Reginald McKnight carries forward a proud family tradition of military service. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Reginald served four years in the United States Navy, completing basic training in Orlando, Florida, and finishing as an E3.
His time in the Navy came during a pivotal moment in history. Just 90 days after completing boot camp, Desert Storm began. Though he didn't deploy overseas, the experience of serving during wartime taught him invaluable lessons about responsibility, patience, and looking at life from different perspectives. "The camaraderie in the military is on a whole different level," Reginald says. "Knowing that you had someone to have your back in life-or-death situations was a great feeling."
Today, Reginald brings those same principles to his role as Lead Carpenter and acting foreman for civil carpenters at the Cornerstone job site, where he's been since February 2022. He first started with Performance in 2018 on the Monsanto Dicamba Project and has worn many hats throughout his tenure, handling everything from maintenance work to major project assignments. In his leadership position, he passes along the qualities he learned in the Navy—attention to detail, situational awareness, and safe, efficient work practices—to the younger carpenters who work under him.
Construction runs in Reginald's family. His father and three uncles worked in the industrial field, and his father later started his own construction company. "Every boy wants to be like his father," Reginald says, explaining how he followed those footsteps into residential, commercial, and eventually industrial construction.
What sets Performance apart for Reginald is how the company recognizes and supports its veterans. "Just the small accolades that Performance does for its veterans—for your birthday, for the holidays, for Veterans Day, the hats, the shirts, the jackets, the pendants they give you—it's great. No other company I have worked for has done that for veterans or even recognized them for that matter."
When asked what he'd tell other veterans considering a career at Performance, Reginald's answer is simple: "Being a veteran and working for Performance, you will not be forgotten and you will be recognized, and that's a plus all the way around."
Outside of work, this self-described "simple country boy" enjoys fishing, hunting, cooking, spending time with family, and playing pool. Whether on the job site or at home, Reginald brings the same attention to detail and commitment to excellence that has defined his military service and his career with Performance.
