MK² Construction and Development: The business of building trust

“What is alarming is that most have no business being in it for lack of knowledge. Anyone who has money to invest goes into real estate and faces a flurry of issues down the line”, shares Karim El Khatib, the owner of MK².

Unlike many firms that focus on a single aspect of a project, MK² Construction and Development combines development, design, and contracting under one roof. This creates significant added value to any project since they merge technical expertise with know-how in all facets of any project they might endeavor.

A critical relationship

When meeting with a client, he demonstrates a deep technical background which puts the client’s mind at ease. Karim believes that a partnership of this kind, one that would last years, requires full trust and transparency.

A landowner once told him: “If you don’t share the same vision, background, and perspective, we don’t want any part of it”. Another said: “It’s as if I’m marrying off my daughter to you”.

An important differentiation to shed light on in Karim’s opinion is between investor and developer. One provides the funds and the other has the actual knowledge to execute a project properly. An investor does not necessarily have the required capabilities.

The problems that may transpire if the choice of developer or contractor is not thoroughly studied could be financial, technical, or sales related. In this field, many issues have occurred in prominent projects because a lot of people tackle real estate as pure business, they’re only interested in maximizing profit. This is a substantial recurring problem in Lebanon.

An instance of such mishaps is going into projects and planning to sell off-plan and build with other people’s money. When sales are not as projected, the project is stalled and the landowner becomes stuck since he’s bound by the contract. Another problem might be a technical difficulty. The developer delivered an old-fashioned design, misaligned with the landowner’s vision. Although some companies have forty years’ worth of experience, they have failed to keep pace with contemporary architectural thinking. Not adhering to the specs of a project and cutting corners for profit causes a different kind of issue.

A prosperous vision

Excitement is apparent on Karim’s face as we discuss the future of Lebanon. He is looking forward to the fruition of the solid foundation he’s laid throughout the six years of crisis. “We are going into big scale development, design, and contracting projects with prime locations in Beirut. It’s a big step for our future, to solidify and grow our reputation”.

Nonetheless, it wasn’t smooth sailing to achieve this level of success with MK². For years on end, Karim didn’t take a day off and didn’t go on vacation. He’s on call 24/7, working through the weekends. “I’m always on the lookout for new opportunities; I had to sacrifice my personal life and endure strenuous pressure.  Anywhere in the world an entrepreneur starting from scratch suffers strain, in Lebanon you must fight alone with all the odds stacked against you”, says Karim with an ache in his voice.

The only thing that allows him to let out some steam is hitting the gym at least four times a week.  “It’s better I de-stress as I work out than to let it out somewhere else or on someone else”.

Fighting skepticism

Although MK² has proven its merit, some people might prefer dealing with more established companies. To prove to one such client the superiority of their services, Karim suggested the landowner request a design plan for a project from a more seasoned name in development and compare the result with his proposal. MK² had a sleeker, much more modern approach that stood out in spades, urging the landowner to opt enthusiastically for his plan.

“I handled billion-dollar projects for international companies which equipped me to do the same under my own umbrella”, admits Karim.

Karim worked for a long stretch with Dar Al Handasah Lebanon and Setec Paris where he honed his skills. Only yesterday, he told a man about his educational background, studying civil engineering in AUB, then specializing in the grande école Pont et Chaussées Paris, “a military school”, joked Karim, where they accept fifteen of the world’s top engineers out of the 20,000 who apply yearly. Then he went on to MIT, ranked as the top university in the world. “My goal was to always do my homework. Four elements constitute success, three are within our control and the fourth is in the hands of God. My education and work experience, my ethics, and the monetary funds are on me”, says Karim.

A fast-paced life

Karim doesn’t disconnect from work. His definition of happiness is to visit all the sites and watch how many men are providing for their families through his endeavors. Nearly 100 homes have food on the table because of MK² and that brings satisfaction and gratification to Karim beyond measure.

“Six years ago, I was thinking to myself how am I going to make a living.  Now I’m happy I get to give back in such a manner to people who are in the same bind”, confesses Karim.

What was even more satisfying is passing a motorcycle on the Ain El Mreysseh street and seeing the two riders wearing an MK² t-shirt. The operation got so big that he didn’t even recognize the workers.

His laborers give from the heart, pleased with the fair and kind treatment they receive. “We come to work not just for the money, we love you and we’re happy with the job”, they said to him on more than one occasion.

As he scales the operation, covering the whole of Lebanon, MK² has become the leading contractor in AUB for commercial and residential projects. They have developed the rare capacity to handle all sorts of projects, everything from A to Z, “that is scale in itself”.

Priceless capital

When he was growing up, a young Karim asked his father how much money they had in the bank, to which his father replied: “Our capital is our good reputation and the mercy of God”. He used to get angry with him, expecting an actual monetary figure.

Today, he is convinced of the vitality of a good reputation. His decency and commitment to delivering high value results helped him achieve an advanced level of success in just seven years. At this stage of his career, he has many investors backing his projects because he made sure to build an impeccable reputation.

 “Every cent I made was through rolling up my sleeves and doing good old-fashioned hard work. Lebanon is a small country and word gets around fast. Whomever enquires about me will receive the same answer, and that is priceless”.