Jim Kickertz didn't set out to become a national manufacturer of custom millwork fixtures.
As our story unfolds in the Austin, TX area in the early 1980's, Jim began building birdhouses and patio decks in his garage to follow his own personal woodworking dream. One day, after constructing a college-style bookcase, garnering rave reviews from his wife, her next words “you’ve got a talent” would inspire Jim to pursue a new career as a woodworker.
Being in the right place at the right time is a fitting analogy when detailing K&J's rise-to-success story. The year was 1984 and Jim accepted a job as a meat cutter in the original Lamar store location for Whole Foods Market. In this era of Jim’s meat cutting career, Whole Foods afforded Jim a flexible work schedule so when off the Whole Foods time clock, he could pursue his woodworking hobby. Jim’s entrepreneurial passion, combined with the rise of Whole Foods, landed him various side project jobs fabricating custom millwork fixtures for stores both locally in Texas, and surrounding regional areas.
With his reputation as a reliable woodworker beginning to open new doors, Jim founded Kickertz Enterprises, the original name for his new cabinetry shop business. Three years later, fueled by word of mouth, tussled between the demand of various Texas companies wanting to purchase quality casework, and the growth of Whole Foods, in 1987, Jim launched K&J Woodworks as a commercial custom millwork manufacturer ready to capitalize on this next era of opportunity.
During the early progression of K&J, new technology emerged that would transform Jim’s business from a traditional woodworking shop into a state-of-the-art millwork facility. With new advances positively impacting the efficiency of the woodworking industry, things began to change for K&J in 1995 when CNC (computer numerical controlled) machinery debuted in the shop, revolutionizing the K&J fixture engineering and production process. The dynamic result of this new technology led not only to increased speed, innovation and efficiency, but curves and accuracy in fixture production took on a whole new meaning, propelling Jim’s company into the top tier of sophisticated, national commercial millwork manufacturers.
As the demands of a growing business became a full time endeavor for Jim, K&J slid into position to complement the Whole Foods company culture, producing attractive, functional and quality millwork displays that helped brand the signature Whole Foods store millwork design image so familiar to shoppers today.
When Whole Foods Market announced construction of its new 80.000 s.f. global flagship store in downtown Austin, TX (that would open in March 2005), K&J Woodworks was awarded the primary millwork contract. G-5, as the flagship Lamar store was nicknamed, would be for K&J, a true privilege and professional benchmark experience catapulting K&J into a position of manufacturing some of the finest cutting-edge millwork in the history of retail. K&J not only delivered on fulfilling the store’s millwork design needs, but manufactured casework for four floors of corporate offices. With G-5, the world class millwork industry standard bar was raised, and K&J Woodworks, driven in conjunction with Whole Foods Market, set the new bar of retail millwork excellence.
Moving into 2008 and beyond, K&J Woodworks is competitively positioned to produce traditional, modern and futuristic custom millwork fixtures, while retaining the flexibility and adaptability that has allowed K&J to grow and evolve with the times. One major value add that separates K&J from other competitors is in facilitating store level change-overs without tacking on unnecessary charges that increase the fixture price.
What started as a part time hobby for Jim Kickertz has evolved into a dynamic twenty-one year business venture, consistently manufacturing some of the finest, sturdiest and innovative retail millwork fixtures in America. With quality, flexibility and innovation built into the K&J business model, Jim’s now top-of-the-line woodworking organization is ready to manufacture world class millwork, at an economically competitive price; with speed, delivery and installation all part of the K&J Woodworks customer service experience.