Missouri Equipment Company

What Missouri Equipment Company does

Missouri Equipment Company, operating under the brand USA Custom Stainless, is a fourth-generation, family-owned custom stainless steel fabricator headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1946 (with roots dating to the 1920s and a wartime shutdown), the company produces custom-fabricated stainless steel and 20-10 gauge steel products for three primary segments: commercial kitchens (restaurants, hotels, food service), hospitals and healthcare facilities, and government agencies (US Navy via Trident Maritime Systems, CDC, and state prisons and veteran homes), with a secondary consumer product line for residential installations. The production stack spans in-house 3D design and CAD drafting (Alphacam, Solidworks, TruTops), precision cutting equipment (Trumpf 200R CNC punches, Cincinnati and supporting shears, plasma arc cutters), CNC press brakes with numerically controlled back gauges, 9 welding stations including 3 automatic seam welders, and 7 polishing stations, all housed in a 23,000+ sq ft facility built up through 1953 and 1976 expansions.

The business model is project-based, quote-driven custom manufacturing with a 1-2 day quote turnaround. Go-to-market is direct sales via phone, email, and an online quote request form, with a dedicated sales/estimator (Eddie Grossman) supporting both commercial and consumer customers. Pricing is unit-based and quote-specific, with no publicly disclosed tiers; a secondary closeout/demo product line provides discounted one-time inventory sales. Customer concentration is mixed across enterprise (Allied Healthcare Products, US Navy, CDC), government, and long-tail commercial and consumer accounts. The company emphasizes domestic sourcing as a risk-mitigation value proposition against overseas manufacturing, and is a certified women-owned business with membership in the Missouri Association of Manufacturers. Leadership transitioned to the 4th generation of the Klapp family in April 2020, with Charles Klapp as President and Kate Sanders actively managing operations.

Name

Missouri Equipment Company

Legal name

Missouri Equipment Company

Website

https://usacustomstainless.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Missouri Equipment Company (dba USA Custom Stainless) is a fourth-generation, family-owned custom stainless steel fabrication shop in St. Louis, Missouri, serving commercial kitchens, hospitals, government agencies, and residential customers with made-in-USA custom metal products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Stainless Steel Fabrication

NAICS

Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310), Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (33324)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping) (IMAHADAC)

Keywords

• Custom metal fabrication
• Stainless steel manufacturing
• Commercial kitchen equipment
• Sheet metal fabrication
• Precision CNC machining

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Louis

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Stainless Steel Fabrication: One-time transaction-based revenue from custom fabrication of stainless steel products. Customers submit designs or concepts, receive quotes, and pay upon delivery of finished products. Suitable for any quantity from single custom pieces to large production runs.
2. Closeout/Floor Model Products: Sale of demo and floor model products at discounted prices. One-time transaction sales of excess inventory items including sinks, cabinets, counters, and shelving units.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Missouri Equipment Company is a custom stainless steel fabrication manufacturer producing commercial kitchen equipment, hospital/medical stainless steel products, and residential stainless steel installations from its St. Louis, MO facility. The company works with 20-10 gauge steel and stainless steel, handling any quantity from single custom pieces to large production runs, and also sells closeout/demo floor models at discounted prices.

Product overview

Missouri Equipment Company (dba USA Custom Stainless) is a fourth-generation, women-owned custom stainless steel fabrication company founded in 1946. The company operates as a single unified custom fabrication service rather than a platform architecture. Its core offering is custom stainless steel product fabrication, which spans multiple product lines: Commercial Kitchen Products (food preparation equipment, cooking/baking, serving stations, and dishwashing); Hospital/Medical Stainless Steel Products (sinks and surfaces for healthcare); and Consumer Home Products (counters, tables, cabinets for residential use). The company also offers Closeout/Demo Products for discounted purchasing. All products are made in the USA at their St. Louis, MO facility using modern machinery including CNC punch presses, press brakes, welding stations, and CAD design systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Stainless Steel Fabrication

Quantifiable outcome

• Quote turnaround in 1-2 days
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

One partnership is on record.

• Missouri Association of ManufacturersminorOthersMembership organization supporting Missouri manufacturers. Missouri Equipment Company is a proud member, with employee Kate Sanders participating in industry events including Women Working in Manufacturing Day at the Capitol.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hoshizaki America: Hoshizaki is a leading commercial refrigeration and ice equipment maker, with stainless equipment lines reaching commercial kitchens and healthcare. Adjacent, incumbent comparator in foodservice/hospital stainless equipment markets.
• Winco Industries: Winco manufactures commercial foodservice smallwares and stainless equipment for restaurants and caterers. Comparable US-based stainless equipment supplier serving similar commercial kitchen end customers with broader catalog.
• True Food Service Equipment: True Manufacturing is a large US-based commercial refrigeration and foodservice stainless equipment maker. Same domestic foodservice positioning as Missouri Equipment, though focused on refrigeration and at significantly larger scale.
• Standex International: Standex is a diversified industrial manufacturer with custom metal fabrication capabilities serving food service, hydraulics, and industrial customers. Comparable in fabrication technology but much larger and broader portfolio than Missouri Equipment.
• Middleby Corporation: Middleby is the largest US commercial foodservice equipment manufacturer, including stainless fabrication across cooking, refrigeration, and warewashing. Provides a benchmark for scale achievable within the same end markets Missouri Equipment serves.

Direct peers

• Advance Tabco: Advance Tabco is one of the largest US manufacturers of stainless steel commercial kitchen equipment (prep tables, sinks, dishwashing systems). Competes head-to-head with Missouri Equipment in the same foodservice fabrication niche with overlapping product lines.
• Vollrath Company: Vollrath manufactures stainless steel and metal foodservice equipment, smallwares, and custom fabrications for commercial kitchens and institutions. Overlaps Missouri Equipment's commercial kitchen product line and quote-based B2B sales motion.
• Eagle Group: Eagle Group manufactures stainless steel foodservice equipment (tables, sinks, shelving, custom fabrications) for restaurants, healthcare, and schools. Most directly comparable to Missouri Equipment in stainless commercial kitchen and custom fabrication serving similar end markets.
• Maysteel Industries: Maysteel produces custom precision sheet metal fabricated products and enclosures using CNC and laser equipment for OEMs across industrial and commercial sectors. Comparable custom metal fabrication technology and customer profile (B2B/enterprise OEMs) to Missouri Equipment.
• New Star Metals: New Star Metals is a custom sheet metal fabricator offering cutting, bending, welding, and finishing across stainless and carbon steel. Closely comparable custom fabrication services, equipment base, and small-shop operating model to Missouri Equipment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/missouri-equipment-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Missouri Equipment Company