Success Story
K & K Industries
By Debbye Omlie
K & K Industries is a success story right out of a business text book on “how to succeed in business.” The secret is all in the ingredients. Just ask Sandy Keathley, co-owner with husband, Ben Kinnebrew, a manufacturer that began as a laser-cutting service that opened in 2004.
“We saw a need and knew if we didn’t fill it; someone else would,” stated Sandy. “Ben had worked in metal fabrication, welding, and the boat manufacturing industries. And I had a business background and had worked at the SBDC while pursuing an MBA at Western Washington University. We discovered a niche market and ideally started the business at the right place, at the right time and with the right skills.”
From the beginning Keathley sought assistance from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) with a business plan and financing options. Because of her experience in graduate school, she knew how the SBDC could help position her business for success.
Today, the company serves the entire Pacific Northwest with its laser and router cutting services: cutting metal and aluminum parts for the manufacturing and boat building industries. The company can also cut wood or plastic pieces. “The router-cut parts are jewel quality,” stated Keathley. Products of their work can be found in pig feeding machines, hydropower turbines, berry picking machines, dental chairs, big boats, and milking parlors that have been shipped to Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia. The company has 11 full-time and three part-time employees and runs three shifts.
More secrets of success lie in “kid glove” customer service and word-of-mouth marketing, thanks to happy customers. The company has never advertised. Instead the company works directly with each customer to create and deliver the parts quickly and within specification.
Today, the biggest problem for Keathley is managing the growth. “I didn’t know we would grow so quickly that we would have to push for expansion so soon. Honestly, the hardest thing to manage are the growing pains,” stated Keathley. K & K is currently expanding onto nine acres nearby the present manufacturing facility.
Even today Keathley still turns to Western Washington University’s SBDC for advice. “They are a really good sounding board for me. They have helped me greatly during this expansion. I can easily see business doubling in the next few years,” stated Keathley.