore. His company, PK Companies, soon became a multi-national industrial specialty services provider operating across 40 states and 5 countries, encompassing safety services, inspection software, and industrial coating systems.
In 2019, inspired a second time by seeing performance data transform his son's motocross training, Turpin, with his two brothers, invested $20 million to found weavix® to bring an even larger vision to life: bring critical data and insights from the frontline to improve operations while creating better connections for people and technology.
Kevin's unique vision and hands-on experience with frontline teams attracted significant investor attention, first with a $10 million Series A round in 2022 led by Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), and in 2024 for $23.6 million Series B round led by Insight Partners, bringing the total raised to $52M.
A recognized innovator and holder of the prestigious NACE OCAT certification, Turpin's achievements have earned him recognition in Wichita Business Journal's "40 Under 40.” Based in Wichita, Kansas, he continues to pioneer the digital transformation of industrial workplaces, driven by his unwavering belief that frontline workers deserve revolutionary technology to match their critical role in the global economy.
For a 250-room hotel, communication failures can bleed hundreds of thousands of dollars annually from the bottom line.