Paving to Perfection
Business Feature: K&L Industries
By Dennis McNabb, Staff Writer
Photos by Andrew Sambuceto
For those of you who regularly read our magazine, you may recall an article we ran back in 2020 about K & L Industries and their captivating owner/founder Keith Callaway. Nearly 3 years later here we are again, and if we presented Keith as a man who embodied all of the finest characteristics of a business owner — someone with honesty, integrity, and empathy — then the intervening years have only made him more so. Returning to our pages with his business restructured, reorganized and revitalized, Keith has positioned K & L Industries to be the Portland Metro Area’s premier paving company through 2084 and beyond!
Since then, Keith and his son/partner, Keith Jr., have hired a consultant to come in and evaluate their operations. The problem was that they had been growing exponentially — certainly not a bad problem to have — but they had reached a point where they were struggling to keep up. Since Keith has always been such a conscientious man who holds himself and his business accountable to such a high standard, he refused to allow their customer service to suffer simply because they were finally getting the business they’d worked so hard to achieve. Intuitively, he also understood that the influx of new business would soon fade away if they couldn’t continue to earn it.
So, Keith answered the call by hiring a professional to come in and reorganize their entire operating system, and he couldn’t be happier! They now have a very clear organizational structure with set goals, a list of core values, and a five star review process which includes customers to keep themselves on track. In the past when important decisions needed to be made, particularly when it came to spending large amounts of money on new equipment, they often floundered, caught up in a vicious circular pattern of second guessing themselves. Now, it’s simply a matter of considering how the decision fits into their core values. If it’s in line, then the decision is made, period. There’s no longer that lingering doubt or that emotional component. It’s cut and dry, and it has streamlined their operations in ways he never thought possible!
Keith has always prided himself and K & L Industries on the fact that once they have been hired to do a job, they do it right every time, and the first time! Their reputation has been built on that guarantee, and they’ve never had to work exceptionally hard at selling the business because it sells itself. Check out any job they’ve done around town and you will be an instant believer. They are just shy of 40 years now leading the industry, and there is almost nothing that they can’t accomplish.
They do all aspects of commercial and residential paving: new paving, maintenance, repair, sealcoating, and milling (asphalt grinding). They do it with the best equipment run by a terrific team focused on providing customers with the best value for their money. All this and they’re still a locally-owned family business. Keith’s wife (known affectionately as the “company mom”) and his eldest son also work there but the whole team is considered family. And this is not Keith “posturing” for this article. He means it! Check out for yourself on their Facebook page and listen to the testimonials. They’re amazing!
Working with contractors can be challenging, but Keith Callaway and K & L Industries are the real deal. With a sterling reputation and a “new” corporate structure which has improved an organization that was already at the top of their game, there is no one who does it better. In 2022, for the second year in a row, they won a coveted spot on forconstructionpros.com’s list of best construction contractors to work for in the country! They are in the Top 75 in the country for Residential and Commercial Paving, and Top 75 for Pavement Maintenance. They are also a “2nd Chance” employer, “Best Contractor to Work For” the last 2 years, and someone who appreciates and supports their local community!
Contact K & L Industries at 503-563-2034 or check them out online at kandlindustries.com. Experience for yourself how they are “transforming lives one shovel at a time.”
