Customer Comments

Todd M. Neal, P.E.
Vice President, Becker Structural Engineers, Inc.

"A constant throughout my 14 year engineering career has been the exceptional service provided by Knowles Industrial Services. We consider Knowles a partner in the restoration projects that we work on together and a valued resource in the restoration design work that we do. I know that I will get an honest assessment of the details that we develop and an accurate estimate of the cost to complete them. This is critical information as we work with parking garage owners to plan and prepare for restoration projects. Read more...

Having worked with Andy, Tim and Travis on many projects I can confidently recommend them and be certain that the Owner will receive a completed project with outstanding workmanship, quality materials, and most importantly a final project cost that is very close to the original estimate. With regard to the projects we have worked on with Knowles, we spend more time improving and refining the details than passing change orders back in forth. Whether the project has been bid or we have worked with Knowles from the start, we always feel like we are part of the same team with the ultimate goal of providing the Owner with top quality work within the estimated budget.

As an owner of a company in Maine, I understand the difficulty in finding and retaining qualified staff especially for specialty work. Dan should be commended for his ability to find and retain a knowledgeable staff of project managers and site superintendents. It is reassuring for us to know that when we recommend Knowles for a project that we are going to be dealing with the same group of people that we have dealt with on the last project, the project before that, and the project before that, etc…

The projects on which we work are not glamorous or high profile. They are noisy, dirty, and an inconvenience for Owners and patrons. When the projects are finished, the average person will likely not even know that anything was done. It is the professionalism and drive for quality work within this context that speaks volumes as to who Knowles Industrial Services is."

Richard B. Jones - Facilities Manager
Portland Public Schools

"I greatly appreciate the prompt professional support provided by Knowles Industrial Services Corporation (KISC) in response to the Portland School Department's request for assistance in making repairs at Portland High School. Read more...

KISC started work in December, 1995 and worked continuously through April, 1996 varying the size of the crew to meet the tight time schedule established for the project. I found KISC to be extremely flexible in meeting our scheduling needs.

KISC personnel on site often partnered with the engineers to design unique and innovative ways to make repairs. Problems were overcome that included inaccessible spaces, restricted spaces, reinforcing requirements, forming and the unexpected loss of grout. The repair team was able to resolve all grout related problems resulting in successful completion of work.

The work performed by KISC involved pressure grouting the clay tile arch floor and roof system and CMU walls in more than one hundred locations. The work in the attic required special staging to protect the existing 1917 ceiling system. Work above the auditorium was in a confined space, approximately three feet in height, between the plaster ceiling system and clay tile arch floor. Other confined spaces included elevator shafts, and inaccessible spaces under the stairs. KISC also had to establish a lock-out/tag-out procedure to work in the elevator shafts. KISC personnel were very knowledgeable in the safe work practices needed to do this work. At KISC, safety is not just something talked about by management. It is practiced in the field.

In closing, it was the willingness of KISC to support the Portland High School repair project, on short notice, with a well trained and experienced staff that enabled the Portland School Department to complete the work in such a short period of time. It was also your willingness to discount your manpower and equipment rates that reduced the financial impact on the citizens of Portland. Again, your assistance was greatly appreciated."

Les Smith
Recently retired from Boise Cascade Corp.

"When we began working with Knowles at the Rumford Mill years ago, they were the only game in town. Now there are other companies, but there's really no competition in terms of safety, value, timeliness and quality of work. That's why Boise Cascade turns to Knowles time and again for chimney work, tank linings, pressure grouting and more. Knowles is great at identifying and solving problems; they have state-of- the-art equipment; their knowledge is top-notch; and they're competitively priced. Read more...

"With paper mill machines producing eight to ten thousand dollars an hour, downtime is the biggest cost. Knowles excels in completing the job on time... or even ahead of time: when we have a sudden need to speed up the timeline, they have the depth of skilled personnel to meet our demand.

"Safety is perhaps the next biggest cost factor. Knowles has always been right out in front in complying with the mill's stringent regulations. They've also performed superbly on work that's environmentally sensitive. All in all, Knowles gives me the impression that someone's really paying attention down there!"

Gary Smolen
Northeast Utilities

It is with pleasure that I take a moment to reflect back on the work performed by Knowles Industrial Services for us this past year. Read more...

We were looking for a productive, experienced and cost effective team that could perform concrete repair (hand and gunite applications), grout repair (chemical and cementitous), and expansion joint repair. We also needed a crew that was extremely safety oriented, especially in regards to working at respectable heights, over water, with chemicals, and in confined spaces. In addition, we wanted support from the contractor's home office so that our Company and it's field representatives were on the same page as the contractor's home office and work crew. Finally, we wanted not to babysit the work crew-due either to incompetence or poor work ethic.

