BUSINESS
Wallowa County Chieftain
A6
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Sheet metal manufacturing shop reopens in Wallowa
ment. It’s about you guys,”
co-owner Theodore Jones
told his workers after a rib-
bon-cutting ceremony.
“That’s refl ected in our pay,
it’s refl ected in our eff orts to
train you.”
A relaunch of Kni-Co
Manufacturing and Mag-
num Metals comes with the
expansion of what had been
a 1,000-square-foot facil-
ity along the town’s truck
route to a 4,000-square-foot
building with many new
machines.
Jones and his wife and
partner Molly, who live in
Draper, Utah, purchased
Kni-Co from Robert Burns
in early 2020. Since then,
they’ve been expanding the
facility that largely constructs
gas cabinets for the semicon-
ductor industry and a camp
stove sold through Cabel-
la’s outdoor shops, Bass Pro
BIZZ
BUZZ
By Bill Bradshaw
Owner has
high hopes
for expansion,
more jobs
W
ALLOWA — An
expanded sheet
metal manufactur-
ing business held its grand
reopening Wednesday, May
25, in Wallowa, with prom-
ises of more high-paying
jobs and the transition to an
employee-owned company.
“The jobs we’re cre-
ating here, it’s not about
money, it’s not about equip-
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Plans to expand
KNI-CO
MANUFACTURING
What: Sheet metal manu-
facturer
Who: Theodore and Molly
Jones
Where: 103 E. 5th St.,
Wallowa
Phone: 801-572-5515
Email:
info@criticalsystemsinc.com
Online:
www.criticalsystemsinc.com
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
From left, Kni-Co Manufacturing co-owners Molly and
Theodore Jones cut a ribbon to mark the sheet metal plant’s
grand reopening Wednesday, May 25, 2022, while plant
manager Robert Burns, Michael Reese and Kelly Guentert
watch.
Shop and similar outlets.
To accomplish this work,
they’ve added new, high-
tech machines such as a
press brake that bends sheet-
metal parts, a powder-coat-
ing (paint) system, an oven
to bake on and dry the paint
at 400 degrees Fahrenheit,
a wash system and several
welding stations.
Although the Jone-
ses plan to remain living in
Utah, Burns will continue
as the manager of the Wal-
lowa facility. He purchased
Kni-Co from its original
owner in 2000 and plans “to
be here until he retires,” The-
odore Jones said.
Top jobs
It’s the people of Wallowa
County who Jones is most
interested in.
“We really want to pro-
mote the culture here because
it’s about the people,” he
said. “We can buy more
equipment and make more
money, but we can’t replace
great people. We want to
build high-performance jobs
that people are high-paid and
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high-skilled.”
At present, the hourly
wage at Kni-Co starts at $15
an hour. Jones said that will
increase to $16 an hour soon.
The top-end jobs go up into
the $20s and into the $30s for
management positions.
But it’s the employee
stock-ownership program
(ESOP) that Jones is really
touting. He said he learned
about how well an ESOP
program can work while
working in California’s Sili-
con Valley in the 1980s. One
co-worker there told him he
was to retire as a millionaire
soon from the ESOP benefi ts.
“I would expect that
everyone in this company
— if everything goes as
expected — everybody here,
I’m going to do my best to
help everybody here become
a millionaire,” he said. “It’s
a big goal, but we have a big
opportunity. What I want to
talk to you guys about cultur-
ally is that you’re the own-
ers now.”
As such, he urged his
employees to “change the
way you’re thinking,” he
said, focusing on effi ciency
and how to do their jobs
faster and better.
& Skylight
Gallery
Jones expects to be able
to continue to grow his com-
pany without the threat of
overseas competition.
“Sheet metal doesn’t ship
well,” he said, adding that its
weight and size makes ship-
ping it diffi cult and expen-
sive. So sheet metal prod-
ucts are a natural for home
production.
As a result, he also
expects to be able to add
more employees. Since
Jones took over from Burns,
the staff increased from six
to 18. He envisions a staff of
40-50 eventually.
