Name

Kays Engineering

Legal name

Kays Engineering, Inc.

Website

https://kays-dehoff.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Deep Hole Drilling Machines

NAICS

Mining and Oil and Gas Field Machinery Manufacturing (33313)

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532), Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533)

akta.pro primary industry

Drilling & Rock Excavation Equipment (Rotary/Top-Hammer, Jumbos, Raiseborers) (IMAKANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Drilling Rigs & Drill Systems (IMAHAMAA), Drill Tools, Bits & Downhole Equipment (IMAHAMAB), Oilfield Equipment Manufacturing & Supply (Wellheads, BOPs, Surface Equipment) (EUALABAL)

Keywords

• Deep hole drilling machines
• Gundrilling machines
• BTA STS drilling
• Precision machine tools
• Gun barrel manufacturing equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Marshall

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Deep Hole Drilling Machine Sales: Kays Engineering manufactures and sells precision gundrilling and BTA/STS drilling machines under DeHoff, Eldorado, and TechniDrill brands. All machines are built-to-order in their Marshall, Missouri facility. Revenue is generated through direct sales of new machines, custom machines, and factory rebuilds/retrofits with Beckhoff Controls.
2. Replacement Parts and Accessories: Sales of replacement parts including filters, gundrills, reamers, rifle buttons, BTA/STS heads, tubes, bushings, whip guide inserts, bearings, drill inserts, motors, spindles, and controls. Also includes accessories like gundrill sharpening fixtures, drill length gauges, air gauging systems, chillers, and gundrill oil.
3. Technical Support and Service: Technical support services including remote diagnostics via Ethernet connection, field service visits for machine startup and operator training, troubleshooting, and machine failure diagnostics. Also includes machine rebuild and retrofit services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kays Engineering designs and manufactures precision deep hole drilling machines (gundrilling and BTA/STS systems) under the Eldorado, DeHoff, and TechniDrill brands at its 50,000 sq ft Marshall, Missouri facility. All machines are built-to-order with custom configurations to meet specific diameter, depth, material, and tolerance requirements. The company also provides factory rebuilds, retrofits with Beckhoff controls, replacement parts, and technical support services.

Product overview

Kays Engineering is a manufacturer of precision deep hole drilling machines (gundrilling and BTA/STS systems) operating three product lines: Eldorado (small diameter, 0.039-0.75 inches), DeHoff (medium diameter, 0.75-2.0 inches), and TechniDrill (large diameter, 2-12 inches). All three brands were acquired over time—DeHoff in 1994, Eldorado in 2002, and TechniDrill in 2020—and are now manufactured alongside each other in the company's 50,000 square foot Marshall, Missouri facility. The product portfolio spans from compact job-shop machines to large multi-axis CNC systems and complete gun barrel manufacturing turnkey packages, serving aerospace, automotive, medical, firearms, energy, oil & gas, agriculture, and plastic molding industries. Machines feature built-in Beckhoff PC-based controls, high-pressure coolant systems, and are built-to-order with various fixturing options and customization capabilities. The company also offers factory rebuilds, technical support, and replacement parts/accessories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DeHoff: Deep hole drilling/gundrilling machines with drilling capacities from 0.75 to 2.0 inches, including BTA/STS, gun barrel machines, and custom configurations. Made in the USA since 1956.
• Eldorado
• TechniDrill

Products and services

• Eldorado Gundrilling Machines Precision gundrilling machines for small-diameter deep hole drilling (0.039–0.75 inches), optimized for job shops and the medical device industry. Made in the USA since 1948. Features flame-hardened and ground cast iron box ways with hand-scraped spindle housings, 2,500 psi coolant system, Beckhoff Controls with touchscreen, and CNC G-Code programming.
• DeHoff Gundrilling and BTA/STS Machines High-performance gundrilling and BTA/STS machines for medium-diameter deep hole drilling (0.75–2.0 inches), serving automotive, aerospace, and firearms industries. Made in the USA since 1956. Features hardened and ground steel box ways with hand-scraped saddle, gibs, and straps, high-pressure coolant systems up to 2,500 psi, Beckhoff PC-based controls with Windows OS, and multiple spindle configurations.
• TechniDrill Deep Hole Drilling Machines Multi-axis gundrilling and BTA/STS drilling machines for large diameter holes (2–12 inches), serving aerospace and petroleum industries. Originally made in Kent, Ohio since 1984; now manufactured in Marshall, Missouri since the 2020 acquisition. Features heavy-duty machine base with linear guideway construction, robust high-pressure coolant systems (up to 2,500 psi), and PC-based embedded controls with Windows.
• DeHoff Custom Machines Custom-designed and built gundrilling machines with custom fixturing, automated workpiece loading/unloading, and unique spindle configurations. Examples include 4-spindle, 6-spindle, 9-spindle, and twin-slide machines for specific applications such as camshafts, helicopter drive shafts, gun barrels, and nuclear fusion reactor components.
• DeHoff Gun Barrel Manufacturing Systems Complete gun barrel manufacturing system including gundrilling, reaming, button rifling, and cut rifling machines. Used by 60+ firearms companies globally. Offers turnkey package including machines, tooling, stress relieve oven, and gauging equipment.
• Factory Rebuild and Retrofit Services Factory rebuild and retrofit services for DeHoff, Eldorado, and TechniDrill machines, including component replacement, electrical upgrades with Beckhoff controls, and coolant system rebuilds. Also includes a selection of certified used machines for sale. Carries a 12-month warranty equivalent to new machines.
• Replacement Parts and Accessories Replacement parts and accessories for all DeHoff, Eldorado, and TechniDrill models, including filters, gundrills, reamers, rifle buttons, BTA/STS heads, tubes, bushings, motors, spindles, and controls. Accessories include gundrill sharpening fixtures, drill length gauges, air gauging systems, chillers, and gundrill oil.

