A 40 YEAR HISTORY OF GROWTH
Now over 40 years old, Kenroc grew from modest beginnings as a drywall supply house in Regina into
a dynamic group of companies doing business from coast to coast in Canada, in the United States and
Asia. Here's how Kenroc grew:
1967
Ken Sexton, a former building supply manager, begins Kenroc to supply the emerging gypsum drywall trade. He
invests $3,500 in a small, leased lot by the tracks in Regina, a rickety Bullmoose forklift and an old truck
with bad brakes. Materials are stored outdoors under platic sheets until a makeshift shed can be built.
1976
By now Kenroc is in a better location, but it remains a Regina-only operation until Sexton opens Kenroc
Saskatoon with two employees on the truck and another in the office. Kenroc has grown along with Saskatoon
for more than 30 years.
1981
Addressing the need to make brick walls more builder-friendly like drywall, Sexton buys a brick-panel
technology from DuPont Canada and begins manufacturing Pan-Brick in Regina. Later in 1994, Sexton produces
Pan-Brick for Okamoto Canada Ltd., which supplies customers across North America, in Japan and beyond.
1985-86
- Kenroc embarks on a period of rapid growth in the mid-1980s. Kenroc Winnipeg opens in 1985. The
next year, it buys Gemini Drywall supply operations in Calgary and Edmonton.
- The Sexton Group is created in 1985 as a buying group to pool the purchasing power of the Kenrocs with independant building supply yards and their customers to secure volume discounts for drywall and other products. It now has more than 275 members.
- Builders Choice Products Ltd. is started in 1986 to buy specialized drywall tools for Kenroc stores
and other customers at case-lot and volume discounts.
- Also in 1986, Kenroc enters a partnership in the long-haul trucking business that begins with three trucks. It now is a profitable trucking division with 10 trucks.
The 1990s
Kenroc enters new territory with a short-lived partnership in Minneapolis in 1992. Expansion to the Vancouver area is next in 1993 with the purchase of two drywall supply yards - one in Burnaby, the other on Mitchell Island, which is moved to Langley. Another Kenroc follows in Price George in 1997. A second Minneapolis venture opens in 1999 and closes in 2007.
2000-2007
In line with the company Vision Statement to "Strive to Be The Best" at what we do and to support the efforts of our employees in helping our company grow, Kenroc made major investments in the past seven years, beginning with the opening of a branch in Fort McMurray in 2005.
In 2006 we added roofing supplies to our product mix, featuring BP (EMCO) shingles. Kenroc now makes rooftop deliveries.
Kenroc has new premises in Edmonton. We also have new premises in Calgary plus the addition of a satellite operation. A new warehouse has been added to Saskatoon. The Winnipeg store and warehouse have been rebuilt. And in Regina a new 50,000-sq.-ft. building is nearing completion. In addition, new equipment, staff and enlarged inventories have been part of our ongoing expansion designed to meet current and future needs of Kenroc and its customers.
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