KALONA

In a word, Kuenster Plumbing, Heating & Air’s new location in Kalona is one thing the old location was not: spacious.

On Friday, May 31, the public had an opportunity to see that for themselves at the business’s open house, held at their new building at 104 G Avenue South. Owners Jeremy and Heather Kuenster were prepared to serve 300 meals to those who came through their doors, and they expected to run out.

“We basically tripled [our space],” Heather said Friday night, seated inside the new breakroom as tradesmen wandered in and helped themselves to hot sandwiches.

They definitely needed it. At their previous location in downtown Kalona, where employees of the growing business worked since 2012, the office staff had desks crowded next to each other in tight corners, and outside, service vehicles clogged the street every morning. There were no breakrooms or meeting spaces, and equipment and vehicles had to be stored at two other locations.

Those problems have now been remedied. The new Kuenster location has an open reception area, individual offices, a break and meeting space, and storage area.

“I think we can function better,” Heather said, explaining that the staff now has a place to gather in the morning rather than crowd into Jeremy’s office, as they had been doing. “We’ve got space to do training, we’ve got space to do things. It’s nice. I hope we don’t outgrow it.”

She’s also looking forward to continued development in Kuenster’s new commercial neighborhood.

“I know Chris [Swartzendruber] next door at CS Autobody. He’s excited he has neighbors,” she said. The field next door is also vacant; she’s interested to see who will purchase and build on it.

One of the neat things about the new building is that Kuenster’s employees were able to help shape the space. They created custom furniture and fixtures in the offices and bathrooms; they also set up a display of copper tubing, which they can show to customers as an example of how their work will look in their homes.

The new space is helping the Kuenster team support their customers and provide better service. And the public’s reaction?

“Everybody’s been embracing it,” Heather said.