Ken Burns
Ken Burns Inc is a privately-held Iowa industrial equipment distributor serving as North America's exclusive Vipermetal screening bucket Warehouse & Distribution Center and an authorized MB Crusher and Alpine Rockwheel dealer, selling screening, crushing, and cutting attachments to construction, municipal, landscape, and renewable energy contractors across the United States via direct sales and a regional dealer network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersManchester, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ken Burns does
Ken Burns Inc (also operating as KBI, KBIWDC, and Screening Bucket Warehouse) is a privately-held industrial equipment distributor headquartered at 985 East Main Street, Manchester, Iowa. Founded in 2000 and employing 1-10 people, the company serves as the exclusive North American Warehouse & Distribution Center for Finland-based Vipermetal's line of screening buckets, and as an authorized distributor for Italy-based MB Crusher's crushing buckets and German-based Alpine Rockwheel's rotary cutting attachments. Customers include construction and earthwork contractors, municipal and government public works departments, landscape supply and construction operators, mid-market trucking and remediation firms, and — increasingly — renewable energy infrastructure projects (solar and wind farm pad construction). The company is led by President Ken Burns, with customer support handled by Keith Zietlow at the Iowa headquarters and Mike Green at the Chicago office.
Ken Burns firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ken Burns
- Legal name
- Ken Burns Inc
- Website
- https://kenburnsinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Ken Burns Inc is a privately-held Iowa industrial equipment distributor serving as North America's exclusive Vipermetal screening bucket Warehouse & Distribution Center and an authorized MB Crusher and Alpine Rockwheel dealer, selling screening, crushing, and cutting attachments to construction, municipal, landscape, and renewable energy contractors across the United States via direct sales and a regional dealer network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ken Burns industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Heavy Equipment Attachments Distribution
- NAICS
- Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333131)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Construction & Mining (No Petro) Machinery & Equip (5082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Surface Mining Equipment (Excavators, Shovels, Draglines, Dozers) (IMAKANAA)
Keywords
Where Ken Burns is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Ken Burns business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Equipment Sales: Sale of screening buckets (Vipermetal VPH series), crushing buckets (MB Crusher, Vipermetal VPCH), and attachments including excavator mounts and loader mounts for various heavy equipment brands.
- Used Equipment Sales: Sale of pre-owned and trade-in screening and crushing equipment through the company's inventory listings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Equipment pricing varies by model and specifications |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ken Burns product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ken Burns Inc distributes Vipermetal screening buckets, MB Crusher crushing buckets, and Rockwheel drum cutters for attachment to skid steers, wheel loaders, and excavators. The company operates as the exclusive North American Warehouse and Distribution Center for Vipermetal screening buckets and also sells used equipment and compatible mounting hardware for various heavy equipment brands.
Product overview
Ken Burns Inc operates as a single-tier equipment distributor offering a portfolio of three complementary product lines: Vipermetal screening buckets (VPH series models ranging from VPH 2-700 to VPH 3-1720HD) for material separation and screening; Vipermetal and MB crusher buckets (VPCH-21, MB L-140, BF 120, BF 70.2) for on-site material crushing; and Rockwheel drum cutters (D20) for rock excavation and trenching. The company serves as North America's Warehouse and Distribution Center for Vipermetal products, with a network of regional dealers across the United States. Equipment is available for skid steer, loader, and excavator mounting, with compatible attachment mounts sold separately.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Vipermetal VPH 2-700 Screening Bucket Compact screening bucket for skid steer loaders, weighing 700 lbs with 0.2 cubic yard capacity. Features dual-acting hydraulic motors and 100% Hardox steel construction. Designed for small-scale material screening and separation.
- Vipermetal VPH 2-1500HD Screening Bucket Heavy-duty screening bucket for skid steers and minimum 18,000 lb excavators. Dimensions: 64 x 40 x 34 inches, weight 1,640 lbs, capacity 0.9 cubic yards. Features offset-to-center blade design with adjustable counter blades and dual bolt-on mounts capability for both loaders and excavators.
- Vipermetal VPH 3-1500HD Screening Bucket Heavy-duty screening bucket measuring 64 x 47 x 39 inches, weighing 2,160 lbs, with 1.1 cubic yard capacity. Constructed of 100% Hardox 500 wear plate edge and rotors with Hardox 400 complete bucket chassis for durability.
- Vipermetal VPH 4-1500HD Screening Bucket Large-capacity screening bucket for both wheel loaders and excavators. Dimensions: 68 x 59 x 51 inches, weight 3,350 lbs, capacity 1.4 cubic yards. Features dual mount capability and adjustable granular size control.
- Vipermetal VPH 2-1700HD Screening Bucket Heavy-duty screening bucket measuring 76 x 53 x 45 inches, weighing 3,100 lbs, capacity 1.5 cubic yards. Dual mount capability for loader and excavator attachment.
- Vipermetal VPH 3-1720HD Screening Bucket Industrial-scale screening bucket with wheel loader and excavator capability. Dimensions: 81 x 69 x 55 inches, weight 5,400 lbs, capacity 2.8 cubic yards. Features dual-acting hydraulic motors with no motor drain line required.
- Vipermetal VPCH-21 Crushing Bucket Heavy-duty crushing bucket for processing asphalt, concrete, and demolition materials. Dimensions: 68 x 74 x 71 inches, weight 6,600 lbs, capacity 1.7 cubic yards. Built with 100% Hardox steel for durability.
- MB L-140 Crusher Bucket MB crusher bucket for crushing asphalt millings and concrete materials. Compact design for excavator mounting enabling on-site material processing.
- MB Crusher BF 120 Bucket Large-capacity MB crusher bucket for heavy-duty crushing applications including concrete and demolition debris.
- MB Crusher Bucket BF 70.2 Mid-size MB crusher bucket for processing construction materials on-site.
- Rockwheel D20 Drum Cutter Hydraulic rotary cutter head for rock excavation, trenching, mine scaling, demolition, and concrete milling. Designed for ground too hard to rip yet not requiring heavy hammers or drilling and blasting.
Quantifiable outcome
- 37.5 yards per hour productivity achieved with Vipermetal 2-1500 on larger skid loader
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Ken Burns
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ken Burns technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Ken Burns partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.
- VipermetalcoreKen Burns Inc serves as the exclusive North American Warehouse and Distribution Center (WDC) for Vipermetal screening buckets. They distribute the full Vipermetal product line including VPH 2-700, VPH 2-1500HD, VPH 3-1500HD, VPH 4-1500HD, VPH 2-1700HD, VPH 3-1720HD, and VPCH-21 crushing bucket. The partnership provides North American customers with ready inventory, full service, and onsite product training.
- MB CrushercoreKen Burns Inc is an authorized North American distributor for MB Crusher crushing buckets including models MB L-140, MB BF 120, and MB BF 70.2. The partnership enables them to offer complementary crushing solutions alongside their Vipermetal screening products.
- Alpine RockwheelcoreKen Burns Inc distributes the Rockwheel line of hydraulic rotary cutting attachments from Alpine. Rockwheel products include drumcutters, cutterheads, and rock grinders for rock excavation, trenching, mine scaling, demolition, and concrete milling applications. Alpine invented this technology over 25 years ago.
- Martin EquipmentregionalRegional dealer for Ken Burns Inc products, operated by Blake Martin, located in Odessa, Texas. Serves the Texas region with sales and support for Vipermetal and related equipment.
- Midwest Equipment RepairregionalRegional dealer for Ken Burns Inc products, operated by Chase Wiles, located in Omaha, Nebraska. Serves the Nebraska region with sales and support.
- Holland EquipmentregionalRegional dealer for Ken Burns Inc products, operated by Rod Martinez, located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Serves the Utah region with equipment sales and support.
- Rio Tech TexasregionalRegional dealer for Ken Burns Inc products, operated by Jose Vazquez, located in McAllen, Texas 78504. Serves the South Texas region with equipment sales and support.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ken Burns competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ALLU: Finland-based manufacturer of screening and crushing bucket attachments for excavators and wheel loaders. ALLU is a direct competitor in the same screening-bucket product category that KBI distributes for Vipermetal, serving overlapping construction, demolition, and earthwork customers with comparable attachment solutions.
- McCloskey International: Manufacturer of mobile screening, crushing, and stacking equipment serving construction, demolition, and aggregate industries. Overlaps with KBI's screening and crushing bucket portfolio at the customer level, although operating via larger mobile-plant form factor rather than skid-steer/excavator attachments.
- Powerscreen: Terex-owned manufacturer of mobile screening, crushing, and conveying equipment. Powerscreen is a leading provider of screening equipment to aggregate and construction customers, overlapping with KBI's screening bucket offering at the equipment and end-customer level.
- Screen Machine Industries: US-based manufacturer of portable screening plants, crushers, and material processing equipment for construction, demolition, and recycling applications. Direct competitor to the screening and crushing solutions KBI distributes, particularly for mid-market contractor and aggregate customers in North America.
- REMU Oy: Finnish manufacturer of screening buckets and earth-moving attachments for heavy equipment, with mounting compatibility explicitly referenced in KBI's mounting hardware line. REMU competes in the same screening-bucket product category as Vipermetal (which KBI distributes) and sells into the same North American construction and earthwork segments.
Broad incumbents
- Komatsu Ltd. Global manufacturer of construction, mining, and forestry equipment offering a range of work tool attachments compatible with its excavator and wheel loader base. Komatsu PC200/PC300 mounting hardware is referenced explicitly in KBI's product line, indicating direct customer overlap with KBI's North American end market.
- Terex Corporation: Global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, including screening and crushing product lines (Terex Finlay, EvoQuip). While broader than KBI, Terex overlaps in the screening/crushing attachment and equipment space across the same contractor and construction end markets.
- Caterpillar Inc. Largest manufacturer of construction, mining, and heavy equipment globally, offering numerous work tool attachments including buckets and material-handling tools through Cat Work Tools. Competes with KBI-supplied attachments and shares the same contractor, municipal, and aggregate customer base.
- Astec Industries: US-listed manufacturer of equipment for aggregate processing, including crushing and screening machinery. While broader and more vertically integrated than KBI, Astec targets many of the same mid-market and large contractor customers buying screening and crushing solutions for site prep, recycling, and aggregate applications.
- Sandvik AB: Swedish industrial group with a major Mining and Rock Solutions division supplying drilling, crushing, and screening equipment to mining and construction customers. KBI's Rockwheel mine scaling applications overlap with Sandvik's mining equipment portfolio, and the larger mining and quarrying customer base overlaps with KBI's earthwork contractor segments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ken Burns social profiles
Digital presenceKen Burns financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ken Burns leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Ken Burns funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ken Burns M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ken Burns
What does Ken Burns do?
Ken Burns Inc distributes Vipermetal screening buckets, MB Crusher crushing buckets, and Rockwheel drum cutters for attachment to skid steers, wheel loaders, and excavators. The company operates as the exclusive North American Warehouse and Distribution Center for Vipermetal screening buckets and also sells used equipment and compatible mounting hardware for various heavy equipment brands.
Is Ken Burns a public or private company?
Ken Burns is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ken Burns founded?
Ken Burns was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Ken Burns based?
Ken Burns is headquartered in Manchester, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ken Burns make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are used Equipment Sales.
Who are Ken Burns's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ALLU, McCloskey International, Powerscreen, Screen Machine Industries and REMU Oy. Broad incumbents are Komatsu Ltd., Terex Corporation, Caterpillar Inc., Astec Industries and Sandvik AB.
Does Ken Burns have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ken Burns.
What industry is Ken Burns in?
Ken Burns's product category is Heavy Equipment Attachments Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKANAA, Surface Mining Equipment (Excavators, Shovels, Draglines, Dozers). Its NAICS code is 333131 and its SIC code is 5082.