The History of Kreofsky

The Kreofsky family is entering its fourth generation of involvement in construction in Southeastern Minnesota. Henry Kreofsky began his career in construction in this area in the 1920’s. He became well known for his construction of hip roofed barns, many of which are still in use today. After WWII, his sons Ben, Bruce, and Bill joined in the family business. Bruce and Bill carried on the family heritage as General Contractors doing residential development and commercial construction until 1974. In 1974, Bruce, Dan, Jerry, and Bob formed a partnership that became the foundation for the current company.

Bruce, Dan, Jerry, Rick, and Bob Kreofsky founded Bruce Kreofsky & Son’s, Inc. in May of 1977. In the beginning, the company specialized as a General Contractor in residential construction and gradually expanded into the agriculture market.

The early years saw a period of rapid growth for the company. In the late 70’s the company started Kreofsky Building Supplies (KBS), a retail lumberyard and hardware store. In the early 80’s, the company expanded the agricultural division with the purchase of a local Jamesway Sales and Service dealership and became known as Kreofsky Building Supplies & Equipment. Lee Ihrke joined the team and became a shareholder in the company at this time, managing the equipment division of KBS. This was a busy time, the peak of the small dairies in southern Minnesota. The company was selling barns, pouring concrete, and installing equipment at a very rapid pace and somewhere in the flurry of swinging hammers and flying sawdust, Ken and Jim Kreofsky joined the company.

In 1983, with the rising interest rates, the agricultural economy came to an abrupt halt. The construction division soon became involved in commercial construction to fill the gaps in their construction schedule. They gradually gained a good foothold and reputation in commercial construction working with architects, construction managers, and private parties.

During that period the Supplies division continued to expand and flourish. They were the first in the area to introduce an outside sales force to cater specifically to the contractor. A merger in the summer of 1994 set the foundation for the current Do-it-Best hardware facility.

Today, KBS provides a full range of construction services and products to a multi-county customer base. The fourth generation is now entering the arena, young and eager, ready to carry on the family tradition started by their great grandfather, Henry Kreofsky, over 85 years ago.