Four generations of construction in southeastern Minnesota speaks to the Kreofsky commitment of providing quality products and services and building solid customer relationships.
Henry Kreofsky began his construction career in the 1920s. He was well known for constructing the hip roofed barns we still see dotting the countryside today. Following World War II, his sons Ben, Bruce and Bill joined the family business. Bruce and Bill continued working as general contractors in residential development and commercial construction until 1974. At that time, Bruce, Dan, Jerry and Bob formed the partnership that created the foundation for the current company.
Bruce Kreofsky & Sons was founded in May 1977 by Bruce, Dan, Jerry, Rick and Bob Kreofsky. They first specialized as general contractors in residential construction and then expanded into the agricultural market. As the company grew, Kreofsky Building Supplies (KBS) was formed. It was the late 1970s and the community welcomed a retail lumberyard and hardware store.
In the early 1980s, Kreofsky Building Supplies purchased a local Jamesway Sales and Service dealership, which enhanced the agricultural division. Thus, Kreofsky Building Supplies & Equipment was born. Lee Ihrke joined the team and became a shareholder, managing the equipment division of KBS. At this time, the small dairy farm industry peaked in southern Minnesota and KBS was kept busy selling barns, pouring concrete and installing equipment. Somewhere amidst the swinging hammers and flying sawdust, Ken and Jim Kreofsky joined the company.
The high interest rates of the 1980s meant an end to the robust agricultural economy. The KBS construction division soon picked up commercial construction to fill the gaps in their construction schedule. Gradually, they earned a solid foothold and reputation in commercial construction through their work with architects, construction managers and private parties.
Simultaneously, the Supplies division was flourishing. KBS was the first in the area to introduce outside sales teams to work directly with contractors. In the summer of 1994, a merger helped create the foundation for the Do-it-Best Hardware facility.
Today, KBS provides a full range of construction services and products to a multi-county customer base. In recent years, a Rochester branch was added. Quickly outgrowing this location, KBS Rochester doubled in size when it relocated into its current site at 3731 Enterprise Drive SW in the winter of 2013.
Clearly, the fourth generation of Kreofsky’s are carrying on the family tradition that their great grandfather, Henry Kreofsky, began nearly a century ago.
Click here to see some the projects that they have completed.
