Excavation Services Available for More Than Bin Preparation

The K&S Excavation Crew has a lot of experience preparing a location for the addition of a grain bin, dryer cement slab, site preparation or grain facility construction. They do many other types of projects as well. They have also cleared groves of tree and brush, taken down building stuctures such as barns and old farm houses, and repaired field intakes and drainage ditches.

Do you have a project that would benefit from the assistance of excavation equipment and skilled operators? Curt, Scott and Brad offers years of experience, and always look forward to a new challenge. K&S owns a variety of equipment including backhoes, dump trucks, packers, graders and more that allow us to offer many services. If you have a project we’ll figure out the best way to get it done for you.

K&S Excavation Crew

Recent Excavation Projects

The Excavation Crew completed a few interesting projects lately. They were working on a site in Burnsville, MN near the Minnesota River where they cleared cement to prepare for future construction.

K&S Excavation Services

Before that they were working on the local Community Garden. There are plans for it to be planted by the end of the month. We can’t wait to see it completed!

Think of K&S Millwrights the next time you have a project that requires excavation equipment. Think of K & S Millwrights, we are equipped to help you out!

Contact us today to get your project started.

 

Offering Grain Handling Solutions for 23 Years

May 2017 marks the 23rd anniversary of K & S Millwrights.  Each year it is interesting to reflect on our growth and the changes that occur in the agriculture industry.

Lafayette Project

An example of one of our projects.

Starting on the farm site of Ken and Pearl Stressman in Buffalo Lake, with support from Warren Gerdes at the Buffalo Lake Farmers Coop Elevator and local banker Keith Fischer, the K & S Millwrights’ journey began.  From the living room office to a renovated Quonset garage, we quickly were outgrowing every space we had.  Over time the Scharmer Lumber Yard was purchased for more warehouse storage, along with more land for building expansions.  Over the years, the original farm site evolved into the uprising of new buildings which has created the current site in the NE corner of Buffalo Lake. 

K&S Team

The entire K & S team.

Starting with one employee, Brad’s brother Brian, the company has grown over the years to five repair crews, two designated for new construction, an excavation crew, certified crane operators, precise CAD drawings for planning and layout, to a sales crew and five employee’s at the office site.  Many of these employees have been with us for years.  Including Brad’s son Ahron, who does some sales for the company and manages the new construction sites.  All of their commitment and knowledge are a huge part of the success of K & S Millwrights.  

Donna Moraz, a long-time supplier for K & S, said it best,

There was no fabrication shop, no K&S branded trailers, no auto-cad engineering, no onsite inventory, and no cranes. Today, K & S has all of that!

K&S Millwrights Hardware Store

The Hardware Store

In 2001, the local hardware store was purchased, moving this to K & S Millwrights at its onsite location was a win-win for everyone.  It not only provides supplies for K & S and our regular customers, but is also a needed resource for our local community.  Plus, Kent’s customer service is second to none! 

K & S Millwrights has grown into a premier full-service grain handling enterprise, serving customers across Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois.  It is exciting to see the business grow over all these years!  THANK YOU to all our dedicated employees, and also equally important – you, our customers!  K & S would not be what it is today without you. We are proud to be a part of our agriculture community!

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Meet The K & S Team

When you choose to work with K & S Millwrights, you’re working with a dedicated team that is like family. Well, some of us really are family! But even for those that aren’t, we all work together as a close team.

Working together to get things done efficiently and safely are key in grain handling, storage and drying equipment setup. We trust each other, and care for each other on the job, which gives our customers a safe, quality experience every day.

Get to Know the Team

Maybe you’ve talked to one of us by calling into the office, maybe on a cell phone to communicate about your project, or have seen us on your site. It is always nice to put a face with a name. Let’s do a few introductions!

K&S Team

The entire K&S team.

 

K&S Sales Team

The Sales Team; Brad Krumrey/Owner, Matt Rath, Kevin Weispfennig, and Jon Pettit. Not pictured, Jay Thran.

K&S Office Team

The Office Crew; Angie Hagen, Susan Krumrey, Pat Fischer, and Grandma’s very part time helper Paislie.

 

 

 

 

 

K&S Hardware Store Manager

Hardware Store Manager, Kent Scharmer

K&S Excavation Crew

The Excavation Crew; Curt Wieweck, Scott Krippner, and Brad Krumrey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

K&S Cranes

K&S Cranes

K&S Crane Operators

Certified Crane Operators; Jim DeLeeuw, Ahron Krumrey, Nathan VanderVoort, Brian Krumrey, Scott Krippner, and Silver Laar

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re interested in being a part of the agriculture industry on a dedicated team, check out our current job openings. If you think you might be a good fit, apply today!

