The humble precursor of what would become PK
Steel Designs, LLC began in the winter of December
2004 in a detached garage in the Waldo neighborhood
of Kansas City, Mo. Armed with a can of spray paint,
a facemask, and a space heater coming from his home,
Charles Brown applied a coating of Rustoleum to a
metal coffee table which would serve as the impetus
to form a steel furniture design, manufacture and
retail operation with friend and co-owner Jakob Goldman.
Formed in April of 2005, PK Steel has come
a long way from that detached garage, which for the
record did not catch on fire albeit the recipe for
disaster was unknowingly in attendance.
PK Steel Designs, based in Kansas City, designs
and manufactures commercial grade modern steel furniture
that is built to last. Their work, which is often
functional art, has graced many beautiful homes, lofts
and office spaces, in addition to art galleries in
the Midwest region.
We also offer furniture made of other ferrous and non-ferrous materials such as stainless steel
and aluminum. There are no limitations. We provide custom design services as well. Dimensions,
finish, and color can alter any piece. We have the ability to incorporate any type of material
with our metal base whether it is granite, wood, glass, stone, or whatever. We will make it work.
You can also design a piece yourself. Your ideas
can easily be transformed into furniture perfect for
your living space. All furniture is made from 11-gauge
steel that is generally more than twice as sturdy
and durable than most steel furniture on the market
today. Much of the steel furniture sold today is made
from a grade of steel that is not as thick as 11-gauge
and requires reinforcement, which is often disguised
as a decorative feature. Our pieces have a sense of
permanency rarely seen in furniture. There is no assembly
required. You will never receive confusing directions
on how to construct our end tables. PK Steel
furniture arrives ready to be enjoyed. It's that simple.
We could not have it any other way.
Most of our pieces are powder coated; an earth-friendly
refined finishing technique first used in Australia
in 1967. Paint broken down to a powder is applied,
then heated (cured) to its melting point, after which
it flows to form a smooth film which dries to a firm,
durable finish, which is very resistant to scratches,
cracking, peeling, UV rays and rust. The unique application
characteristics of powder coatings provide superior
consistency and uniformity of finish without sags,
drips, runs, or bubbles. This finish is also suitable
for outdoor furniture. Our pieces can be powder coated
any color under the sun: yellow, black, green, orange,
whatever you like.
We offer inherently eco-friendly furniture; steel
is the #1 recycled material in the U.S. Powder coating
is a process that emits zero or near zero volatile
organic compounds into the environment, which cannot
be said of liquid finishes. When you buy furniture
from PK Steel, you have reduced your carbon
footprint on the world we live in today. A carbon
footprint is a "measure of the impact human activities
have on the environment in terms of the amount of
greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon
dioxide". It is meant to be useful for individuals
and organizations to conceptualize their personal
(or organizational) impact in contributing to global
warming. In addition, our furniture line will endure
for many years, further perpetuating the fact and
idea of carbon foot print reduction. If you buy a
PK Steel coffee table, you will not need to
replace it in 5, 10 or even 20 years.
In addition, upon request some of the pieces we
offer are clear coated to reveal the steel underneath.
>> Our clear coat pieces are sanded or brushed.
Sanded - The steel is sanded by hand, leaving a confluence
of sheen and dark marks. The subtle variance is noticeable
upon closer viewing, adding uniqueness to the piece.
Brushed - A clean uniform finish that shows the naked,
bare steel below. This look is very traditional for
steel furniture.
Most pieces come sanded unless other finishes are
selected. Each piece has Magic Sliders® on the bottom
of each leg to allow easy moving across any surface.
Adjustable feet are also available upon request.
Every piece of furniture we produce has a ¾ inch
"PK" sandblasted or painted on it to authenticate
our workmanship.
Please feel free to contact us. We are easy. We are
here for you. Ask us for referrals to confirm what
the PK Steel experience is like; you will not
be disappointed.
Charles Brown and Jakob Goldman own the company in
partnership. Both are lifelong residents of the Kansas
City area. Charles Brown grew up in Overland Park,
KS, and attended Shawnee Mission North High School,
while Jakob Goldman grew up in Kansas City, MO, and
attended Southwest High School. Our former welder,
PK, was part of the first graduating class
of Shawnee Mission North High School; until then the
school had been named Shawnee Mission Rural High School
from the time it was built in 1922. He is the sole
inspiration on how this company started. He will never
be under appreciated.
Charles Brown graduated from Shawnee Mission North
High School in Shawnee Mission, Kansas in 1996. He
received an undergraduate degree in Psychology from
the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2001. He
also earned a Masters in Business Administration from
Mid-America Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas
in May of 2004. He has was an Insurance Adjustor for
the six years before he decided that listening to
how and why an auto accident occurred became incredibly
unrewarding. His interests are talking about music,
watching Seinfeld and ESPN, listening to music, listening
to women, reading the Kansas City Star, photography
(Visit www.digitalartkc.com), and listening to his
Mom's advice. His favorite movie is Buffalo 66, written
and directed by Vincent Gallo. His favorite band is
Led Zeppelin. His favorite songs of the last 6 months:
"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron
and "Heart of the Sunrise" by Yes. .
Jakob Goldman graduated from Southwest High School
in Kansas City, Missouri in 1993. After High School
he spent 4 years at Syracuse University and graduated
in 1997 from with majors in Geography and Policy Studies.
For 3 years Jake was with TransPar Group, a transportation
consulting company in the Kansas City area. For 6
years he worked as a cartography technician with GARMIN,
a GPS company based in Olathe, KS. Recently, Jake
accepted a GIS Specialist II position with the Mid-America
Regional Council (MARC). In 2007 he finished a Masters
in Geography from the University of Kansas. Jake enjoys
being active, listening to music, playing drums and
spending time with his daughter. Currently, his favorite
bands are Television, Gomez, Talking Heads, Tom Tom
Club, TV on the Radio, Eagles of Death Metal and Queens
of the Stone Age.
PK, our major influence in this
company is a man who has been welding for 40 years.
His leadership and mentorship cannot be overstated.
He truly is a master welder, and a great man. Thank
you PK!
Press
Kansas
City Star - May 15, 2005
The
Wednesday - Nov. 23, 2005
Kansas
City Small Business Monthly - Jan. 2006 Vol. 15 Issue
1
Kansas
City Homes and Gardens - February 2006
The
Overland Park Sun - February 9, 2006
Awareness
Magazine - March / April 2006 Vol. 13, No. 2
ACCENT
- MidAmerica Nazarene University - Spring 2006
Kansas
City Star - July 2, 2006
Kansas
City Jewish Chronicle - August 4, 2006
KMBC-TV
News - September 2006
Kansas
City Homes and Gardens - October 2006
Kansas
City Live - Sept. 27, 2006
Kansas
City Star Neighborhood News - Sept. 30 & Oct.
4, 2006
