KSL was founded by Roger Hibbert in North Street Colchester in 1989 out of a desire to offer local people bespoke, comfortable yet inspiring kitchens delivered by a family-run company.
Roger didn’t let a little thing like a recession get in the way of creating a successful business so, despite interest rates rocketing to 15%, he worked hard to give the people of Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire what they desired.
“Customer service is extremely important to KSL, which is why people keep coming back and they tell their friends about us. We look after our customers well here – it’s just the way we are. We also know how important it is to keep the staff happy. Happy staff means that they’ll be happy for our customers.”
As the business continued to expand, KSL opened a small shop in Sudbury in 2006 and now its site on Churchfield Business Park is home to a bright and relaxed showroom featuring inspiring ideas for kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms.
In 2013, after 24 years running KSL, Roger decided to retire and handed over the reins to his son, Richard.
“I’m most proud of how long we’ve been going and that KSL is still doing so well. I’m also proud of how Richard’s running the business, he’s incredibly knowledgeable about the industry. And who knows, perhaps it’ll be my two lovely grandsons that will take over the business one day.”
After spending three months travelling around Europe in a motor home with wife Sheila, Roger came back to work with Richard two days a week, helping out with what Richard needs.
In his spare time Roger fits in 20 to 30 mile cycle rides, works out at the gym, enjoys gardening and meals out.