Quantifiable outcome

• Depth-to-diameter ratios of 100:1, 200:1, and even 300:1 achievable with precision hole drilling
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers34 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TechniDrill SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2020Acquired TechniDrill Systems, Inc. in June 2020. Originally manufactured in Kent, Ohio since 1984. TechniDrill brand offers gundrilling and BTA machines with drilling diameters 2-10 inches for aerospace and petroleum industries. Now manufactured alongside DeHoff and Eldorado brands in Marshall facility.
• Eldorado ToolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Acquired Eldorado Tool company in 2002, relocating from Milford, Connecticut to Marshall, Missouri. Eldorado brand (established 1948) provides precision gundrilling machines with drilling diameters 0.039-0.75 inches for job shops and medical industry.
• DeHoffcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994Acquired DeHoff, a manufacturer of deep hole drilling machines originally located in Cranston, Rhode Island, in 1994. Manufacturing operation moved to Marshall facility in 1996. DeHoff brand (established 1956) is a core product line for gundrilling and BTA/STS machines with drilling diameters 0.75-2.0 inches.
• Beckhoff AutomationcoreTechnology or IntegrationUses Beckhoff Controls PC-based control system across all DeHoff, Eldorado, and TechniDrill machines. Beckhoff TwinCAT PLCs provide machine control functionality with solid-state drives and Windows OS. Beckhoff controls are also available for retrofit kits and factory rebuilds.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Grob-Werke GmbH & Co. KG: German machine tool and systems builder with deep hole drilling capability integrated into production lines for automotive powertrain and aerospace. Competes for multi-machine turnkey projects that Kays also pursues.
• Okuma Corporation: Japanese broad-line CNC machine tool manufacturer competing for high-volume automotive and aerospace drilling contracts. Serves many of the same OEM customers as Kays (Ford, GM-tier suppliers).
• Makino Milling Machine Co., Ltd. Japanese precision machine tool maker with strong aerospace and medical device presence. Competes for high-precision drilling work in titanium and Inconel — material sets where Kays' Eldorado and DeHoff machines are also specified.
• DMG MORI Co., Ltd. Global broad-line machine tool builder offering deep hole drilling as part of a much larger portfolio (turning, milling, additive). Overlaps with Kays where customers need deep hole capability alongside other machining operations, but does not specialize in the niche.
• JTEKT Corporation (Toyoda): Japanese machine tool and automotive component manufacturer whose Toyoda brand produces grinding and machining centers. Competes for automotive camshaft and transmission shaft drilling work that DeHoff 10/20 Series machines also address.
• SNK (Shin Nippon Koki) Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of large five-axis machining centers and drilling machines. Overlaps with Kays' TechniDrill line on large-diameter deep hole drilling for aerospace structural components.
• Yamazaki Mazak Corporation: Japanese broad-line CNC machine tool manufacturer with deep hole drilling offerings for aerospace and automotive. Competes for large aerospace and medical device manufacturer RFPs that Kays also targets.
• Union GmbH: German manufacturer of horizontal boring and deep hole drilling machines. Competes in the heavy-duty deep hole drilling segment where Kays' DeHoff BTA/STS and TechniDrill products are sold, particularly in European energy and heavy equipment markets.

Direct peers

• TBT Tiefbohrtechnik GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of deep hole drilling machines (gundrilling and BTA) directly competing with Kays' DeHoff, Eldorado, and TechniDrill lines. Closest like-for-like competitor globally, particularly strong in European automotive and aerospace accounts.
• Botek Präzisionsbohrtechnik GmbH & Co. KG: Germany-based specialist in deep hole drilling tools and machines, including gundrilling and BTA systems. Directly competes with Kays on small-diameter precision drilling used in hydraulics, medical, and firearms applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Kays Engineering