Keene Building Products Celebrates 10 Years

Words: Dan KamysKeene Building Products Celebrates 10 Years
Keene Building Products tries to give a little back to everyone they do business with, finding solutions from a different angle than others. Solutions come by placing seemingly dissimilar things close to one another and looking for their synergy. Keene says it solves construction problems by incorporating a vast knowledge of building applications with a materials awareness. The company has many patents issued and more pending.
 
Keene says the backbone of America is small business. Small businesses can make decisions vastly different than large corporations. Since Keene is controlled collectively by a family, the company isn't looking for today's profit return. Instead, they are looking to the long run success of their operation. Keene says it isn't moving offshore to save a few pennies in labor and overhead; and they don't just make a product, they market it by understanding the place where materials are used. The folks at Keene have become experts in the field of use, while manufacturing the product.
 
People are the difference, says Keene, and the company has a special team of people who join for a challenge, who look for the next solution, and who aren't satisfied with the present solution, since there is always something better. Keene is working on the incremental difference, not trying to get the last penny and wants want to share the dollar with its customers, its people, and its charities.
Managing the Mysterious Job Site Slowdown
August 2026

Every contractor knows the feeling. A job looks good on paper. The schedule makes sense. The crews are lined up. The material is supposed to be there. Then, for no obvious reason, the whole job starts crawling. That is what makes it so frustrating. Nobod

Sainte-Cécile Cathedral
August 2026

Imagine being handed a set of plans calling for the largest brick cathedral in the world. Now imagine building it without modern cranes, engineered scaffolding, forklifts, power tools, or structural analysis software. That was the challenge facing medie

Why SkillsUSA is the Keystone to MCAA’s Outreach
August 2026

When I stepped into the role of the MCAA’s first Director of Youth Outreach and Education, I knew we had a massive job ahead of us. I am a fourth-generation brick mason, and I have spent over two decades teaching the trade, from working with apprentices a

The First Paycheck
August 2026

Several years ago, Huntley Brothers hired a young apprentice. It was his first real job, and he had never had a paycheck before. Friday rolled around, and he got paid just like everyone else. Later that day, one of the guys told me something I have never