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Kauffmans Kitchens, Kyle Kauffman
SCORE Lancaster-Lebanon salutes these small business owners who are handed lemons by the COVID-19 crisis and turn them into lemonade.
SCORE client Kyle Kauffman, President of Kauffman Kitchens was looking ahead toward a bright future of growth and development for his family-owned company when he began a significant expansion for Kauffmans Kitchens in June of 2019. The plans called for building a new space that would include a showroom, offices, shop, and workshop areas directly beside their present location on Commerce Drive in New Holland. The expansion plans would increase their space by 100% to 22,500 square feet. Construction began in December of 2019.
Adapting To Markets When Crisis Occurs
As we all know, March of 2020 brought another major development to every business model. The COVID-19 pandemic left many small business owners vulnerable to severe economic hardship. Fortunately, Kyle Kauffman had production and the agility to adapt to markets in mind when he created his expansion plans. He is now in a better position to pivot to meet the changes in market demand and consumer trends that this new normal will produce in the months ahead.
Kyle Kauffman has been working closely with SCORE volunteer mentor Eric Parker since 2014. Eric was happy to be able to contribute his expertise regarding financial analysis and the feasibility regarding this expansion project. Eric is impressed with not only the growth of Kyle’s business but with his individual development as a strong business leader who plans for effectively the future of his company.
“We have 2,500 sq. ft. of showroom that highlights all of our products and has excellent natural lighting to assist in making decisions. Our departments are separated into group workrooms, which enhance communication and provide separation between departments to reduce distractions. Our enhanced shop space has improved workflow and increased our work capacity. Our larger warehouse allows us to consolidate our products into one location instead of the two we were previously leasing.”
- Kyle Kauffman, President Kauffmans Kitchens
Meeting the Challenges for The Future
The future is filled with uncertain variables for all small business owners and entrepreneurs at this time. But the opening of this new bright new space will help Kauffman’s Kitchens grow and meet the challenges that lie ahead.
“Our larger warehouse will have a positive impact on the size of projects we are able to take on. We also have more room to add fabricators in our countertop shop to cut down on lead times and add to capacity. Our company focuses on being agile and in multiple markets (including residential, commercial, and multi-unit projects) to remain productive as different parts of the construction economy slows or grows. We also focus on cross-training our employees so that we can remain as lean as possible and avoid layoffs as much as possible.”
- Kyle Kauffman, President of Kaufmans Kitchens
This family-owned Lancaster County business has grown as quickly as the cornfields that surround it since it was founded in 1987 by Kyle’s father, Benjamin Kauffman. Kyle has every intention to steward the company for the next generation.
Twenty years "fixing broken companies". Primarily in industrial products (B to B). Started...
