Kent Machine

What Kent Machine does

Kent Machine, Inc. is a privately-held precision machining services provider founded in 1980 in Pendleton, Indiana, and currently led by President Michael Jackson following a 2024 management-led acquisition. The company serves regulated industries—aerospace, medical device, defense, nuclear, automotive, and industrial manufacturing—with tight-tolerance components, custom gauges and fixtures, and ISO 17025:2017-accredited inspection. In the early 2000s, the company pivoted away from commodity automotive machining toward the niche of precision fixtures and gauges, positioning itself as a domestic alternative to offshore suppliers. The firm achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification on May 30, 2025.

The service portfolio spans seven core lines: CNC machining services (3-, 4-, and 5-axis with tolerances to ±0.0002" and envelopes up to 40" × 40" × 20"), design and engineering (DFM, reverse engineering, CAD), prototyping (4–6 week typical turnaround), complex gauges (custom profile, fixture, chamfer, depth, flush pin, and taper gauges with calibration), work-holding fixtures (ANSI Y14.5 GD&T compliant), custom Wire EDM (wire as thin as 0.002", tolerances to ±0.0002"), and ISO 17025-accredited quality inspection and testing. Materials processed include stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, delrin, PEEK, and tool steel. The single named public customer is Beretta (firearms/defense).

Kent Machine operates a project-based, quote-driven revenue model with no public pricing. Customers engage through direct sales (phone 765.778.7777 and website contact forms), with engineering consultation for technical project scoping. Lead times run 4–6 weeks for build-to-print gauges and 8–12 weeks for design-and-build work. Distribution is purely domestic (single U.S. facility), and demand generation combines educational content marketing (blog, LinkedIn) with bottom-of-funnel phone/webform conversion into custom enterprise projects.

Name

Kent Machine

Legal name

Kent Machine, Inc.

Website

https://kentmachine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kent Machine is a privately-held precision machining services provider in Pendleton, Indiana, offering CNC machining, Wire EDM, custom gauges, fixtures, and ISO 17025-accredited inspection for aerospace, medical, defense, nuclear, automotive, and industrial clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Machining Services

NAICS

Machine Shops (332710), Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (3327)

SIC

Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540)

akta.pro primary industry

EDM & Electrochemical Machining (Wire/Sinker EDM, ECM) (IMAHADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

CNC Machine Tools (Turning, Milling, Machining Centers) (IMAHADAA), Metrology, Inspection & Machine Tool Accessories (CMMs, Probing, Gauging) (IMAHADAK)

Keywords

• Precision machining services
• CNC machining services
• Custom gauge manufacturing
• Work-holding fixtures
• Wire EDM machining

Headquarters

HQ city

Pendleton

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

Revenue model

1. CNC Machining Services: Precision CNC machining for prototypes, low-volume runs, and production. Revenue is project-based with quote-driven pricing. Supports 3-, 4-, and 5-axis machining for complex parts and tight-tolerance applications.
2. Custom Gauge Manufacturing: Design and build of custom precision gauges (profile, fixture, chamfer, depth gauges). Lead times 4-6 weeks for build-to-print, 8-12 weeks for design and build. One-time product sales with calibration services.
3. Design and Engineering Services: Engineering support including design for manufacturability, reverse engineering, CAD modeling, and GD&T support. Professional services engagement for product development.
4. Work-Holding Fixtures: Custom fixture design and manufacturing with manual, pneumatic, and hydraulic clamping options. Includes electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic integration.
5. Wire EDM Services: Custom Wire EDM fabrication for intricate profiles in wire as thin as 0.002" diameter. Specialized processing of hardened steels and specialty alloys.
6. Quality Inspection and Testing: ISO 17025-accredited inspection services including first-article inspection, calibration, recertification, and custom test machine development. Provides documented proof for compliance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kent Machine operates as a precision contract machining shop providing CNC milling and turning (3-, 4-, and 5-axis), Wire EDM, prototyping, custom gauge and work-holding fixture design/build, design-for-manufacturability engineering, and ISO 17025-accredited inspection and calibration. The company specializes in tight-tolerance work (down to ±0.0001") for aerospace, medical, defense, nuclear, automotive, and industrial customers, accepting challenging projects that other machine shops decline.

