Ken-ton Electronics

What Ken-ton Electronics does

Ken-Ton Electronics Inc. is a privately held US electronics design and small-batch contract manufacturer founded in 1990 and headquartered in Buffalo, New York (11-50 employees). The firm specializes in the innovative design and development of printed circuit board assemblies for both OEM partners and its own branded products, with the stated mission of using novel designs to compete with foreign imports and enable domestic manufacturing.

The company's product portfolio spans five core lines: QPC Water Units (precision temperature and machine controllers for plastic injection molding using adaptive/predictive algorithms and high-precision A/D conversion, with thousands of units deployed at major US manufacturers); Super Chexx arcade hockey electronics (a 1989 re-design that reduced component count by 127 and weight by 67 lbs); LT-11 Lasertron laser tag electronics (a 30+ year partnership with Lasertron supporting 10,000+ packs in operation worldwide); the B100 Buffalo Pellet Stove (a fully USA-made consumer heating product with up to 50% fuel reduction, metalwork sourced from Snyder Mfg in Salamanca NY); and the KTELED line of LED fluorescent tube replacements (50,000+ hour rated, occupancy-sensor compatible, with professional installation and a five-year warranty).

Ken-ton operates a B2B OEM model for industrial and entertainment customers (direct sales, custom design, single Buffalo facility for assembly and warranty) while selectively extending into direct-to-customer channels: the B100 pellet stove is marketed through Buffalo Pellet Stoves as a channel partner, and KTELED tubes are sold and installed by Ken-ton's own crew in Western New York commercial facilities. Revenue is generated through hardware sales and professional installation services; no external funding has been raised, and the firm appears to be founder/family-owned.

Name

Ken-ton Electronics

Legal name

Ken-Ton Electronics Inc.

Website

https://ken-ton.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ken-Ton Electronics is a privately held Buffalo, NY electronics design and small-batch contract manufacturer (founded 1990) producing precision temperature controllers, pellet stove electronics, arcade and laser tag systems, and LED tube replacements for industrial, consumer, and entertainment customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Electronics Design and Manufacturing

NAICS

Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (3344), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)

SIC

Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Electronic Components, Nec (3679), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial PCB & Substrate Components (Bare PCBs, rigid-flex, ceramic substrates, thick-film) (IMAGAJAM)

Keywords

• Electronic circuit design
• Industrial temperature controllers
• LED lighting systems
• Electronic contract manufacturing
• Pellet stove controls

Headquarters

HQ city

Sherman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Products: Sale of manufactured electronic products including QPC temperature controllers, LED lighting systems, and related electronic assemblies
2. Professional Installation Services: Professional installation services for LED tubes offered as part of product deployment

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Ken-ton Electronics designs, develops, and manufactures proprietary electronic circuits and finished electronic products at its Buffalo NY facility. Core offerings include the QPC temperature and machine controller for plastic injection molding, LED fluorescent tube replacements with professional installation, B100 Buffalo Pellet Stove electronic controls, re-designed Super Chexx arcade hockey electronics, and LT-11 Lasertron laser-tag system assemblies. The company emphasizes high-reliability, low-cost American-made alternatives to foreign imports.

