Gary and Diana Kies have always loved the outdoors, so starting a business in tanning was just a natural for them. They have owned and operated K&K Tannery, LLC with their son, Jeff, since 1995, when Gary retired from a teaching and coaching career to go back to school himself. He attended tanning school, and the rest is history.

K&K Tannery, LLC is a family-owned and operated business which has employed the same basic staff since it began. "We take personal care of each cape/hide we process," says Gary, "we care about our products as much as our customers do – and that’s what keeps them coming back. Our customers aren’t just numbers with us – we’re family, and we try to treat them as part of that family, too. And we expect our staff to extend that personal attention in the shaving and tanning process. Thanks to our valued customers, we have been able to construct a new, larger facility and grow with the taxidermy industry. This growth has not interfered with our attention to quality. It’s very important to us."

Diana personally finishes each order herself. "I just want to make sure it’s done well," she says, "I’m the one they talk to if it isn’t right, so I don’t want anything to leave here until it has the quality our customers expect. We take real pride in what goes out this door."

It doesn’t stop there. Jeff Kies, the general manager of the operation, shares his parents’ concern for quality, "If we can’t do the best job possible for our customers, then we don’t want to be in this business. Our customers can expect quality from us – that’s what they’ll get!"

And son-in-law, Dean Blank, a specialist in the shaving process, is also the person whose attention to detail in the general maintenance of the operation keeps everything moving smoothly through the process. Together, we take our tanning as seriously as you take your taxidermy! 

We welcome the opportunity to work with you. Call us.