All in the Family
Given how it grew and the tight quarters in which New Jersey operates, it’s only been in the past five years, at Succasunna, that Kuiken Brothers has had a real chance to show how it would set itself up if given the chance. It did that first in 2006 when it opened a stand-alone showroom called KB Concepts at the head of its Succasunna property. (See “Standing Tall,” ProSales, June 2006.) Then last year it went further by opening a lumberyard behind it. The property features roll-on/roll-off storage racks, a drive-thru warehouse, enormous open-air storage bays, and a railroad spur. There’s also a meeting room and, as an artistic flourish, a Colonial-style gatepost with cupola and weathervane.
But for all the physical improvements and tech enhancements, staffers still emphasize the team. “We look to hire people who have an ethical code and integrity,” says Succasunna store manager Marc Gattuso. (Perhaps it’s a credit to Kuiken’s respect for ethics that it hasn’t made Gattuso give up his love for the Boston Red Sox even though he’s in New York Yankees territory.)
“I measure myself personally by the success of the entire company,” adds purchasing manager Calvin Wall. “I’m just a part of this thing.”
“Every time I go on a trip I get a job offer,” says Matthew Berger, manager of the Roseland store.
The next generation of Kuiken leaders is getting a different kind of education. Four are enrolled in the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association’s Certified Building Material Specialist program. Matt Kuiken, manager of the Midland Park facility, got an MBA, spent a year in Switzerland, and was a Peace Corps volunteer in the African nation of Mali.
But even in those exotic venues, “I missed this more than anything,” he says, pointing to the yard around him. “Being here, you’re family.”
