Top-quality work is K&B Construction's goal

Top-quality construction runs deep in Karl Blatterman's family -- in fact, six generations deep.

The first three generations were in Germany. His great-great-great grandfather, great-grandfather and great-grandfather were craftsmen who taught their building skills to their sons, as was the custom. Seeking new opportunities, Karl's grandfather, Oscar Karl Blatterman, emigrated to the New World and settled with his young family in Mankato, Minnesota, where he established Blatterman Construction. As his family grew, he eventually was joined by three of his sons, including Thomas Frederic Blatterman, Karl's father.

The late 1800s were a good time to be a skilled builder in what is now known as the American Midwest.  Settlers were moving westward, carving farms and homes out of the cutover timber lands, which led to new communities and the businesses, schools, government buildings and churches that followed.

Blatterman Construction was there, working on such major projects as Bethany Lutheran College and Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Mankato. After Karl's grandfather died, his father and two uncles ran the business for a few more years, then dissolved the partnership and pursued other professions.

In 1997, Karl continued the family building tradition, starting his own K&B Construction. Quality work is his goal. "My business will never revolve around being cheap," he says. "I like doing fine work. The work I do is 100 percent as professional as I can do it and I make sure I get it done that way."

Karl says he is more than willing to work with clients to meet their needs, including suggesting ways to economize on a project when their budget is tight. But he says there are some construction principles on which he will never compromise.

"As far as materials, I generally don't cut corners," he said. "There are certain scenarios where I will, if somebody's trying to hit a budget. I'll cut corners where I know it's not going to jeopardize a building. If it's something like doors or cabinets,that's fine, because they are easily replaceable. But the second they want to start compromising on the structural integrity of the building, or what they want to use for a foundation, those sorts of things I will never cut back on. I try to build those two things as right as they come. And in all my framing bids, it's automatically premium lumber."

His commitment to quality is perhaps best summed up in this statement: "The buildings I'm building, I expect to last 200 years, easy," he says, "They'll be remodeled sooner or later, but I expect the foundation and the frame to be there until somebody chooses to knock it down, not because of failure."

Whether doing new construction or remodeling projects, large or small, K&B Construction has built its reputation for quality work largely through word of mouth advertising, the testimonials of satisfied customers.

Honesty, integrity, quality work -- these are the building blocks of K&B Construction. Karl Blatterman says he wouldn't have it any other way.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's a moral thing," he says. "I'm not here to get rich, I'm here to make a living and do top-quality work, I just try to be as honest and straightforward with all my customers as possible."

Affiliations