It’s nice to meet you! Give us a call at 320-833-2228, or send us a message.

Let us know how we can help you!

A Trip to Cabo San Lucas to Celebrate with NECO and Global Industries

It isn’t every day that Brad and Susan Krumrey, owners of K&S Millwrights get to travel to Cabo San Lucas. In February, they had a chance to leave Minnesota’s winter weather for the sun and warmth, thanks to Global Industries, Inc! K & S Millwrights is a dealer of Global Industries’ NECO Dryer division.

NECO Award

Brad receiving their NECO dealer award with Dan Faltin, President of the NECO division of Global Industries and territory representative, Wayne Kampmann.

This trip was awarded to them based on their dealership performance over the last two years. This bi-annual event provided an opportunity for them to learn about the NECO products, conduct business with company representatives and enjoy some much-needed relaxation time.

Although the time away was mainly for fun and sun, Brad spent time in their general education sessions with general managers of the product line divisions and participated in break-out time for individual questions and answers on products. The business session gives them great ideas on up and coming products, gives everyone a time to collaborate thoughts, and learn from each other. Brad also learned more about the K & S new product line, Sentinel Buildings.

Importance of Business Relationships

It is beneficial to build good relationships with suppliers to ensure quality communication and service. In the hustle of everyday business, the opportunity for these types of interactions don’t always happen, so Brad and Susan embraced the chance. It’s also a time to learn about what is happening in the grain and building industry from top leaders from all over the world.

“Their friendship is equally important as the business relationship we have. We really enjoyed shopping in town and having dinner with our NECO rep, Wayne and his wife. We went to a fun place called Maro’s Shrimp Company, recommended by a friend. It was a great afternoon out with friends, capping the evening off at a fun place with awesome food!” -Susan

Brad Volleyball Team

Brad and his Quad Volleyball Team

They also appreciated the leisure time as well. There were organized activities such as whale watching, city tours, and snorkeling. One of the most entertaining events (because Brad played!) was Quad Volleyball during the annual Beach Olympics. Brad’s team took second place, missing first place by only a couple points!

Brad and Susan returned from Cabo San Lucas relaxed, and full of knowledge and opportunities for their NECO Dryer and new Sentinel Building customers. Have you been thinking about upgrading your dryer setup? The technology and ease of operation of this dryer makes NECO a perfect fit for your grain drying solutions. Looking at a new building on your site?

Give us a call, 320-833-2228, we have options for your whole farm site!

K & S Millwrights Hires New Outside Sales Representative

Jay Thran joined the K & S Millwrights team in February as an Outside Sales Representative. Jay’s customer service area includes Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Jay Thran, Outside Sales RepresentativeJay will spend his time working with customers and manufacturers, putting together solutions for customer’s needs. He’ll make various phone calls and in-person visits to feed mills, seed companies and farmers. Jay has also been working with our product representatives and steel building manufacturers for an inside look to our products and to get the answers needed for everyone. Using that information, he designs systems that work for people, and pulls together quotes. “I like to see all the pieces of a project come together,” says Jay. K & S Millwrights has put together the pieces of grain handling systems since 1994. Jay is a valuable addition to the team, and will continue to offer top notch service for customers that they are accustomed to from K & S.

Jay has a background in construction and sales along with a passion for the agriculture industry. While he didn’t grow up on a farm, his aunt and uncle manage a large dairy farm which created his interest in agriculture at young age. Jay is excited to be a part of the K & S team.

“It was a goal of mine to work in the agriculture industry one day. Working at K & S allows me to do that.” – Jay 

Jay is a great fit for the K & S team. His eagerness to learn our products and customer needs, along with his warm personality and drive are a great combination for our company, we are excited to have him on board with us.

Jay grew up in Becker, MN, but now lives in Hutchinson, which is just a short drive from the K & S Millwrights headquarters. In his free-time Jay enjoys bow hunting and duck hunting.

We are excited to add another resource for our customers that will allow us to serve their needs and provide the answers needed to get their projects completed. If you are looking to start a project or have questions on your current setup, contact K & S Millwrights or Jay’s cell phone at 320-295-6804.

K & S Millwrights’ Employees Celebrate Accomplishments

K & S Millwrights held their annual staff Christmas party in February. This is a time to celebrate their accomplishments for the past year and most importantly, a way for the company to say “thank you” to the employees for their hard work and dedication. Traditionally the event is an overnight stay at a hotel with all employees along with their family.

