Not a Member Yet?

Spend less time in the office and more time on the jobsite. Kuiken Brothers offers a number of services through the Members Only section of our website, including the ability to download invoices and statements and check basic product pricing. In addition Kuiken Brothers offers a wide range of premium content exclusively available to our professional customers, on topics ranging from new products, installation videos, articles and stories from industry experts, as well as a forum for builders to communicate about different trends in the marketplace.

Find Out More Sign Up Now

Members Only

1941 to 1949 – The War and Recovery

It All Began in 1912

Dirk A. Kuiken

Henry A. Kuiken

Nicholas A. Kuiken

The War and Recovery

By late summer of 1941, the U.S. was in a state of undeclared war with Germany. World War II put a screeching halt to the construction and growth of Fair Lawn. The Company, like the rest of the Country, went into the “war mode,” producing parts and pieces that went into the war effort. Kuiken Brothers had a contract with Wright Aeronautical to manufacture and supply wood components that went into the shipping crates for aircraft engines. One by one, each of the four US-born Kuikens entered the war. Edward was drafted March 17, 1941 into the Army Infantry and served as a Platoon Sergeant specializing in mortars and machine guns. He served throughout Europe. He received a Purple Heart for being wounded in action against the enemy in Brest, France and a Cluster (2nd Purple Heart) for wounds he suffered while fighting in the Erft region west of the Rhine River in Germany. Additionally, he received both a Silver Star in Brest and a Bronze Star in Normandy. Edward was discharged in 1945.

Richard, then engaged to Jeanette Rienstra, enlisted in 1943. With his experience at Wright Aeronautical, he served in the Air Force as a mechanic in England and France. Evan entered the service the same year directly from high school. He served in the Navy as a Seabee, a combat engineer, in the Pacific Ocean. Both Richard and Evan were also discharged in 1945. Lastly, in 1944, Nick H. left behind wife Jeannette and children Muriel and Henry to serve in the Army Infantry as a mortar gunner in Europe. He was discharged in 1946.

Within weeks of returning to the States, several of the US-born Kuikens were given two weeks to decide whether they wanted to join the company. Edward joined first followed by Richard. Nick H. joined following just one day of service with his former employer, the Fair Lawn Police Force. All worked as truck drivers and did anything else that was needed. Company assets included three trucks. A forklift came later. Inclusive of both generations of Kuikens, there were just 13 employees in the company. Evan, however, enrolled at Pace University to study Accounting and Finance. Evan earned a B.A. in Accounting and became the first Kuiken to earn a university diploma.

Following the war, there was a great building boom and the company thrived. Vast areas of farmlands were developed for single-family homes and several large garden apartment complexes. The population of Fair Lawn was nearly 10,000. Homeowners were the majority of The Kuiken Brothers customers. In 1949, the company published the Kuiken Hardware News, a monthly periodical. It included storage, cleaning and gardening tips and advertised Master Locks for 35¢ and a Broom Type Rake for 69¢. The September issue announced that the store would be open Fridays until 9 pm as of that month.

The War and Recovery

++ Back to top ++

Celebrating 100 Years

JobsiteLumberImage3 Kuiken Brothers has been providing professional service and the highest quality building materials to builders and remodelers since 1912. Our commitment to be the leading supplier of lumber millwork and building materials in the markets we serve has enabled us to build lifelong relationships with our professional customers.

Kuiken Brothers offers our architect customers a wide range of support and services to assist in the design aspect of remodeling and new construction projects. Our team has many years of industry experience, factory training and close relationships with our network of suppliers to ensure you get the answers and products you need to keep your projects runnnig smoothly.

kitchen Kuiken Brothers is a great source for inspiration and advice for your new home or remodeling project. We offer a wide range of building materials, windows and doors, mouldings and more. Visit our showrooms to start a project, meet with your contractor during the project for final product selection to ensure you get exactly what you want.

mouldings Service, quality and experience are all attributes that you receive when working with the team at Kuiken Brothers. We offer the highest quality products for your home improvement projects, including decking, window and door replacement, drywall repair, insulation, kitchen remodel, moulding and millwork upgrades and more.