No. 45 - Rochester Top 100

Klein Steel Service Inc.

About Klein Steel Service Inc.: Full-line steel service center

Rank on Top 100: 45

Employees: 146

Website: www.kleinsteel.com

We asked Joseph Klein, owner and CEO, to talk about his business.

Question: Tell me briefly about Klein Steel Inc.
Klein: Klein Steel is a full-line steel service center--the dominant supplier and processor of metals in our region. We do this with fast, friendly, dependable service for our customers and a great work environment for our employees. We are focused on people and standards.

Question: How has your company maintained sustained growth over the years?
Klein: We have maintained sustained growth over the years with a deliberate strategy to grow the list of completely satisfied customers. Currently, we are focused on growing processing to be greater than 50 percent of our total business. Processing is the value added proposition of our business where we burn, cut, saw, drill, and punch holes in metal to customer specifications. In order to achieve this growth, we recently added laser, waterjet, automatic miter saw, and bevel cutting capability and are expanding the Rochester facility by 60,000 square feet. We seek out opportunities to take customer pain away with a focus on our core competencies of inventory management and processing of metals.

Question: What does it mean to your business to be continually recognized by the Rochester Business Alliance as one of Rochester's Top 100 Companies?
Klein:As Klein Steel continues to grow stronger, our customers are more successful. The important work in front of all of us is to create more manufacturing jobs in Upstate New York. We all need to be more successful and growth is fundamental.

Question: What additional services can the Rochester Business Alliance provide to help your business?
Klein:Continue to provide networking opportunities, assistance in finding the very best employees, and the necessary commitment to Unshackle Upstate.

Question: What signs of optimism do you see in the local economy?
Klein:Business is improving. With the implementation of more tenants of the Unshackle Upstate program, we will release the enormous potential of our region. We are at a crucial point in the future of Upstate New York.

Question: What advice do you have for someone starting a small/new business here?
Klein:Identify your purpose and core competency, work hard to grow the list of completely satisfied customers, and take care of your employees.