What C&K does

C&K (C&K Switches) is a Newton, Massachusetts-headquartered manufacturer of high-quality electromechanical switches and connectors, founded in 1928 and operating today as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Littelfuse, Inc. following Littelfuse's 2019 acquisition. The company's core technology spans 13 switch families — tactile, pushbutton, snap-acting, toggle, rocker, detect, DIP, keyswitch, navigation, rotary, slide, switchlock, and thumbwheel — supported by 55,000+ standard products and 8.5 million configurable switch combinations, plus a high-reliability connector portfolio (D-Sub, Micro D, MTB1, SpaceSplice, Interposer) and smart card connectors. C&K also operates a custom product development service that co-engineers switches with OEM partners for precise haptic, acoustic, and aesthetic requirements.

The company's revenue model is hardware sales of components, priced via a quote-based B2B model for both standard catalog items and custom builds. Go-to-market combines enterprise field sales (increasingly routed through the Littelfuse Business Center and Littelfuse.com) with global third-party distributor availability through samplecomponents.com. Customer segments span eight verticals: Industrial, Automotive, Consumer, Medical, Server/Telecom, POS/M2M, Aerospace & Defense, and Transportation. Aerospace-grade certifications (AS9100C, ESA, Airbus Master Supplier, QPL) and automotive certification (IATF 16949) anchor its positioning in regulated, mission-critical applications alongside high-volume consumer and industrial OEM accounts.

Post-acquisition, C&K retains its brand and product lines while leveraging Littelfuse's broader electronics-component portfolio, global distribution, and enterprise sales infrastructure. Product cadence has remained active through 2025, with launches across military toggle switches, gold-plated tactile switches, potting-friendly tactile switches, and the TLSM series, suggesting continued investment in the franchise despite its subsidiary status. No revenue, headcount trend, or pricing detail is publicly disclosed for the C&K business unit.

Name

C&K

Website

http://www.ckswitches.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

C&K Switches, founded 1928 and now a Littelfuse subsidiary, manufactures 55,000+ electromechanical switch products and 8.5 million switch combinations for OEMs across automotive, industrial, aerospace and defense, medical, consumer, and telecom markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electromechanical Switches

NAICS

Electronic Connector Manufacturing (334417), Wiring Device Manufacturing (33593), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)

SIC

Electronic Connectors (3678), Electronic Components, Nec (3679)

akta.pro primary industry

Wiring Devices & Receptacles (switches, sockets, plugs, industrial outlets, pin & sleeve) (IMAGAEAF)

Keywords

• Electromechanical switches
• Tactile switches
• High-reliability connectors
• Snap-acting switches
• Custom switch solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Newton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Electromechanical Switches: Manufacturing and sale of high-quality electromechanical switches including tactile, pushbutton, snap-acting, toggle, rocker, detect, DIP, keyswitch, navigation, rotary, slide, switchlock, and thumbwheel switches
2. Connectors: Smart card connectors, high-reliability connectors including D-Sub, Micro D, MTB1, SpaceSplice, and Interposer connectors
3. Custom/ Purpose-Built Products: Custom switch development and manufacturing partnerships with OEMs for purpose-built product development

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

C&K manufactures high-quality electromechanical switches and high-reliability connectors, offering more than 55,000 standard products and 8.5 million switch combinations. The product portfolio includes tactile, pushbutton, snap-acting, toggle, rocker, detect, DIP, keyswitch, navigation, rotary, slide, switchlock, and thumbwheel switches, as well as smart card connectors and high-reliability D-Sub, Micro D, MTB1, SpaceSplice, and Interposer connectors. C&K also provides custom switch design and manufacturing services, working closely with OEMs to develop purpose-built switches with specific haptic, visual, acoustic, and functional characteristics.

Product overview

C&K is a manufacturer of high-quality electromechanical switches and connectors, now part of Littelfuse. The company offers over 55,000 standard products and 8.5 million switch combinations. The core product portfolio includes multiple switch types (tactile, pushbutton, snap-acting, toggle, rocker, detect, DIP, keyswitch, navigation, rotary, slide, switchlock, thumbwheel) and connector products (smart card connectors, high-reliability connectors including D-Sub, Micro D, MTB1, SpaceSplice, and Interposer). Featured product series include NanoT, KSC2, ATPS19, D6, KMR7, K12S, KSC XA, EL2, KSC PF, TLSM, KMR6, and KSR. The company also provides custom switch development services for specialized customer requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tactile Switches Tactile switches providing haptic feedback for user interface applications, featuring ultra-compact sizes and high cycle ratings for consumer, industrial, medical, and automotive OEMs.
• Pushbutton Switches

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% customer satisfaction

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Littelfuse, Inc.coreOthersC&K is now a part of Littelfuse, Inc. The company operates under the Littelfuse brand, with products available through Littelfuse platforms including Littelfuse.com for switches and connectors, and the Littelfuse Business Center for customer support. This acquisition integrated C&K's switch manufacturing expertise with Littelfuse's broader electronics portfolio.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Omron: Global Japanese electronic components maker with a substantial switch portfolio (tactile, microswitch, detection) serving automotive, industrial automation, and medical — directly comparable in scale and vertical mix.
• CTS Corporation: US manufacturer of electronic components including switches, encoders, and sensors for industrial, medical, and aerospace — overlapping customers and electromechanical component portfolio with C&K.
• E-Switch: US-based manufacturer specializing in tactile, pushbutton, toggle, slide, and DIP switches — narrow but direct competitor to C&K's standard switch catalog across consumer and industrial.
• Carling Technologies: US manufacturer of switches, circuit breakers, and electronic controls for marine, military, industrial, and on-highway markets — directly comparable in rugged/high-reliability switch applications.
• Marquardt Group: German family-owned specialist in switches and switching systems for automotive, appliances, and power tools — closely comparable in automotive-grade electromechanical switch engineering.
• Alps Alpine: Major Japanese manufacturer of electromechanical switches, tactile switches, and connectors serving automotive, consumer, and industrial OEMs — directly comparable product portfolio and customer base to C&K.
• NKK Switches: Specialized US/Japanese manufacturer of toggle, pushbutton, rocker, DIP, and illuminated switches — overlapping switch categories and target customers in industrial, audio, and instrumentation.

Broad incumbents

• Schneider Electric: Global industrial electrical equipment major with switchgear and control offerings — overlapping in industrial/building-automation switch categories, though Schneider is far broader than C&K.
• TE Connectivity: Global leader in electronic connectors and high-reliability interconnects serving aerospace, defense, automotive, and industrial — overlaps directly with C&K's high-rel connector business (D-Sub, Micro D, SpaceSplice).
• Honeywell Sensing & Safety: Operates the MICRO SWITCH brand, a long-established high-reliability switch line for aerospace, defense, and industrial — directly comparable in aerospace/defense switch portfolio though embedded in a much larger sensing portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ckswitches

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about C&K