In reference to the above, we were blessed in all areas with your work. Scott Doucette, as foreman, was a true professional, understanding our needs and striving to meet them all. His experience, technical competence and desire to constantly improve were easily seen in the physical work. But, I often reflect on a time where we had some safety concerns and without hesitation he referenced his on-site OSHA Manual. Never have I had a contractor have such a reference on-site... let alone know how to use it!

I'd be remiss, if I didn't acknowledge the support of the home office, especially yourself. Regardless of the lengthy drive from your office to our work sites, you made frequent trips, especially at critical periods, to ensure the success of the job.

With continued quality work and of course competitive rates, I look forward to working you in the future.

Dennis R. Lundgren
President, HRH - Hilb Rogal, and Hobbs

"On behalf of everyone here at HRH/Dunlap we want to thank you for a job well done on the renovations to the exterior of our building. I cannot tell you how many positive comments I've received from others within the Lewiston/Auburn community. The renovation truly captured the original essence and stature of this grand old building. Read more...

I also need to mention how impressed I was with Barney Stilphen, who managed the job on a daily basis, as well as his crew. Barney kept me informed on a regular basis and it didn't take long for me to figure out that his first concern was the quality and the longevity of the work product. His attention to detail and making sure that problems were corrected properly was greatly appreciated. I would also like to thank Barney for his concern and creativity in matching the color of the cement stones to the marble stones in the rest of the building. He and his crew did a great job with this detail work.

As you are well aware this project was for the most part completed during the winter months of 2003. Your crew did an excellent job in dealing with winter conditions, jobsite safety, (which was equally important to you as well) and to the needs and concerns of our employees regarding noise issues. You and your crew were very sensitive to the time of day that certain tasks would be done.

Again, it was a pleasure working with you and your company through out the project. We are all very pleased with the outcome of the building. Please feel free to have potential clients contact us or use us as a referral."

Stuart Guinther - VP Cement Operations
Dragon Products Company

"On behalf of Dragon Products Company, I would like to thank you and your staff for your superb efforts on the recently completed silo roof repairs. Your crew and office staff worked extremely hard under extraordinarily harsh conditions to safely complete the project without any problems. Coordination with my staff and our engineering group was excellent, and your budgeting and cost forecasting were correct in spite of the complex job scope. Read more...

Creative solutions to our unique problems saved Dragon Products Company a substantial amount of money and downtime, which is a critical aspect of doing business in a competitive market.

In summary, we realized up front that this project presented many challenges that would have to be overcome. Working together as a team enabled us to meet those challenges. We look forward to future business relationships with your firm."

J. Michael Grindle
Righter Group, Inc.

"When and applicator says their work is 'textbook,' I'm skeptical. But your performance at Hamilton Standard was textbook and then some...Preparation of the concrete, bond tests and surface preparation were all outstanding...Keep up the good work!"

Myron Cox
Fluor Daniel, Inc.

"Once again, Knowles has made Fluor Daniel look good!... The Procter & Gamble group assure me they will call your company whenever pressure grouting or special tank linings are needed."

Gail Parke & Richard W. Clarke
Boecon Corp. (Boeing Aerospace)

"[The Knowles crew] constituted a first-class team, who shared a dedication to quality, scheduling and cost performance... Your advance planning for daily tasks and the technical knowledge of your staff all contributed substantially to the success of this project."

Pierre Destin
Stone & Webster Engineering

"We were more than happy with Knowles' workmanship on the first project we recommended them for, so we're now using them again. The two things that separate Knowles from the rest are, one, they bring intelligence and openness to the initial discussion of the project; and, two, they're extremely reliable. They develop a detailed plan before they begin, and then carry it out to the letter. And they're always on your side, working long hours if necessary to get a job done on time. From top to bottom, their employees have been with them for years, so we can count on them for a level of continuity that's rare to find these days."

Dave Jamieson - Formerly Northeast District Manager
Sika Concrete Restoration System

"As a materials supplier, we work closely with many contractors, and Knowles is one of the best shotcrete applicators I've ever seen. They follow our procedures for surface preparation and application to the letter, every time. I've recommended Knowles to many customers, and they've been pleased without fail."

Our services include, but are not limited to:

• Concrete Repair
• Masonry Restoration
• Coatings / Linings
• Shotcrete / Gunite
• Pressure Grouting
• Resinous Flooring
• Waterproofing
• Concrete Construction
• Air Barriers

Areas we serve include, but are not limited to:

• Maine
• New Hampshire
• Vermont
• Massachusetts
• Connecticut
• Rhode Island
• New England