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KNG started in 1965 as King Menus in the San Francisco Bay Area where we designed and printed menus for restaurants. Through the years we noticed that menu covers became of higher importance to our customers. The only way we could guarantee the highest quality and the lowest prices was to manufacture the menu covers ourselves. So in 1996 we began manufacturing menu covers in Meridian, Idaho.
In 1998 we expanded our product offerings to include aprons, wait staff uniforms, and cook and chef apparel. We manufactured some of the textile goods we sold while purchasing other items from large importers and manufacturers. We quickly realized that in order to give our customers industry best prices and quality guarantees we would need to manage the entire supply chain. As we made this shift we also added a restaurant supplies product line to further support our customers.
In 1999 we began developing relationships with overseas apparel manufacturers. We were not looking for immediate production fulfillment; we were looking for long-term partners. We have had great success with our import business because of this partnership philosophy. We visit Asia about four times per year to keep our partners informed of our progress in the market and reinforce our rigorous quality control standards. We also travel with our partners to visit their suppliers so that every step of the supply chain is managed to the highest levels of quality and customer focus.
In 2004 we moved to a 27 acre location in Nampa, Idaho. Two years later we changed our name from King Menus to KNG. We did this in response to our growing product offerings; customers turned to us for much more than fulfilling their menu cover needs and we wanted to reflect that shift.
In 2008 KNG began an employee stock ownership program (ESOP) recognizing the importance of every employee owning a stake in our business. To KNG, being an ESOP means much more than having a differentiating employee-benefit program. Our employees care about every customer experience and that care is evident in everything we do. Our operational efficiencies and strong supplier relationships allow us to offer great prices, quality products, and customized services - including managed stocking programs - to a customer base of over 100,000. At KNG, we strive each day to delight our customers, not just satisfy them. This is our business, and we are passionate about it.
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