Kralman Steel it's all about relationships

 Eighteenth century Voltaire once wrote that 'work keeps at bay 3 great evils: boredom, vice and need;' that could have been Norm Kralman's philosophy as he reminisced on the events that have brought him and his busi ness, Kralman Steel, to the place they are now. Kralman grew up in Milton Freewater, and began working for Mel Lyon his freshman year in high school. He helped Lyon during pea harvest. He continued working for him all his college years at Eastern Oregon College. Norm married and had his family, but the 'need' definitely increased and he began looking for another job opportunity. He was able to get an interview with Allis Chalmers. “I wanted to be a mechanic,” Norm reminisced. “I wanted to get my fingers dirty.” But instead, they put him in sales, traveling the regional NW. “It was God's blessing,” he smiled. He moved his family to Beaverton, OR, where Allis Chalmers had just build a new facility, and he began traveling around the country for the next 7-8 years, making contacts–net working before it became a buzzword. Norm & Jeff in front of their office in Milton-Freewater NORTHWEST first son, Jeff. There was no time for 'boredom' with a new When the Allis Chalmer's office in Beaverton closed, Norm work in their Agri Products division. Norm met with them, and his family had the opportunity to follow the company to Salt Lake, UT. It was at this career crossroads that Norm received a call from Butler Manufacturing, who ultimately recruited him to and,“really hit it off—they were very warm and friendly people.” By this time, Norm had three kids: 2 sons and a daughter. “Life was moving fast,” he recalled, and it was time to plant some roots. “We had nothing but a wish and a dream,” he said. “No debt—but no money.” They were able to get the Butler franchise in 1977 and began building grain bins—70-80 bins a year. His son, Jeff, began working from the company's inception, learning the job from the ground up. “Do you remember that time in Christ mas Valley?” Norm asked Jeff, as they both chuckled about one of their first traveling jobs they had undertaken. They loaded up a four man crew in a small pickup (that barely ran) and a trailer, loaded to the gills with parts and sup plies, and set off to Central Oregon. “We were just hoping a tire wouldn't blow,” Jeff laughed shaking his head. They took in case. Thankfully though, they didn't need it, as the tired rolled off (somewhere en route). The job it self went well though, and they continued on, little bit at a time. They had no crew at first, everything was sub-contracted; but each year, their reputation grew, as did their business—now employing more than 20 people. “At the time, the NW had very little on-farm storage and most farms went direct from field to commercial storage that farms had to pay for. Everyone wanted grain bins,” Norm said. The impact of owning a grain bin was profound; no longer were farmers forced to sell their product immediately after harvest, which protected them from market fluctuations and allowed more options for transportation. During this time, there were often subsidies for farmers and ranchers who wanted to add on-farm storage of grain. According to the Farm Progress journal, the Department of Agriculture was offering special loans for up to 80% of the cost of of grain bins at the time. They also offered a special re-seal program, which allowed farmers to earn payments to store corn, wheat, barley and oats on their farm for up to a year. But as agriculture grew and changed, off-farm storage became more popular and the need for personal grain bins in the Pacific Northwest decreased. But a person with a clear purpose will make progress—even on the roughest road. Norm's purpose was clear: providing for his family and keeping jobs for his employees as they provided for theirs. Already having a team experienced in working with steel grain bins, it didn't take much to branch out into steel buildings. Of course, all change comes with a little training at the University of Life. “The first job we took, we made $17,” Norm laughs, shaking his head. He had bid a horse stall barn, and it just took a little more work and little more sup plies than they'd anticipated. “In the end though, we have done a lot of work for that customer—it's all about making long term relationships.” Every year, Kralman Steel has grown by degrees—both in what they offer and in the area they service. Far from just grain bins, Kralman Steel offers both steel and pole-built buildings; insulation systems for new and existing structures; heating floor systems; carpentry; the list goes on. Recently, they have been working on projects from Baker City, OR to Ritzville, WA. “The grain market introduced us to people,” Jeff said, “And it's all about those long-term relationships,” he reiterated his dad's words. Ross Perot once said: “Business is not just doing deals; having great products, doing great engineering, and providing tremendous service to cus tomers. Business is a cob-web of human relationships.” A business model that both Norm and Jeff have adhered to throughout their working careers.