Knell Family Office

Knell Family Office

Harvey G. Knell established the firm after decades as an operator at home improvement chains including Ole’s Home Centers and Grace Home Centers West. The family office structure supports multiple family branches through KCB Management while executing private equity and real estate strategies. KCB Private Equity acquires control stakes in small and medium-sized companies across the United States and Canada. Target businesses generate $20 million to $100 million in recurring revenue and operate in retail, consumer products, business services, healthcare services, for-profit education, light manufacturing, and value-added distribution. Confirmed holdings include ThriftBooks and Spiral Binding. The firm also deploys capital into industrial and residential real estate assets in multiple states. Investments occur through direct acquisitions rather than fund commitments. The team includes Peter Knell and Megan Pautler-Gutnikov, who together have deployed over $400 million into 120 real estate properties. Additional professionals handle investor relations and portfolio oversight from the Pasadena headquarters. Harvey and Ellen Knell Foundation conducts separate philanthropic activities. No operational events from the last 24 months appear in public records. KCB maintains a control-oriented mandate that requires substantial management participation alongside its own capital commitment. This structure removes pressure from limited-partner timelines and supports operational involvement through board seats and add-on acquisitions.