BUSINESS ADVICE
Building the Kitchen Solvers Legacy by Kali Morgenthaler, Director of Marketing, Kitchen Solvers
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n 1982, when Gerald and Betty Baldner opened Kitchen Solvers in La Crosse, Wisconsin, they could never have imagined the 40-year-and-going legacy the company would have. At the time, they were just filling a need. They found by offering kitchen cabinet refacing, homeowners could achieve the look of a like-new kitchen at a much lower cost than a full remodel. Happy customers generated a lot of buzz about this amazing alternative to traditional remodels, demand spiked, and expansion became a necessity. That’s why in 1983 Kitchen Solvers began to serve all of Wisconsin. In 1984, Kitchen Solvers officially became a franchise and started expanding its strong partnerships across the United States. As the kitchen and bath remodeling business kept growing, the brand expanded into Canada in 1999. During this time, Kitchen Solvers Owners were mainly owner-operators with many of them having remodeling experience, but looking to make a business out of it. They were drawn to the “wow” experience they saw on every homeowner’s face after completing the transformation of their once dated cabinetry.
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In 2010, Kitchen Solvers welcomed new owners, Tom Miskowski and Wade Nolte. With their investment and strong business backgrounds, Kitchen Solvers started to see a transition of taking hardworking remodelers and really turning them into hardworking business builders. As business and operations came to the forefront of Kitchen Solvers’ owners, Zach Nolte, Operations Manager for Kitchen Solvers, was promoted to President in 2014. He took his operational background and started applying a “franchisee-first” approach
FEBRUARY 2022 | WWW.FRANCHISEJOURNAL.COM
to Kitchen Solvers. Franchise support and growth through franchisee satisfaction, innovation, and per unit metrics is now part of the everyday culture and goals. Today there are over 53 Kitchen Solvers franchise locations across the U.S. and Canada with more to come in 2022. This year, Kitchen Solvers celebrates their 40th anniversary and all of the franchisees, Home Office team members, and vendors who make up the company it is today! FOR FRANCHISING INFORMATION To learn more about franchising opportunities with Kitchen Solvers, visit their website at www. kitchensolversfranchise.com or reach out to 888-484-8468 or franchise@ kitchensolvers.com.
