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Traveling down the winding country roads in New Holland, PA, passing farmland and corn fields you will find the home of a family business that has been crafting custom countertops & cabinets for the very hearts of homes throughout Lancaster for over thirty years. Kauffman Kitchens was founded in 1987 by Benjamin Kauffman as a cabinet installation and countertop fabrication company. As additional family members joined the business, they expanded into different aspects of the residential and commercial kitchen industry in Lancaster & Chester Counties. In 2013 Ben’s son Kyle stepped into his father’s place as President of the company. A year later Kyle followed a family trend of seeking a SCORE mentor.
His sister, Sara Bare, former owner of New Holland Coffee Company and brother-in-law Joel Bare of Joel Bare Woodworking both sought the guidance of SCORE Lancaster-Lebanon mentors for their respective businesses.
Kyle was facing a growing company and wanted to be in the best possible position to handle the demands and challenges that would pose for him. He made his case simple and clearly to SCORE mentor Eric Parker.
"I am a second-generation owner of my family's business and am in my second year of ownership. Help with overall management, marketing, and cash flow would be appreciated."
- Kyle Kauffman, President of Kauffman Kitchens
In the years that they have worked together, Kyle and Eric addressed the issue of cash flow for a rapidly growing business that was increasing production and adding employees, while developing and implementing systems that best served the success of the company. In addition, the SCORE mentor team looks at operations with an eye to reducing cost of goods sold by renegotiating relationships with suppliers, expanding the factory to accommodate state of the art computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment and streamlining operations.
Kyle continues to meet with his SCORE mentor regularly to review projects and set goals. He is now moving into his 5th year as head of his family business and the factory is buzzing with projects and activity.
“Meeting with my mentor, Eric Parker, has helped me to achieve goals of improved organization and workflow. I’ve gained a much better understanding of our finances and how to best equip our team members. We’ve also set and achieved higher goals than I thought possible.”
- Kyle Kauffman, President of Kauffman Kitchens
The future looks bright for this little factory tucked in the farmland of Lancaster County. The sweet smell of sawdust will drift from the parking lot as the team turns out ever more kitchens of homeowner’s dreams and Kyle’s SCORE mentor will keep his eye on the future and on ever-changing goals for a family company that continues to thrive and grow.
“Having an unbiased opinion from someone who has experience is one of the most valuable assets imaginable to a business owner. Knowing that you don’t have to figure everything out on your own and having someone help you avoid costly mistakes is a huge advantage to anyone in business.”
- Kyle Kauffman, President of Kauffman Kitchens