Product overview

Ken-ton Electronics is a hardware design and manufacturing company offering a portfolio of specialized electronic products across multiple vertical markets. The company produces temperature control systems (QPC Water Units) for industrial manufacturing, consumer heating products (Buffalo Pellet Stove), arcade gaming electronics (Super Chexx), laser-tag system electronics (LT 11 Lasertron), and LED lighting solutions (LED tube replacements). All products are designed, manufactured, and warranted at their Buffalo NY facility, emphasizing domestic manufacturing as a competitive advantage against foreign imports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• QPC Water Units Temperature and machine controller designed to maintain 1/4-degree head temperature precision in large plastic injection molding machines. Uses adaptive/predictive algorithms and precision A/D implementation. Manufactured and warranted in Buffalo NY, with thousands of units in operation by major US manufacturers.
• LED Fluorescent Tube Replacement LED tube lights designed as direct replacements for fluorescent tubes, featuring 50,000+ hour lifespan, soft-start driver protection, dimmable capability, occupancy sensor compatibility, 4000k-4500k CCT, CE and RoHS certification, available in 3', 4', and 5' lengths with a five-year warranty. Professional installation is offered.
• B100 Buffalo Pellet Stove Electronics Advanced pellet stove electronic controls featuring a temperature-based feed system that provides heat to homes while consuming up to 50% less fuel than traditional pellet stoves. Electronics completely designed and assembled by Ken-ton at the Buffalo facility, with metalwork from Snyder Mfg in Salamanca NY; a completely USA-made product sold via Buffalo Pellet Stoves channel partner.
• Super Chexx Electronics (OEM Design) Re-designed electronics for the Super Chexx Hockey arcade game. Ken-ton reduced components by 127 and electronics weight by 67 lbs, creating a single-board processor with integral power supply. Delivered 2000 sets with only one failure recorded in 2 years of operation; ICE later assumed turnkey assembly with reported sales of 20,000 units per year.
• LT-11 Lasertron Electronic Assemblies Electronic assemblies designed, assembled, and tested for the LaserTron LT-11 laser-tag system. Over 10,000 packs operate 364 days a year worldwide, with all components assembled and tested at Ken-ton's Buffalo NY facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% less fuel consumption compared to traditional pellet stoves
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lasertron (Jim Kessler)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Since 1990, Ken-ton has designed, assembled, and tested all electronic assemblies for the LaserTron LT-11 laser tag system. Owner Jim Kessler and Ken-ton share the philosophy that quality and reliability ahead of overall cost is the formula for success. Over 10,000 packs operate worldwide 364 days per year.
• ICE (Super Chexx)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 1989Ken-ton was contracted in 1989 to re-design electronics for the Super Chexx Hockey game. After delivering 2000 sets of electronics, ICE took over complete assembly and manufacturing as a turnkey system designed by Ken-ton. Only one failure was recorded during Ken-ton's 2-year involvement period.
• Snyder Manufacturing PlantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSnyder Mfg Plant in Salamanca NY produces all metalwork components for the Buffalo Pellet Stove product line. This partnership enables completely USA-made pellet stove production, with Ken-ton designing and assembling all electronics at their Buffalo facility.
• Buffalo Pellet StovescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBuffalo Pellet Stove is a separate entity that markets and sells the B100 Buffalo Pellet Stove, the product Ken-ton designed and for which they manufacture the electronics. Electronics are completely designed and assembled by Ken-ton at their Buffalo facility.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• IEC Electronics: Smaller US-based EMS firm focused on industrial, aerospace, defense, and medical electronics assembly with in-house engineering and prototyping. Most directly comparable US-listed small-cap EMS peer given Ken-ton's product complexity, low volume, and vertical mix.
• Creation Technologies: Mid-size North American EMS provider with end-to-end design, prototyping, and manufacturing across industrial, medical, and aerospace customers. Comparable specialty EMS peer serving similar low-to-mid volume industrial customers.
• Watlow Electric: US-based manufacturer of industrial heaters, temperature sensors, controllers, and thermal systems used in plastics, packaging, and process industries. Most product-overlap comparable peer to Ken-ton's QPC temperature and machine controller line for plastic injection molding.
• Chromalox: Established industrial heating, temperature control, and power solutions manufacturer with deep presence in process heating and plastics processing. Comparable to Ken-ton's QPC industrial temperature control line and pellet-stove heating electronics.
• Kimball Electronics: Mid-size US-based EMS company specializing in design services, engineering, and manufacturing for industrial, automotive, and medical applications. Highly comparable mid-market US alternative to Ken-ton's Buffalo-based electronics design and assembly operation.
• Benchmark Electronics: Mid-size US-headquartered EMS provider delivering design, engineering, and manufacturing services to industrial, medical, aerospace, and computing customers. Closest scale-comparable peer to Ken-ton's ODM-style US contract manufacturing model.

Broad incumbents

• Jabil: One of the largest global EMS companies with capabilities spanning design, engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain across industrial, commercial, and consumer electronics. Most directly comparable at the contract-electronics-manufacturing layer where Ken-ton operates, though with far broader vertical reach.
• Flex Ltd: Global EMS and ODM firm providing design, manufacturing, assembly, and logistics across multiple electronics-heavy verticals. Comparable to Ken-ton's end-to-end design-to-ship electronic contract services model and broad vertical coverage.
• Sanmina Corporation: Global EMS provider that designs and manufactures electronic and mechanical products across industrial, medical, aerospace, and communications verticals. Comparable to Ken-ton as a US-based end-to-end electronics design and contract manufacturing services firm, though operating at vastly larger scale.

Emerging players

• MacroFab: Cloud-based PCB assembly and electronics contract manufacturing platform targeting low-to-mid volume customers with rapid prototyping needs. Adjacent emerging peer serving the same long-tail OEM customers that look to contract shops like Ken-ton for custom electronics manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/premier-prints-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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-ton Electronics