Business profile: K&S Millwrights

BELOIT, Ohio — K&S Millwrights, 1422 Knox School Road, Beloit, offers millwright services and equipment for grain, feed and seed handling or processing.

It carries Sweet Bucket Elevators, Sukup bins and driers, product lines from Hutchison, Honeyville, Screw Conveyor Corp., and Baldor motors.

You can also call on them for seeing a job from inception through installation of onfarm and industrial applications, concrete, crane rental, rigging and repairs.

Key to surviving. “We saw a small downturn in the feed mill business in 2009, but increased grain production caused an increase in the need for storage facilities,” said co-owner Diane Klingelhofer, “so we ended 2009 much stronger than we were anticipating.”

The Sukup bin and drier line “allows us to offer a superior product at a competitive cost to our customers,” she said, adding they expect to see continued growth with this product line.

Weathering storms is nothing new for farmers, and it’s nothing new for K&S Millwrights.

“We suffered severe economic conditions back in the early ’80s,” Klingelhofer said. “We survived then, when many of our competitors were selling out, by living frugally, depending daily on God, and not giving up, while offering our customers a superior and economical product due to our low overhead expenses.

“We’ve held to that philosophy, which has served us and our customers well once again through this downturn,” she added.

Steady growth. Diane and Kurt Klingelhofer started the company back in 1978 in Degraff, Ohio, and moved to Hartville in 1984, and then to Alliance in 1988. In 1998, the company relocated to its current location in Beloit to take advantage of a 38-acre site with room and buildings to expand.

“We can fabricate, assemble and inventory large amounts of product to better serve our customers,” Klingelhofer said.

Eight years ago, K&S Millwright bought Alliance City Construction, a crane company, which gave the company another aspect of the construction industry. The subsidiary is now known as Alliance Crane & Rigging.

Backbone. Just as its name implies, millwright services are the backbone of the company, with sales of grain storage a close second. Conveying and processing equipment wear out, or become outdated, and you can turn to K&S for expert answers.

Today, the company has 10 full-time employees and five part-time employees — employees, Klingelhofer said, who have allowed the company to expand into new markets and offer more services.

“But we wouldn’t be doing this without our customers,” she added. “We have been very fortunate to work for many wonderful people over the years, many who have invited us into their homes and lives to become lifelong friends.”

“Our ultimate goal is to provide our customers with a properly designed and installed final product that will greatly increase their profitability and ease their work loads.”

Give K&S a call at 330-823-8811 to see how they can help you today.. Office hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday.