kerf waterjet

What kerf waterjet does

Kerf Waterjet is a privately held US contract manufacturer founded in 1999 by David Kleinfelder and headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. The firm operates a single core service: custom abrasive waterjet cutting of industrial and decorative materials including steel, aluminum, titanium, brass, copper, alloys, plastics, glass, rubber, stone, wood, and gaskets. It has held ISO 9001:2015 certification continuously since 2007.

The business is run as a single-site job shop with one core product, custom waterjet cutting, priced on a per-project quote basis. Its go-to-market is direct-to-customer inbound: prospective clients reach the company by phone (937-254-9711) or email ([email protected]) for project-specific quotes. There is no disclosed reseller, marketplace, or channel partner model; no app, API, or software product; and no presence on major social platforms. The firm targets industrial manufacturers and machining operations requiring precision cutting without heat-affected zones, and its marketing footprint is limited to a corporate website.

In 2022, Chad Priest, who had been with the company since 2007, was elevated to President, formalizing a leadership transition from the founder. The company has no disclosed external capital, no parent company, no subsidiaries, no patents or trademarks on record, and no headcount figures available. Ownership appears closely held by the founder and President, and the firm has remained in continuous operation for 25+ years.

Name

kerf waterjet

Legal name

Kerf Waterjet

Website

https://kerfwaterjet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kerf Waterjet is a Dayton, Ohio-based contract manufacturer founded in 1999 that provides custom abrasive waterjet cutting services for metals, plastics, glass, stone, wood, and other industrial materials, serving manufacturers and machining operations via direct inbound quote requests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Cutting Services

SIC

Sheet Metal Work (3444)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAHADAD

Sheet Metal Machinery (Laser/Plasma/Waterjet Cutting, Punching)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Machine Tools & Metalworking Equipment

Keywords

• Abrasive waterjet cutting
• Precision metal cutting
• Custom waterjet services
• Industrial machining services
• Material fabrication services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Waterjet Cutting Services: Service-based revenue from custom waterjet cutting projects. Customers pay for precision cutting services on materials including steel, aluminum, titanium, plastics, glass, rubber, stone, wood, brass, copper, and gaskets based on project specifications and material requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Kerf Waterjet provides custom abrasive waterjet cutting services for industrial materials including steel, aluminum, titanium, plastics, alloys, glass, rubber, stone, wood, brass, copper, and gaskets. The service supports precision machining, custom fabrication, and prototyping for manufacturers and machining operations, performing cold cutting without heat-affected zones.

Product overview

Kerf Waterjet operates as a single-service custom waterjet cutting provider, offering precision abrasive waterjet cutting for a wide range of industrial materials. Founded in 1999 by David Kleinfelder, the company provides custom cutting services for materials including Steel, Aluminum, Titanium, Plastics, Alloys, Glass, Rubber, Stone, Wood, Brass, Copper, and Gaskets. The core offering is their Custom Waterjet Cutting service, which serves diverse machining needs across multiple industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Waterjet Cutting Professional custom abrasive waterjet cutting services for precision machining of steel, aluminum, titanium, plastics, alloys, glass, rubber, stone, wood, brass, copper, and gaskets. Supports custom fabrication and prototyping for industrial manufacturers and machining operations. The cold cutting process produces no heat-affected zones.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Broad incumbents

• OMAX Corporation: A leading U.S. manufacturer of abrasive waterjet machines headquartered in Kent, Washington. Comparable because OMAX both sells equipment and operates an in-house waterjet cutting services bureau, overlapping directly with Kerf's abrasive waterjet cutting capability.
• Shape Technologies Group (formerly Flow International): Global leader in waterjet technology and ultra-high-pressure pumps, with roots in Flow International. Comparable as a broad incumbent in waterjet cutting whose technology underpins the same abrasive cutting process Kerf Waterjet performs for customers.
• ESAB Corporation: Global manufacturer of welding and cutting equipment, including waterjet and plasma systems. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose cutting equipment and consumables compete in the same industrial cutting ecosystem where Kerf Waterjet operates.
• Bystronic: International supplier of sheet metal processing equipment and services, including laser and waterjet cutting systems. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving the same precision sheet-metal cutting customers Kerf Waterjet targets.
• KMT Waterjet Systems (Shape Technologies): Manufacturer of ultra-high-pressure pumps and waterjet cutting systems. Comparable as a broad incumbent supplying the core pump technology that powers abrasive waterjet machines like those used by Kerf Waterjet.

Direct peers

• Jet Edge Inc. U.S.-based manufacturer of waterjet cutting systems that also offers precision waterjet cutting services. Directly comparable as a provider of custom abrasive waterjet cutting across metals and other industrial materials.
• WARDJet: Ohio-based custom waterjet cutting solutions provider and equipment manufacturer. Directly comparable to Kerf Waterjet as a regional custom abrasive waterjet cutting service operating in similar end-markets.
• Midwest Waterjet: U.S. custom waterjet cutting service bureau serving industrial customers with precision abrasive cutting. Comparable to Kerf Waterjet in offering job-shop-style waterjet services across a range of materials.
• Precision Waterjet: Custom abrasive waterjet cutting service bureau focused on tight-tolerance industrial parts. Directly comparable to Kerf Waterjet as a similarly positioned custom cutting services provider.
• All Waterjet: U.S. custom abrasive waterjet cutting services provider serving industrial customers with multi-material cutting. Comparable to Kerf Waterjet as a similarly positioned custom job shop offering abrasive waterjet services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 kerf waterjet