Kodiak and Freedom Materials open new ceilings format
Kodiak Building Partners and Freedom Materials have opened a new format, Freedom Acoustics.
Freedom Acoustics, which officially opened on Aug. 11, is a complete ceilings systems provider in the greater Philadelphia and Baltimore-Washington, D.C. metro markets, distributing Rockfon Mineral Wool Tile and Chicago Metallic Grid and Metal Ceilings.
The company, which was founded as a greenfield expansion of Freedom Materials in June 2020, will be led by Bob Kempf, a prominent figure in the building materials industry since 1998.
Freedom Acoustics will be part of the Gypsum Division at Kodiak Building Partners, under the leadership of Silvio Ferrari.
Steve Swinney, CEO of Kodiak, said, “Freedom Materials has been a strong and respected player in the greater Delaware market for gypsum and building materials.”
Kodiak’s top executive also noted that adding Freedom Acoustics to the company’s growing organization expands its ceiling and acoustics capabilities along with being an important component of its growth strategy
“Freedom Acoustics was conceived to fulfill a market need of delivering finished materials to job sites undamaged,” aid Ferrari, president of Freedom Materials. “Ceiling materials are easily destroyed, and after 20 plus years of mishandling by wallboard distributors, it was time to shift our thinking surrounding acoustic products.”
Bob Kempf, head of business development at Freedom Acoustics, said, “We have partnered with Rockfon Mineral Wool Tile and Chicago Metallic Grid & Metal Ceilings because of the array of product offerings and their innovative approach to product design.”
Freedom Materials, specializing in the providing residential and commercial builders with drywall and related materials, operates locations in Savage, Md. along with Newark and Greenwood, Del. Freedom Acoustics is also based in Newark, Del.
Based in Highlands Ranch, Colo. Kodiak Building Partners operates 84 locations in 18 states.
August has been a big month for Kodiak. Last week Kodiak and Jenkins Lumber and Hardware launched a greenfield drywall and insulation distribution operation, Jenkins Drywall and Insulation (JDI), based in Etna, Wyo.
The company has also been listed No. 2718 on Inc. magazine's annual Inc. 5000 list; a ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.
Regarding the listing, Swinney said, “Kodiak’s upward movement of 1,261 spots in this highly respected report, since our first appearance on the list in 2018, is due the culture we have created at our 9-year-old company."
"From the forklift drivers, to the payroll clerks, to the buyers, to the managers… everyone strives simply to be better than they were the day before. Listening to ideas at every level and respecting our employees’ experience and knowledge is part of our success, and this accomplishment belongs to all 3100 members of our Kodiak family."