Knights Upholstery to move operations further south

Rich Palzewic

Staff

July 27, 2026

MARINETTE – After 15 years of growing Knights Upholstery/Autoworks in Marinette, Owner Steve Hemstock said the time has come for the business to enter its next chapter.

With the commercial property at 1316 Marinette Ave. now listed for sale, Hemstock said the decision to move was not an easy one. 

“I think this is an interesting and invigorating step for us to take,” he said. “You commit so much to a particular direction, and we’ve worked very hard to establish our upholstery footprint and our [used car] dealership in Marinette.”

That said, Hemstock said he has come to recognize that Marinette’s location presents challenges for an upholstery business, with the community sitting roughly an hour north of Green Bay.

He said his family originally moved to Marinette 15 years ago to start a nonprofit church, and that chapter of their lives has now been fulfilled.

“My wife and I have 11 children, so we are also looking at this as a lifestyle move,” he said. “We want to position ourselves in the best geographical location, for both commerce and for what we think and hope will be a well-rounded, well-balanced lifestyle.”

Though he and his wife, Kelly, have been grateful for the opportunity to give back to the Marinette community over the past 15 years, Hemstock said those commitments have at times come at the expense of family time.

“There were a lot of times when we maybe didn’t go on vacation, or we just hired a new person or had a new customer – that’s part of running a business,” he said. “The same thing can be said for the church and for the kids. This relocation is so we can slowly step ahead to see what we exactly want.”

Though the exact location has not yet been determined, Hemstock said the plan is to relocate Knights Upholstery/Autoworks – which was previously featured by The Business News in its July 14, 2025 issue – somewhere in the Green Bay area.

The move, he said, will put the business closer to a larger customer base, with the Green Bay metro area nearly 10 times the size of the Marinette/Menominee market.

Finding the right location, however, Hemstock said, will take time.

“It’s a big ask for what we want to do with our space – we’re not shrinking, we’re growing,” he said. “With a new Green Bay location, I think we could realistically double in size. If we reposition somewhere in the Green Bay/Fox Valley area, I think our upholstery business will dramatically increase.”

If the right existing space doesn’t pop up or fit Knights’ needs, Hemstock said he wouldn’t be opposed to building new.

“The most important thing for us – and I say ‘us’ because this is a family decision – is that I would not make the move if there was any potential ‘collateral damage’ to the family,” he said. “I’ve learned that growth is not the most important thing, but with this being a whole family endeavor, we’re very okay with whatever would unfold with minimal impact and minimal stress.”

Rather than relocating out of necessity, Hemstock said the move is a purposeful decision to create more opportunities for the growing business. 

“We don’t need to relocate – we’re relocating on purpose,” he said.

With the family homeschooling their children, Hemstock said that will also make relocation easier.

“I wouldn’t take a ninth grader out of a high school and move them to another school – that’s a pretty traumatic event to go through, I think,” he said.

What’s offered

Specializing in custom interior and manufacturing upholstery, Hemstock said Knights Upholstery/Autoworks is known for transforming vehicle interiors – from unique designs for supercars and yachts to classic auto restorations.

About six years ago, he said the company expanded its services by adding a used car dealership, followed shortly by a service department. 

Though the dealership had started gaining traction in Marinette, Hemstock said he has not yet determined what role it will play after the relocation. 

“Let me paint it this way – if we found a suitable place but the municipality doesn’t want/need a car dealership there, I would not want to frame a life where I’m trying to gain peace of mind and quality of life where my townspeople wouldn’t be happy with me,” he said. “It’s very important to me to have our neighbors all at ease with us.”

If the car dealership takes root in a new location, Hemstock said it will look slightly different compared to the Marinette space.

“I’d say it would be less volume and a bit higher quality,” he said. “If that part of the business is a go, it would probably be something a little more niche-type of product.”

The timeline

Though he hopes to relocate by the end of summer, Hemstock said there is no need to rush the process.

Without a finalized location or property secured, he said finding the right fit remains the priority. 

“I think our personal residence could sell quickly, but I realistically don’t know how fast,” he said. “The realtor is saying everybody needs a residence, but not everybody needs a commercial building. It might take a little bit of time, but that’s completely fine.”

Hemstock said the Marinette property features nearly 8,500 square feet of space across a 0.77-acre lot, including about 3,000 square feet of showroom and office space and the remainder dedicated to shop and warehouse operations. 

“The location also has a huge traffic count right on Highway 41 – up to 18,000 vehicles per day,” he said. “It’s perfect for an automotive repair or dealership, light industrial use, a service business or warehouse operations.”