What Kent Automation does

Kent Automation, founded in 1990 and headquartered at 449 Dodge Street, Kent, Ohio, is a privately held custom industrial machinery designer and builder serving manufacturers in the window and door (fenestration), pultrusion, fiberglass, aluminum, PVC, and composites industries. The firm has completed over 3,500 installations to date and maintains a 24/7 service and spare-parts operation. Its product portfolio includes automated notching saws, end mills, sawing centers (miter, up-cut, V-cut, pusher-feeder, traveling, flying cut-off, horizontal CNC, zero-scrap), routing centers, length stop gauges, glass carts, CNC drilling centers, SDL/grille application machines, and custom robotic cells for pick-and-place, welding, drilling, routing, palletizing, material handling, painting, assembly, and vision-enabled applications.

The company operates as a turn-key systems integrator, owning the full build from conceptual mechanical design through electrical and software engineering, in-house fabrication, and final assembly. Core technology is built around Allen Bradley and Rockwell Automation PLCs with HMI touchscreens, SolidWorks and AutoCAD for mechanical design, servo-driven positioning, pneumatic multi-spindle drill heads, and CNC machining. The Kent, Ohio facility includes a weld shop, CNC equipment bay, 10-ton crane capacity, fabrication and assembly areas, and a UL 508A certified panel shop for industrial control panel build.

Commercially, Kent Automation sells exclusively through direct sales with quote-based pricing, has no disclosed resellers or distributors, and operates as a single-country (USA) business with no global footprint claim. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time sale of custom equipment, supplemented by aftermarket spare parts and service contracts. Ownership is believed to be management/founder-affiliated, with President Sean Robbins and VP & GM Pat Riley leading a roughly 1-10 person organization that includes project engineers, sales, electrical engineering, business development, plant management, service, and office management roles.

Name

Kent Automation

Legal name

Kent Automation

Website

https://kentautomation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kent Automation is a privately held, Ohio-based custom industrial machinery designer and builder, founded in 1990, serving window and door, pultrusion, fiberglass, aluminum, and PVC manufacturers with automated cutting, drilling, routing, and robotic cell equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kent

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Machine Manufacturing: Design, engineering, and manufacturing of custom automated machinery and robotic cells. Revenue generated through one-time sale of custom equipment, with ongoing spare parts and service support.
2. Spare Parts & Technical Services: 24/7 technical service department providing spare parts on all equipment and ongoing support. Revenue from replacement parts and service contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Kent Automation designs, engineers, and manufactures custom automated machinery, robotic cells, and turn-key production systems for window and door (vinyl, fiberglass, aluminum), pultrusion, extrusion, blow molding, and automotive manufacturers. Products include notching saws, end mills, sawing centers, routing centers, length stop gauges, glass carts, CNC drilling centers, SDL/grille machines, and robotic cells, all custom-built to individual customer specifications. The company also supports installed equipment with a 24/7 spare parts and technical service department.