And he’s eager to hire
locally. At present, all but
one of Kni-Co’s workers live
in Wallowa and the other in
Joseph. Jones hopes to add
more locals to the growing
staff .
New workers don’t nec-
essarily have to be trained
in sheet-metal work, Jones
said.
“They’ll become skilled
once we train them,” he said.
“We’re looking for peo-
ple with a high energy level
and a work ethic who want
to learn and want to develop
some skills and we can train
them. We defi nitely want to
hire local.”
During his talk, Jones
defi nitely was the company
cheerleader.
“We’re going to do fi ne
and we’re going to keep
expanding,” he said. “We
want you guys to win. Our
goal is to have you guys
win.”
———
Bill Bradshaw is a reporter
for the Wallowa County
Chieftain. Have a business
tip? Contact him at 541-398-
5503 or bbradshaw@wal-
lowa.com.
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CLUES ACROSS
1. Hyphen relative
5. Itsy-___
10. Nonstandard nickname
for the Golden State
14. Cosmetics chain
15. Join forces
16. Tweak, as a crossword
17. Simians studied by a
certain primatologist?
(OWL)
19. “Hahaha,” in a text
20. Jheri ___ (hairdo)
21. Wrath
22. Push away
23. Claw for building a nest
25. Bog accumulations
26. Nick a china dish?
(CROW)
30. Sympathized with
33. Particles such as Na+
and Cl-
34. AOC or JFK, e.g.
35. Langston Hughes poem
36. Japanese noodle soup
38. Croat’s neighbor
39. Southern sch. by the
Mississippi
40. ___ bomb (Japanese
drink)
41. “Makes sense to me”
43. Certain frilly Middle
Eastern fabric? (WREN)
46. Long part of a golf club
47. Answers a Paperless Post
49. The “T” in THC
50. Ruckus
52. Court reporters’ channel?
54. Oodles and oodles
55. “Did you hold hands?,”
e.g. (ROBIN)
58. 2021 sci-fi remake
starring Zendaya
59. “Am not!” comeback
60. Facial breakout
61. Did an impression of
62. Weighed down
63. Marsh plant
Joseph United
Methodist Church
Grace Lutheran
Church
3rd & Lake St. • Joseph
409 West Main - Enterprise
10 AM Worship
Online AND In Person
SUNDAY
WORSHIP
For More Info
541-432-3102
JosephUMC.ORG
at 9am
Pastor Cherie Dearth
Pastor John B. King Jr
phone (message): 541-426-4633
web: gracelutheranenterprise.com
Enterprise
Christian Church
St.
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Patrick’s
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Church
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85035 Joseph Hwy • (541) 426-3449
We have ‘In-person worship” @ 9:00 am
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100 NE 3rd St, Enterprise
NE 3rd & Main St
541-426-3439
Worship Service
Sunday 9:30am
David Bruce
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Lostine
Presbyterian Church
Summit Church
Discussion Group 9:30 AM
Worship Service 11:00 AM
at the Cloverleaf Hall in Enterprise
Childrens program during service
Blog: dancingforth.blogspot.com
CLUES DOWN
1. “Thanks, Captain Obvious”
2. Apt name for a smartie?
3. Walk proudly
4. Amateur broadcaster’s set
5. Cinnamon ___
6. Signing, as a contract
7. Amphitheater level
8. Eyelid inflammation
9. “You’re correct”
10. Post bag contents?
11. Animal shelter’s rehoming initiative
12. Self report?
13. “___ be OK”
18. Skateboarder’s “no hands” trick
22. Gym rat’s count
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29. Idris of Marvel films
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37. Dana Elaine Owens,
___ Queen Latifah
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40. A remote may slip between
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50. City south of New Delhi
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55. Gal ___
56. Immeasurably long time
57. Homer’s neighbor
107 E. Main • Enterprise • 541-426-3351
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541.398.0597
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Wallowa
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702 West Hwy 82
Wallowa, Oregon
541-886-8445
Sunday School • 9:am
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Church Office: 541-263-0505
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School 541-426-8339
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10:30 a.m. - Noon
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