Ken Burns

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.

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

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

• Screening buckets
• Crushing buckets
• Heavy equipment attachments
• Excavator attachments
• Skid steer attachments

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Used Equipment Sales: Sale of pre-owned and trade-in screening and crushing equipment through the company's inventory listings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• VipermetalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKen 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 CrushercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKen 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 RockwheelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKen 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 EquipmentregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional 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 RepairregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional dealer for Ken Burns Inc products, operated by Chase Wiles, located in Omaha, Nebraska. Serves the Nebraska region with sales and support.
• Holland EquipmentregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional 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 TexasregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/KenBurnsinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/kenburnsinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ken-burns-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Ken Burns