Sharon Irvin, CFO and Mark Irvin, CEO
KC MASS Services
P.O. Box 621
Grandview, Missouri 64030
816-448-2033
Established June, 2003

KC Mass Services is a specialty construction and accessible product distributor with a mission to provide safe, accessible and stylish housing for active, aging adults and persons with mobility limitations. The company uses the principles and standards of Universal Design to help people age in place and to live at home without barriers.

The company’s main focus is remodeling existing homes to support independent living. If that option is not feasible, the Irvins can build a new home or help customers find an existing home that meets their needs.

Mark Irvin’s hip replacement surgery became the gateway to this entrepreneurial venture. After surgery, Mark experienced first hand the limitations of conventional home design for persons with temporary or permanent disabilities. Realizing that this personal experience represented a need in the marketplace, Mark and his wife, Sharon, decided to restructure KC MASS Services.

However, even the best entrepreneurial vision needs help to become a thriving, growing business and smart business owners know when to reach out for assistance. That’s when Sharon Irvin called KCSourceLink

At first she was looking for resources to help her with the basics of a start-up business, such as marketing. As the company grew and the business challenges changed, she continued to contact KCSourceLink for referrals to resource organizations.

“Every time I have a need, I call KCSourceLink. I always get the help I need in a timely, expedient manner. KCSourceLink is a terrific resource for our company,” Sharon says.

KCSourceLink has referred Sharon to various network organizations providing training classes and counseling services, including:

• The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the Johnson County (KS) Community College, where a QuickBooks seminar helped her with tax issues.
• The Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where Sharon formed a relationship with a business counselor and mentor. The SBTDC helps her work out operational problems and other business issues on an ongoing basis.
• Irvin also participated in the First Step Fund’s FastTrac program, which gave her “a clear vision of the direction to take in her business.”

In their photo, Mark and Sharon Irvin demonstrate their portable ramp that helps persons with mobility limitations go up and down stairs. The ramp rolls up for travel or storage and can be rolled out on any stairway. It supports walking or wheelchair-bound persons.

KC MASS Services’ gross sales increased 60 percent in 2007 as compared to previous years.