The occasion involves socializing, dinner, employee awards and an evening of fun and games. New this year was a gift exchange that was incorporated in the games, it was a lot of fun! This year’s event was held in Mankato.

“It is a GREAT time!!  It’s fun to be together in this sort of setting, outside of work.  Everyone is family, it is a really nice gathering.”
– Susan Krumrey

An annual tradition involves presenting a variety of awards given to staff that are voted on by the employees. These awards are well-deserved recognition of hard-working individuals that is acknowledged company wide.

Employee Awards

Silver Laar with Brad, K&S Employees

Silver Laar and Brad Krumrey

  • Most Organized Foreman:  Ahron Krumrey
  • Most Organized Employee:  Martin Holter
  • Cleanest Truck and Trailer: Silver Laar
  • Most Improved: Nathan VanderVoort
  • Most Valuable Employee: Jon Pettit

It is always interesting to see which awards people receive. This isn’t the first-time Jon Pettit received the Most Valuable Employee award. Everyone knows that this company runs a bit smoother because of the outstanding work ethic and drive of Jon. 

Nathan VanderVoort received most improved and It’s not even really that he is “most improved”. Nathan has stepped up and embraced our dryer service program over the last couple years and will be leading the program this coming season. Everyone sees the effort he puts forth to make this company thrive in an area he has taken on and that is why he received this award.

Along with that, there are plaques given for longevity of service, marked by every 5th year.  This year we celebrated with the following:

K&S Employees

Angie Hagen with Brad and Susan Krumrey

5 Years of Dedication

  • Scott Reuber
  • Steven Krippner
  • David Grams
  • Loren Westphal
  • Angie Hagen

10 Years of Dedication

  • Ahron Krumrey

15 Years of Dedication

  • Silver Laar
  • Loy Anderson

 

Would you like these hard-working individuals to help on your next grain handling, storage or drying equipment setup?  Contact K & S today to get your project started.

K&S Millwrights Attends 2017 Tradeshows

TradeshowThe first few months of 2017 have been full of tradeshows for K & S Millwrights! We’ve been from Fargo to Minneapolis, and many places in between. The shows have been very productive this year, it is great to get to talk to people about grain storage and material handling equipment and the NECO grain dryers. It also provides an opportunity to share information about changes in the industry, products and allows us to learn what our customer’s needs are.

Hopefully, we’ve had a chance to see you at one of the shows! If not, there are still a few coming up in March.

2017 Tradeshows:

North Dakota Grain Dealers Association

January 15 – 16, 2017
Holiday Inn, Fargo, ND

Minnesota Ag Expo
January 25 – 26, 2017
Verizon Wireless Center, Mankato, MN

Central Minnesota Farm Show

February 28 – March 2, 2017
St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud, MN

Minnesota Grain and Feed Association

March 2 – 3, 2017
Hyatt Regency, Minneapolis, MN

Farm-City Hub Club’s 36th Annual Farm Show

March 10 – 11, 2017
New Ulm Civic Center, New Ulm, MN

West Central Willmar Ag Show

March 14 – 15, 2017
Willmar Civic Center, Willmar, MN

Tradeshow Booth MN Grain Show

Will we see you in New Ulm, booth #401, or at the Willmar show at the Civic Center. Be sure to stop by for a visit! If you can’t join us, and would like some information for the coming year, send us a message at [email protected] or be sure to call us!

Watch the K & S Millwrights website for future tradeshow dates and locations. We’ll see you soon!

K&S Millwrights Participates in Winter Fest

The Buffalo Lake Area Business Association is organizing Winter Fest 2017 which will be held February 24th – March 3rd. There are 19 events planned over the eight days! With many fun and free events to choose from. A few events have a minimal fee to participate with their proceeds to benefiting an event or non-profit organization.

K&S Millwrights is a member of the Buffalo Lake Area Business Association and is excited to be a sponsor of this event that promotes the many great opportunities in our community of Buffalo Lake. While we are looking forward to all the events, there are a few that we have a special connection to.

K&S Event Participation

  1. Fishing Contest – Saturday, February 25th, 3-7pm on Lake Allie. Raffle tickets being sold at K&S for your chance to win over $5,000 in prizes!
  2. Renville County Drug Awareness Event – Thursday, March 2nd, 6:30pm at Buffalo Lake Community Center. Snacks provided by K&S Millwrights.
  3. Business Bites – Friday, March 3rd, 11am – 1pm at 13 area businesses including K&S Millwrights!

 

What is Business Bites?

