What KMC does

KMC (Kickhaefer Manufacturing Company) is a privately held U.S. precision metal components manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in Port Washington, Wisconsin. The company produces custom and standard metal parts through precision metal stamping, laser cutting and fabrication, welding and complex assembly, in-house tool build and die engineering, prototyping, and value-added services such as finishing and supply support. It operates four U.S. manufacturing facilities totaling more than 250,000 square feet, ships over 100 million parts per year, and serves 130+ customer sites annually. The company holds ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 certifications through PRI Registrar, and is led by Gerry Schwarz as President and CEO.

KMC sells into a horizontally diversified set of OEM end markets, including construction equipment, automotive, on-highway truck, power generation, agricultural equipment, data centers, metering, specialty vehicles, powersports vehicles, and recreational vehicles. It pursues a collaborative engineering GTM motion, embedding its tooling and process engineers with OEM design and procurement teams from concept through production. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales, with engagement initiated through the company website (kmc-mfg.com) and converted via "Speak to an Expert" and "Contact Our Team" calls to action. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated through custom manufacturing engagements.

Revenue is generated through custom contract manufacturing for OEM customers, with orders tied to long-term part programs. Customer relationships are characterized as long-tenured and multi-year, supported by customer-specific tooling that creates switching friction. The company has been continuously operating for over 117 years under private ownership with no documented external investment, M&A activity, public listing, or disclosed funding rounds. Revenue, headcount growth, and ownership structure beyond founder/family control are not disclosed in the available source material.

Name

KMC

Legal name

Kickhaefer Manufacturing Company

Website

https://kmcstampings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

KMC (Kickhaefer Manufacturing Company) is a privately held U.S. precision metal stamping and fabrication manufacturer founded in 1908, serving OEM customers across automotive, construction equipment, agricultural, power generation, and data center industries from four U.S. facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Metal Stamping & Fabrication

NAICS

All Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (33299), Special Die and Tool, Die Set, Jig, and Fixture Manufacturing (333514)

SIC

Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping) (IMAHADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Off-Highway Vehicle Cabs, Frames & Attachments Manufacturing (Cabs/Booms/Buckets/Implements) (IMACAFAL)

Keywords

• Precision metal stamping
• OEM contract manufacturing
• Custom metal fabrication
• Tool and die engineering
• Complex metal assembly

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Precision Metal Parts Manufacturing: KMC generates revenue through custom parts manufacturing for OEMs, providing precision metal stamping, fabrication, welding, and assembly services. Revenue is derived from long-term OEM partnerships with custom component orders.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

KMC manufactures custom precision metal components for OEM customers through precision metal stamping, laser cutting and fabrication, tool and die engineering, welding, complex assembly, and value-added finishing. The company operates as a collaborative engineering partner, combining in-house tooling design with high-volume production to deliver more than 100 million parts per year to OEM assembly sites across construction equipment, automotive, truck, power generation, agricultural, and related heavy-equipment industries.

Product overview

KMC (Kickhaefer Manufacturing Company) is an engineered metal solutions provider offering a unified portfolio of precision manufacturing services for OEMs. The core offerings include Precision Metal Stamping, Laser Cutting & Fabrication, Welding & Complex Assembly, Tool Build & Die Engineering, Prototyping & Engineering Support, and Value-Added Services. These capabilities are structured around a collaborative engineering approach where KMC operates as an extension of the customer's team, combining design expertise with in-house tooling and manufacturing to deliver parts from concept through completion. Additional specialized offerings include Clips & Clamps products. The company operates across 4 U.S. facilities spanning over 250,000 sq. ft.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Precision Metal Stamping High-precision metal stamping service for complex OEM parts, delivering accuracy and consistency in high-volume production runs. Targeted at enterprise OEMs in construction equipment, automotive, truck, power generation, agricultural, and related heavy-equipment industries.
• Tool Build & Die Engineering In-house tooling design, build, and maintenance service providing full control over tooling design, cost, and lead time for OEM customers. Targeted at OEMs that require tight tooling control to keep projects on schedule and ensure parts are made right the first time.
• Laser Cutting & Fabrication Advanced laser cutting and metal fabrication service for precise manufacturing of complex parts. Targeted at OEM customers needing high-precision metal forming and cutting for production programs.
• Prototyping & Engineering Support Rapid prototyping and design collaboration service to accelerate product development and validate designs before full production. Targeted at OEM engineering teams that need fast iteration and design partnership during component development.
• Welding & Complex Assembly Robotic and manual welding service for complex assembly operations across a range of metal components. Targeted at OEM customers that require welded sub-assemblies delivered ready for integration into finished products.
• Value-Added Services Finishing, assembly, and supply support services that complete parts and streamline delivery to OEM customers. Targeted at OEMs seeking a single supplier that can deliver finished, ready-to-install components.
• Clips & Clamps Specialized manufacturing of clips and clamps as part of KMC's precision metal component portfolio. Targeted at OEM customers that need high-volume fastening and retention components for equipment and machinery.
• Collaborative Engineering Engineering partnership service in which KMC works as an extension of the OEM team to solve design challenges and develop innovative solutions. Targeted at OEM engineering organizations seeking a deeply embedded manufacturing partner from concept through production.
• Engineered Solutions End-to-end engineered metal solutions that unite design, tooling, and manufacturing to bring innovative, high-performance components to life. Targeted at OEMs that want a single supplier accountable for components from initial design through finished, validated production parts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130+ customer sites shipped to annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Tower International: Tower International is an automotive metal stamping and engineered structural components manufacturer—comparable to KMC's automotive precision stamping business, though operating at larger scale with a more automotive-focused portfolio.
• Flex-N-Gate: Flex-N-Gate is a large Tier 1 automotive supplier specializing in metal stamping, painting, and assembly for OEMs—comparable to KMC's automotive precision stamping work, though at significantly larger scale and broader product scope.
• Martinrea International: Martinrea is a large automotive metal forming and lightweighting solutions provider—broader scale and scope than KMC but directly comparable in metal stamping, fabrication, and assembly for OEM automotive customers.
• Shiloh Industries: Shiloh Industries specializes in lightweighting and noise/vibration solutions for automotive OEMs using stamped and cast metal components—comparable in automotive precision stamping and complex assemblies but at larger scale and broader capabilities.

Direct peers

• Protolabs: Protolabs is a digital manufacturing service bureau offering custom prototyping and on-demand production parts, including metal stamping and fabrication, for OEMs across diverse industries—directly comparable to KMC's custom precision metal components business model and customer base.
• Kapco Metal Stamping: Kapco (formerly Kay Automotive) is a precision metal stamper serving OEMs with custom stamping, fabrication, welding, and assembly across multiple industries—highly comparable to KMC in service offerings, scale, and customer mix.
• EVS Metal: EVS Metal is a precision metal fabrication and stamping manufacturer serving OEM customers with laser cutting, welding, and assembly services—directly overlapping with KMC's laser cutting, fabrication, and complex assembly capabilities.
• Oberg Industries: Oberg Industries is a precision metal stamping and tooling manufacturer serving OEMs across aerospace, medical, and industrial markets—closely comparable to KMC in scale, vertical integration via in-house tooling, and engineering-driven OEM sales approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KMCStampings
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kmc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about KMC