Jerry Mall, a part of the K&N story from the very beginning, spent more than two decades performing every task imaginable at K&N as a hands-on executive. His keen interest in manufacturing and learning every facet of the business operation helped the company grow from a small business to a world-wide operation employing more than 700 people. He was never afraid to be on the shop floor, working side by side with employees to solve problems. In fact, that is how he started with K&N.

Founded in 1969 by motorcycle enthusiasts Ken Johnson and Norm McDonald, K&N contracted with Mall’s firm, Bloomington Tool and Die, to develop tooling for K&N’s line of innovative motorcycle air filters.

When McDonald left K&N in 1971 to pursue a career in motorcycle racing, Mall joined Johnson as a principal owner of the company, and moved his machine shop into K&N. This brought much needed experience in mold making and tooling to the company.

During his 40+ years in the business Mall has guided the dramatic expansion and growth of the company, which has locations in the US, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The company has one of the most advanced research and development facilities in the performance aftermarket and has incredibly advanced manufacturing and automation systems that help it offer over 6,000 models of filters.

But as Mall notes, it wasn’t always easy. “We were growing all those years but it was never easy. Cash flow was always an issue. For the first 25 years of the business I hocked everything I owned to keep the company going, even my house.”

Mall took over as sole owner in 1998, and has built an incredible management team that he feels mirrors his own philosophy. “They are all hands on executives and they listen to employees – they don’t think they know it all,” he noted. “When we got involved in automation of the company, they were on the floor working side by side with the employees to make sure the system worked perfectly, troubleshooting problems. You can’t be successful if you stay in your office.”

Mall now serves as Chairman of the Board, and with his guidance the management team continues to grow the firm, despite the economic conditions. While his accomplishments are many, Mall is most proud that K&N is has a great team that has grown an incredible business. “I am really proud of all the great people at K&N – we hire good people and give them the reins to do the job. It is amazing that we went from nothing to the number one aftermarket air filter company in the world 42 years later,” said Mall. “In my wildest dreams I would have never imagined it. Even with that, there are still things we can do – we haven’t reached the top yet.”

What started off as a high-performance accessory business for a couple of off-road motorcycle racers has turned into an innovative global company that manufacturers an improved version of the original high-flow air filter for just about every car, truck, & motorcycle available today around the globe. And a big part of that success is because of a quiet, unassuming owner that understands the business from the ground up.