Winter Fest Business BitesThis event gives people a chance to visit local businesses and see what they offer while enjoying some delicious food along the way. All participants need to purchase a takeout container at the Community Center for $1 or bring a non-perishable food item. 100% of the cash and food donations will be donated to the Renville County Food Shelf. Second Harvest is even matching all cash donations received between 9am – 1pm! Each participating business will have food to share when you visit. K&S is participating in this event and will have BBQ Wieners for you to enjoy! Stop by and see what we are up to!

We are excited to participate in the Winter Fest activities and see our community in action. Check out the Buffalo Lake Area Business Association Facebook page for a full list of activities and updates on the events.

Give us a call at K&S, 320-833-2228, if you have any questions.

Safety Daily at K & S Millwrights

Safety is a top priority here at K & S Millwrights. We take it very serious in all aspects of our business, during every job, whether it is a large grain storage construction project or a quick onsite repair. There are multiple ways we provide training to our employees and ensure safety is top priority for everyone.

  • CPR/First Aid/Defibulator certified employees
  • Safety policy reviews annually
  • Forklift certifications
  • AWAIR safety program
  • Monthly safety toolbox talks
  • Emergency action plan
  • Safety committee that consists of six employees and management
  • The OSHA 10-Hour course for all members of the safety committee
  • Certified Crane Operators and other employee’s that are certified in the Fundamentals of Rigging, Rigging Inspections and being a Signal Person
  • A Drug-free work place – with pre-employment testing before hiring and a quarterly random inspection company wide
  • Personal protective equipment is required at all times for our employees

K&S Company, Safety First

Annual Safety Training

Once a year we have a company-wide Safety Training Day where we bring in all employees to review standards and precautions, OSHA regulations, job hazards and the previous year, to learn from it. Our 2017 training happened just a few weeks ago, at the end of January. Together, with our insurance company, outside professional resources for our drivers and our drug program, and management, we dedicate an entire day to review and provide demonstrations on topics and products our company encounters in the scope of their business day. We take the time to ensure every employee understands the importance of safety in their every day job, avoid complacency with routine jobs and understand that one poor choice can have large consequences.

While we have this big event once a year, there are many smaller trainings and reviews completed throughout the year through toolbox talks. We also use resources through the college, MN DOT, our insurance company and other outside professional companies to train our employee’s and make them aware of the importance of this piece of their job.

Crane Certifications

Crane and Boom Trucks. Safety Training.K & S Millwrights has certified crane operators on staff. Recently we had five employees complete a 4-day education process which is done for new certifications and to be re-certified once their current license expires. The 4 days include classroom education, passing a written test, and a practical test using our mobile cranes and boom trucks. All certifications are done by a nationally accredited crane examiner and follow all OSHA required compliance.

Reasonable Suspicion Training

Operating large equipment requires focus and quick actions. The accident rate for drug users is 60% higher than non-users, which is why K & S Millwrights requires a drug-free workplace. As an employer, we have a legal obligation to provide each of our employees a healthy and safe workplace environment. In January, we had two more of our staff complete the requirements for being trained to exercise a Reasonable Suspicion test, if ever needed. The purpose of this training is to comply with the drug free workplace training requirements and improve our ability to recognize employees under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs, and to be able to take legal, appropriate action. Along with our pre-employment testing and quarterly random testing, we now have additional staff trained to request Reasonable Suspicion Testing at any time.

On A Daily Basis

K & S Millwrights is dedicated to making sure all employees have the knowledge to keep themselves and their crew member’s safe throughout the day. We understand the situations our employees are working in and make every effort to ensure they understand what is expected of them not only for themselves but also their co-workers, and the consequences their actions may create.

Would you like educated, safety conscious people working on your site? Give K & S Millwrights a call for your next project. Contact us today!

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Winter Discounts Expire This Month

Winter Discounts ExpireK&S Winter Discounts end February 28th. Now is your chance to complete updates and additions. Plus, you’ll save some money! Make improvements to your grain handling and drying equipment before the hustle and bustle of spring planting starts.

Have you contemplated adding another bin or upgrading your dryer? Bins, dryers, legs and conveyors are your biggest discount opportunities. Not sure you are ready for this step? Contact K&S today and we’ll help walk you through the opportunities. Some of the equipment distributors that we work with occasionally extend the discounts they offer. If we know you’re interested, we can work with you to get the best opportunity!

Schedule Today!

Are you looking to implement new equipment later this year or just have something that “needs to get done”? Contact us now to get on our schedule. We will give you the best service possible, within a time frame that works for you.

Contact Brad and the team by the end of February to ensure you save with Winter Discounts!

Office: 320-833-2228      Brad’s Cell: 320-979-9221