By Jill Nagy
A relative newcomer to the business, Jean
and Kevin Knobloch’s N-Hance wood refinishing
franchise advanced quickly.
The local franchise moved from companywide Rookie of the Year in 2012 to Franchisee
of the Year in 2013. This year, it added the
Saratoga market to its franchise area, according
to Kevin Knobloch. It is based in Glens Falls.
The company now covers Albany, Fulton,
Montgomery, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Warren
and Washington Saratoga Counties.
The company has a patented approach and
technique to wood refinishing that Knobloch
said is environmentally friendly and quick
for refinishing wood, particularly floors and
kitchen cabinets. The workers use chemicals
to break down the old finish and open the pores
of the wood. Then they stain, seal and dry the
wood using an ultra-violet curing technique,
he explained.
There is no sanding and, therefore, no dust,
and workers are usually in and out in one day,
he said.
Knobloch claims 100 percent customer
satisfaction, according to random surveys by
the parent corporation.
Unless the wood suffers from “cupping,”
deep depressions usually from water damage,
N-Hance can probably give the wood a fine
finish. They can work with cork, bamboo, or
laminated surfaces, as well as solid wood.
Typically, N-Hance can do a 1,000-squarefoot
house or business in two days, he said.
All the furniture gets moved to one side of the
room (by the customer or, for an extra fee, by
the refi nishers) and the other half is refinished.
The next day, the furniture can be moved to the
finished half of the rooms and the rest of the
floor can be re-finished.
Knobloch estimated that 65 percent of their
work involves refinishing kitchen cabinets. The
rest is floors. They have both residential and
commercial customers.
Knobloch said his company provides “a great
solution” for restaurants and bars because they
can come in after closing, refinish the dance
floor, bar or other wood surfaces, and have
everything ready by the time the business is
set to open the next day.
The local franchise is one of 325 N-Hance in
the United States and Canada. The company
is a sister division of Chem-Dry Carpet Cleaners
and is headquartered in Logan, Utah and
Nashville, Tenn.
There are eight employees at the Glens Falls
shop, including Jean and Kevin Knobloch and
their daughter, Jamie Smith. Jean Knobloch
is CEO and Kevin is operations and sales
manager. Jamie is the office receptionist and
customer service representative.
Before moving up north, Knobloch spent about 30 years in construction management
and as an owner’s representative in New York
City and the Hamptons on Long Island. The
family had a camp on Great Sacandaga Lake
and got to know the area. He said they were
attracted to Glens Falls by “the quality of life.”
N-Hance has its office and warehouse at 26
Logan Ave. in Glens Falls. However, Knobloch
said, most of their consulting is done at customer’s
homes or businesses. The telephone
number is 874-0654.