ESTEVAN - KRJ Custom Fabricating has earned a reputation for its craftsmanship, quality of work and creativity for nearly three decades.
Now a new ownership team has stepped forward to continue the tradition.
The business announced in a Facebook post on Oct. 15 that it had been sold, with Daniel Peterson as the president, and Kody Hall and Burt Blondeau as the other partners. They purchased the business from Ken Mehler, who is Hall's grandfather, and Randy Franke.
Peterson said he has done this work at home over the years, and he thought it would be good to purchase the established company rather than compete against it.
"I've always been a fabricator of sorts for myself. Then for the last four years, I've had a fabricating shop that I've been working out of on my acreage, and doing it on the side here and there, and then started doing it full-time a couple of years ago," said Peterson in an interview with the Mercury and Â鶹ÊÓƵ. "I worked in the oilfield for 15 years before that."
They will be keeping the KRJ name, because Peterson said it's trusted in the community. Peterson has known Mehler and Franke for quite a few years, and if he needed something bent or another specific task completed, he turned to them.
Hall, who started working at the company nearly 20 years ago, said he hoped that one day he could be an owner in the business, and so it was nice to have Peterson come in and head up the deal while including Hall.
"We do such a wide variety of stuff. That's the main thing that we like. It's not like I'm building slip tanks day after day or toolboxes day after day."
They also get to build things like benches and signs, which look good and are appreciated by people.
He is glad the company is going to stay in the family.
"I think that was a big thing for us for sure. It's nice to keep at least one of the guys around for family-related [reasons], it keeps the business or the company at least somewhat family-owned, and at the same time, it's nice bringing in Dan. He's got a good head on his shoulders," said Hall.
KRJ has a CNC plasma table; metal brake; metal shear; aluminum, stainless and regular steel welding; and now is getting into retail steel sales. They have struck some deals with steel suppliers around the province, and stock orders are expected to show up this week.
"We saw a need … and we figured let's see if this is something we can branch off and also offer to people," said Peterson.
KRJ has four full-time employees, plus a part-time office assistant and a high school employee. Hall expects the company will continue to be active in the community and support local causes.
Franke said he and Mehler had talked to a few different companies about a sale in the past 10 years, but none of the discussions were overly serious. But when this group approached them to see if they were interested in a deal, it felt like the right time.
"Knowing the guys that wanted to buy it, that they would keep things basically the way they were, and they knew a lot of our customers, that was one of the biggest things we wanted to make sure was the customers over the years were all taken care of, and the business would basically stay the same," said Franke.
It helps that Mehler's grandson is one of the new owners, Franke said, because the business will remain in the family, and Franke is also pleased to see the KRJ name remain.
"Everybody knows the name, so that's good for us, and it shows that we did something right," said Franke.
Mehler and Franke will continue to own Pongo Holdings. Franke noted his focus had been on KRJ while Mehler concentrated on Pongo.
Franke said he will miss working in the shop and showing what can be accomplished.
"You never did the same thing twice, hardly," said Frnake. "You always had to think about it. It was always unique stuff, unique projects, whether it was welding or on the plasma cutter, doing different signs and pictures for people, and just being creative."
It was a special feeling when someone came in with a strange idea and they could figure it out, and build and complete it.
Franke thanks the customers for their support over the years and hopes everything goes well with KRJ's new ownership.
