As you may know, we’ve moved! On April 1^st, we relocated to a much expanded office building at 302 Visions Parkway (Kuder Campus), still in the heart of the Midwest – Adel, IA. Since starting this company in 1997, we have experienced tremendous growth and our new office will now allow us to continue to grow and expand.

We also merged all of our companies, National Career Assessment Services, Educational Training Associates, Visions Unlimited, and two others, into a single company, with a new name that many of you are already familiar with. As of April 1, 2007, we are now known as Kuder. We are very excited to be starting this new chapter and in our brand new facilities where we can continue to provide you with the quality products and services you’ve come to trust from us.

To learn more about these new changes, Kuder User News (KUN) sat down with company president, Phil Harrington, to get additional insight about the new Kuder company.

KUN: What sparked the name change? Why now?

Harrington: We wanted to improve efficiencies for both our customers and our company. Over the past 10 years, we have had the opportunity to work with thousands of educators, parents, students, administrators, community colleges, and state and local governments – all of whom are working towards the same goal – to provide students of all ages with the tools and resources necessary to create a roadmap for a lifetime of success.  By merging the companies under one name, Kuder, we effectively bring together all areas of our expertise, while expanding the reach of our entire portfolio of services and improving efficiencies for everyone.

KUN: Why “Kuder”? Where did the name originate from?

Harrington: As you may know, the Kuder brand has been around since 1938, when Dr. Kuder created his first interest inventory. I was introduced to Dr. Frederic “Fritz” Kuder by Dr. Don Zytowski and, in 1998 we purchased the rights to all of Fritz’s research and work.

We believe we’ve done a good job of re-branding Kuder within the last 10 years and have found that the majority of our customers already consider us the “Kuder Team.” We thought the time was right and it was fitting to make the name change to Kuder. I believe it will make life simpler for all of our customers and certainly for our associates.

KUN: If there is one thing people should know about the company and what it stands for, what would it be?

Harrington: It is simple; our mission. “To raise student aspirations and to provide career options to students and adults through self-assessment and education” remains our constant guide.

KUN: How will the name change affect customers? What other changes can be expected?

Harrington:The name change will not affect our customers.  If anything, by merging these companies under one name, we further strengthen our commitment to our customers by offering a broader portfolio of services to meet all their needs. You can expect to continue to see many new products and services from us, along with a list of summer system enhancements that you have asked for. 

As we continue to grow our staff, you can expect to see new faces and hear new voices.  Most importantly, whether you are a customer of National Career Assessment Services, Educational Training Associates or Visions Unlimited, you can know with confidence that our deep commitment to our customers remains unchanged.

KUN: Why is career education and planning so important to you and the company?

Harrington:Today, having a clear idea of where you’re going and how you’re going to get there has never been more critical. Unfortunately, many parents watch their children go through school without having a clear path to follow for success. Educators see students who are indifferent about or not engaged in their education now, and beyond. 

Yet, we find ourselves competing for jobs – not just with others in your town or even your state – but with skilled workers from around the world.  We need to start now to instill in students of all ages that understanding who they are and what they want to be is the best way to compete in our ever-changing marketplace. By using our system, we can help students create that “spark” for self-assessment and learning.  We’ve seen it happen time and time again.  And, in doing so, we provide employers with an educated and skilled workforce, which makes a tremendous difference as we tackle the issues of a growing global economy.

KUN: What sets Kuder apart from others?

Harrington:There are many reasons why Kuder is the leader in the educational assessment and career planning marketplace. For instance, our track record of success is unparalleled in the industry. To my knowledge we have assessed more individuals than any other company in the world. In fact, we passed the 150 million mark earlier this year.

Another area that sets us apart from others is our dedicated team. Their passion, loyalty, and professionalism are second to none. It is their commitment that allows us to continue to impact the lives of students and adults worldwide.

We are devoted to customer satisfaction; this is what drives us everyday. From the beginning, we did not want to sell “off the rack” products. We strive to provide highly customized, comprehensive systems, while maintaining the integrity of our assessments and information. We listen closely to what our customers are saying and we work extremely hard to make sure we continue to develop products and services that meet or exceed those expectations. In an effort to continue to bring our customers high quality customer support, all new Kuder Customer Support representatives will be trained as Career Development Facilitators.

KUN: Anything else, Phil?

Harrington: We have many exciting new projects in development, which I expect to share with you later this year.  

Kuder Contact Information:

*Please note that we are no longer using P.O. Box 277.