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A FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS

At Knez, our goal is to set ourselves apart with the belief in honest, hard work and helping each other to do the best you can for the people you work with. Since the beginning, we have been a local, family-run business. We've stayed true to our roots, and our core values of excellent service and hard work have never wavered.

Knez's success can be attributed to a family that has stuck together and believes in everyone doing their part. From the beginning, John Knez Sr. created a sense of togetherness that has allowed the company to expand far beyond what it once was. What started as a small company with only five flatbed trucks and a handful of employees has grown to a company of over 150 dedicated and loyal employees that are all considered family, operating out of 6 locations, and running 50 trucks on a daily basis to serve our ever-growing and much-appreciated customers.

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

In the early 1950s, as a side job from working with his brother Lawrence building houses, John Knez Sr. found himself working for Fred Alt, a building material supplier and manager of A. McMillan & Co., a company that had been running for quite some time. The company, opening sometime in 1902, started hauling sacks of plaster to nearby homes and various job sites by employees with nothing more than horses and a wagon.

John Sr. started out at the bottom. Sweeping floors, carrying sacks of plaster, and putting orders together were his daily routine. Eventually, he started to work with the crews delivering plaster and other materials. Soon after as the industry changed they began delivering drywall as well.

John Knez Sr. January 20, 1927 - May 28, 2020

GROWING HIS BUSINESS & FAMILY

John Sr. continued working for A. McMillan making deliveries and learning all that he could about the industry making continual contributions to the company. One day he was approached by the company owners and asked to become a salesman (where we're sure if any of you know John Sr. today, this was his true calling.) All the while John Sr.'s business skills were growing, his family at home was growing as well. With five children now under one roof, John Sr. gratefully welcomed the newly offered position. John continued working two jobs like this for some time until one day his manager, Fred Alt came to him with the offer to become his replacement once again giving John Sr. the opportunity to advance in the company.

More years went by and after more stores opened and more people came and went, the McMillan family wanted out. McMillan came to John with the offer of the company knowing he could leave it to a man that would give his company energy and new life. John Sr. agreed. Taking on his 5 now growing and able children to start working for the family, John Sr. started a new venture to grow the company. Working together as a family, the Knez's continued to run the company for 2 years under the banner of McMillan until moving shops to a space in Tualatin, Oregon.

CEMENTING BUSINESS VALUES & BELIEFS

After years of working, growing, and saving, the family finally purchased their first warehouse in Tigard, a short distance away on Hunziker Street where the name Knez grew to what it is and is still the main base of operations today. With hard work and family, ties kept tight, the Knez's continued to run the company under the strong belief that having the best quality products and service is the way to success. This is something that the company put forth on a daily basis under the watchful eye of John Sr. as the company continually grew. Getting jobs done in the most efficient, timely, and safest fashion possible is what allowed the Knez family to easily expand the company.

Starting in the late 70s with the opening of our Vancouver, Washington store (moved to the current location in 1994) to the opening of our Salem shop in 1981, we kept building upwards. In 1981, '83, and '84 we also opened up our Springfield, Hillsboro, and Bothell stores (all 3 now closed). From there we moved on to the opening of our new corporate headquarters in Clackamas in 1986, as well as the opening of our first downtown Portland location. None of this could have been done without the family sticking together and doing their parts. John Sr. created a sense of togetherness and made sure everyone could contribute in their own ways, allowing the company to expand far beyond what it once was. 

FAST FORWARD TO TODAY

John Knez Sr., well into his early 90’s, went to work every day to enjoy watching his legacy operate under his new management above all else. His 5 children now own and operate the company with a third generation of the family coming up through the ranks. 

We now employ over 100 employees, operate out of 6 locations, and run one of the largest fleets in our area on a daily basis to serve our ever-growing and muchly appreciated customers. What was once the view of John Sr. is still the goal of the company today. "The key to our success is to get along and help each other out, to get the job done, and to do it with a sense of pride." With this in mind the second-generation Knez family, as well as the now upcoming third generation, will continue with our mission of becoming the biggest and best building materials supplier in the Northwest.

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Drywall Recycling

Contact our Clackamas location to learn how we can help recycle your building materials.

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Resource Library

Find material specifications and more in our Resource Library.

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We Deliver to You

We deliver throughout Oregon and Southern Washington with our specialized boom trucks and skyforks.

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