Product overview

Kent Automation is a custom machine solutions provider offering a portfolio of specialized equipment for the fenestration, pultrusion, extrusion, automotive, and composite industries. The core product line includes automated notching saws, end mills, sawing centers, routing centers, length stop gauges, glass carts, drilling centers, and SDL/grille application machines for window and door manufacturing. These are complemented by robotic cells for manufacturing automation (pick and place, welding, drilling, routing, palletizing, material handling, painting, assembly, and vision systems). All products are custom-designed and manufactured in the company's UL 508A certified production facility in Kent, Ohio, with turn-key solutions available from conceptual design through final assembly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Notch Boxes (Notching Saws) Automated notching saw with two adjustable saw assemblies designed to notch the ends of precut window/door profiles; capable of sill and jamb fabrication in the same saw. Targeted at vinyl, fiberglass, and aluminum window and door fabricators.
• End Mills Air-over-oil feed end milling machines for milling any profile of PVC, fiberglass, or aluminum, featuring a high-speed precision spindle with custom contoured carbide or diamond stack cutters. Targeted at window, door, and fenestration manufacturers.
• Sawing Centers Full range of custom, fully automated saws designed for cutting fenestration and automotive materials, including miter saws, up-cut saws, V-cut saws, pusher-feeder saws, glazing bead saws, traveling saws, horizontal CNC saws, flying cut-off saws, and zero scrap saws. Targeted at window/door and automotive manufacturers.
• Routing Centers Fully custom automated routers specially designed for individual customer needs, including sash routers, tilt latch routers, lock routers, and night-latch/vent routers. Targeted at window and door fabricators.
• Length Stop Gauges Precision screw servo length stop gauges with network capability and PC compatibility, stainless steel work surface with 10', 12', and 14' length capacity, THK linear bearings, and powder-coated steel frame. Targeted at fenestration manufacturers.
• Glass Carts Customized carts designed to eliminate friction points between glass and cart surface, with heavy-duty welded steel tube frame, Homesote and/or UHMW composite board, and angled slope design for easy loading. Targeted at window and glass handling operations.
• Drilling Centers Custom automated CNC drilling centers with servo positioning, 3-axis servo-driven pneumatic drill feed, multi-head spindles for simultaneous drilling and tapping, quick tool pneumatic changeout, HMI touchscreen controls, and Allen Bradley PLC control. Targeted at fenestration manufacturers.
• SDL/Grille Application Machine Stand-alone, semi-automated, servo-driven Simulated Divided Lite (SDL)/Grille Application Machine with 2-axis (X,Y) servo system for SDL grille placement, dual swing arm Allen Bradley Interactive HMI Touchscreens, and bar code scanner recognition. Targeted at window manufacturers.
• Robotic Cells Custom robotic cells for manufacturing automation, covering part pick and place, welding, drilling, routing, palletizing, material handling, painting, assembly, and vision systems. Targeted at manufacturers deploying robotics in production operations.
• Automation Solutions (Custom Integration) Custom automation integration services and turn-key production line solutions for window and door (vinyl, fiberglass, aluminum), pultrusion, blow molding, testing equipment, automated assembly, and secondary operation equipment. Targeted at manufacturers needing tailored automation systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,500 installations

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stürtz Machinery: German manufacturer of automated machinery and complete production lines for the window, door, and glass industries. Highly comparable to Kent Automation in fenestration end market and turn-key custom equipment delivery model.
• GED Integrated Solutions: U.S. integrator of automated fenestration equipment, including welding, cleaning, and material handling systems for vinyl, aluminum, and fiberglass window/door production. Closest U.S.-based direct peer to Kent Automation's customer base and product scope.
• Lisec: Austrian global supplier of machinery and lines for flat glass processing, insulating glass production, and fenestration fabrication. Comparable in delivering integrated production systems to window/door manufacturers worldwide.
• Hegla: German manufacturer of machinery and systems for flat glass cutting, sorting, and storage, plus integrated fenestration lines. Overlaps with Kent Automation in serving glass and window/door fabricators with custom capital equipment.
• Bottero: Italian producer of glass processing and handling machinery, including cutting, breaking, sorting, and laminated-glass lines. Comparable in custom-engineered industrial equipment for flat-glass and downstream fenestration customers.
• Rotox: German-based supplier of machines for PVC window and door production, including welding, cleaning, and fabrication cells. Directly comparable niche to Kent Automation's fenestration-focused equipment portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Intermac (Biesse Group): Italian-based global manufacturer of CNC machinery for glass, stone, metal, and advanced materials processing. Comparable technology platform (CNC cutting/routing/drilling) and adjacent end markets, though much broader in scale and scope than Kent Automation.
• Thermwood: U.S. manufacturer of large-format CNC routers and additive manufacturing systems used in plastics, composites, aerospace, and fenestration. Comparable CNC routing/drilling technology but broader industrial footprint than Kent Automation.
• Stäubli Robotics: Swiss-headquartered global supplier of industrial robots and automated manufacturing solutions. Comparable in providing robotic cells for industrial automation, but operates as a much larger, publicly-traded incumbent with broader product portfolio.
• Yaskawa Motoman: Global robotics and automation integrator with extensive footprint in welding, material handling, painting, and assembly cells. Overlaps with Kent Automation's robotic cell offerings but at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kent-automation-a-division-of-mnm-mfg-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Kent Automation