Product overview

Kent Machine is a precision machining service provider offering a unified suite of manufacturing services built around CNC machining as the core capability. The portfolio centers on seven primary service lines: CNC Machining Services (full-service machining for prototypes to production), Design & Engineering Services (front-end collaboration and DFM), Prototyping Services (rapid 4-6 week turnaround), Complex Gauges (custom profile, fixture, and specialty gauges), Work-Holding Fixtures (custom clamping solutions), Custom Wire EDM (precision wire cutting), and Quality Inspection & Testing (ISO 17025 accredited). These services are complemented by industry-specific machine shop offerings for automotive, aerospace, medical, defense, nuclear, and industrial sectors. The company specializes in tight-tolerance work down to ±0.0001" with rigorous quality control, positioning itself as a precision-focused alternative to offshore suppliers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CNC Machining Services Full-service CNC machining for prototypes, low-volume runs, and large-scale production, specializing in tight-tolerance work and complex geometries with certified inspection and traceability. Supports 3-, 4-, and 5-axis machining with maximum milling envelope of 40" x 40" x 20" and turning up to 17" swing x 48" between centers.
• Design & Engineering Services Front-end engineering collaboration including design for manufacturability (DFM), design optimization, reverse engineering, CAD modeling, and GD&T support with 3+ decades of design expertise.
• Prototyping Services Rapid prototyping for product development and validation with fast turnaround (4-6 weeks typical), supporting fit, form, and function testing with certified inspection.
• Complex Gauges Custom-designed and built precision gauges including profile, fixture, chamfer, depth, flush pin, and taper gauges with ISO 17025 calibration and traceability, with tolerances of ±0.0001" size and ±0.0002" profile.
• Work-Holding Fixtures Custom work-holding fixtures designed to ANSI Y14.5 GD&T standards with manual, pneumatic, and hydraulic clamping systems for machining and inspection processes, with clamping accuracy to ±0.0001".
• Custom Wire EDM Wire EDM services for intricate geometries, hardened materials, and critical applications with work envelope 14" x 9" x 8.75", tolerances to ±0.0002", and minimum wire diameter of 0.002". Processes hardened steels, alloys, and small intricate features.
• Quality Inspection & Testing ISO 17025:2017 accredited inspection and testing services including first-article inspection, calibration, recertification, dimensional checks, and custom test & inspection machine development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tolerances down to 0.005mm achievable (as praised by Beretta customer)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Dynacast: Global precision metal components manufacturer combining die casting with CNC machining at industrial scale. Overlaps with Kent Machine in precision machined components but operates a much broader, multi-process platform with global footprint.
• Xometry: Public on-demand manufacturing marketplace aggregating thousands of suppliers for CNC machining, sheet metal, and related services. Targets the same low-volume, high-mix precision buyer that Kent Machine serves, but competes primarily on digital convenience and breadth rather than deep specialization.
• Protolabs: Larger, publicly traded digital manufacturer offering CNC machining, injection molding, and 3D printing with automated quoting. Competes for the same prototype and low-volume precision machining work that Kent Machine serves, but at significantly greater scale and with platform-driven buyer experience.

Emerging players

• Fictiv: Venture-backed digital manufacturing platform focused on CNC machining, 3D printing, and sheet metal for hardware startups and enterprise R&D. Competes with Kent Machine for design-stage and prototyping work, particularly with technology buyers seeking fast online quoting.

Direct peers

• Owens Industries: Wisconsin-based independent precision machining shop serving aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial markets with tight tolerances, EDM, and inspection capabilities. Highly comparable in operating model, target verticals, and precision-grade positioning.
• Cox Manufacturing: Texas-headquartered independent precision machining company with a long heritage serving aerospace, defense, and other regulated sectors. Closely comparable independent shop competing on tight tolerances and complex work similar to Kent Machine's positioning.
• Anomatic: Independent U.S. precision metal manufacturing and anodizing specialist serving medical, automotive, and consumer-hardness end markets. Comparable in scale and operating model as a privately held independent shop competing on precision and finishing capability.
• Metaltek International: Mid-sized U.S. precision metal components provider offering machining, casting, and assembly for aerospace, defense, power, and industrial markets. Comparable independent operator with similar regulated-vertical mix and precision focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kent-machine-inc.
• Facebookfacebook.com/kentmachine

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 Kent Machine