FORT MILL, S.C. - KNAPP Connectors, a European manufacturer of high-end connector systems, plans to expand its footprint in the North American market.
CEO and Founder Friedrich Knapp (left) and son Paul Knapp (right).Last year the 35-year-old family-owned business, headquartered in Austria with additional branches in Germany, France, and Japan, opened a U.S. office and warehouse with inventory in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Founded by Austrian woodworker and inventor Friedrich Knapp who is the company’s CEO, the South Carolina location is run by his son Paul Knapp.
Although the company already had some distribution in North America, the new U.S. office and warehouse will allow it to continue to grow the market as well as cut shipping costs.
“We’re gradually growing the quantity (of inventory) as the company grows,” says Paul Knapp. “It is a goal of ours to (eventually) manufacture as much as possible in the U.S.”
Known for its signature product the Champ biscuit connector, the company's German-engineered connectors have applications in several sectors including furniture and architectural millwork, mass timber construction, prefab construction, decking and wood and door manufacturing.
FAST ConnectorThe non-visible identical connectors are designed to sit in a recess and easily snap together with no additional screwing or nailing. The connectors are self-tightening and in most cases can be disassembled, Knapp says.
While the company’s largest market in Europe is mass timber construction where Knapp says its Megant heavy duty connector is one of the largest manufactured, the North American market is primarily focused on cabinetmakers and woodworkers. In an effort to reach and introduce itself to that market, the company was an exhibitor at the 2018 International Woodworking Show in Atlanta and the 2018 Wood Pro Expo event in Charlotte. The company will return to Charlotte in 2019 as an exhibitor in Booth #509 at the co-located Wood Pro Expo and Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo, March 6-8 at the Charlotte Convention Center. View the entire exhibitor list.
To learn more, visit knappconnectors.com.
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