Kapco Metal Stamping Inc. has become a trusted supplier of parts to the recreational vehicle sector, agricultural product companies, the military, industrial businesses, and many others. Its parts are found in everything from snowblowers to ATVs and motorcycles…
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From tiny washers that cost a few pennies to eight-by-twelve-foot vehicle frames that sell for thousands of dollars and have multiple components and weldments, Kapco is about metal stamping and a great deal more.
Kapco is a trusted and highly experienced supplier selling products across the entire United States and producing an average of 150,000 parts every single day. The one hundred percent family-owned and operated business is proud to continue its tradition of quality, on-time, within-budget delivery of its products that are made to exacting client specifications. The company has grown to include seven manufacturing and distribution locations, with a highly skilled and dedicated staff of approximately 475.
While working for other companies in the metal stamping business, Tom Kacmarcik Sr. envisioned creating a business of his own. Kacmarcik opened Kapco, Inc. in Grafton, Wisconsin in 1972 and founded it on hard work, dedication and a dream. He started small; Tom’s first employee was his wife Josephine, who worked at the company stamping metal parts.
It soon gained a reputation for the quality of its work and timeliness of product delivery. Kapco added more services and outgrew its space, relocating to its current facilities on Badger Circle in Grafton in 1999. Today, under the leadership of Tom’s son, Jim Kacmarcik, Kapco continues to grow, providing an impressive range of services. Some things, however, have remained the same: the company’s dedication to supplying customers with high-quality metal products and generously giving back to the community.
Jim and his siblings helped their parents whenever possible, including weekends and summer vacations, gaining considerable experience over the years. Jim Kacmarcik is now President of Kapco Metal Stamping and has expertly steered the company through both good and challenging economic times. “Jim has done a great job of growing the business in a very difficult climate,” says Dean Rennicke, vice president of marketing for Kapco.
The company offers clients highly effective and cost-efficient stamping solutions, and its seasoned staff have the necessary skill sets in metal stamping, welding, fabrication, CNC and machining to meet every challenge. Kapco’s customers can take advantage of a variety of professional services, from metal stamping, custom fabrication and tube fabrication to production welding, tool and die work, machining, and painting.
To keep up with the demanding needs of manufacturing, Kapco has made strategic investments in the latest available equipment, including fiber and flat-sheet lasers, quick electric press brakes, and turrets. It now has all the necessary equipment: thirty to one-thousand-ton presses; sixty multiple-sized presses capable of running coil up to sixty inches wide by .312 inch thick; link motion technology; and Smartpack control systems supported progressive tooling and deep draw capabilities. With these state-of-the-art machines, it is well equipped to meet all fabrication needs, from prototyping and short runs to the production of multiple custom-made units with extremely tight tolerances.
“Our main goal is production volume manufacturing, but we know we also have to assist with prototypes in order to win that work and we are happy to help our customers bring their product to market as quickly as possible,” says Hani Malek, the company’s vice president of corporate development.
Additionally, Kapco creates turnkey solutions for tube fabrication. Through the use of the latest CNC bending technology and precision lasers, the company provides rudimentary to highly complex bending work, sizing, sawing, and deburring. It has the capabilities to cut all metals and styles of tubing (to a five-inch square window).
The company’s experienced, state-certified welders with the right tools – including programmable robotic welding – handle TIG, MIG, and other types of welding in any shape, size, or quantity. Kapco uses a combination of fifteen robotic welding cells and thirty manual welding cells to deliver the best possible results every time.
The company operates an in-house tool and die facility, where a team of journeymen, apprentices, and machinists perform everything from initial design stages to production runs. “We have built a division comprised of highly skilled people who live and breathe the processes,” states the company. “This has proven to be a key differentiator for Kapco as we can cost-effectively produce precision parts directly to customers or as parts of fabrications. From turning, drilling, and milling to shaping and boring, we can handle your project’s requirements.”
For accurate shaping and sizing, ISO 9001:2008 certified Kapco boasts an array of capabilities and specialized equipment, including the ability to design and construct fixtures, four Swiss turning centers, and six vertical machine centers. To safeguard against wear and corrosion, Kapco employs protective techniques, including wet painting and electrocoating – with a specialty in high-heat painting and Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC) – to protect customer investments.
The company proudly forms partnerships with high schools, local trade schools, vocational schools, and community programs like Workforce 2020 to attract new talent to the metal stamping industry. It formed Kapco University to help its staff achieve their goals and be the best they can be. Kapco University is the brainchild of Jim Kacmarcik, who envisioned ways in which employees could learn more about not only the business of metal stamping and fabrication, but wide-ranging subjects such as health, fitness, and personal finance.
“With the skills gap that you see and hear so much about, we are no different than many other manufacturers,” states Malek. “It is very difficult to find both skilled and non-skilled employees, so we are developing our own talent.” Kapco University has a dean and three academies, which cover training to existing employees and new hires, life skills, coaching, and training for those wanting to become involved in the company’s numerous philanthropic activities.
Kapco gives back to the community. Neil Willenson, the company’s vice president of community relations, raises and distributes grants to numerous charities. He co-founded Camp Hometown Heroes, a summer camp ‘that provides healing and hope for children of fallen U.S. service members’. The camp, now in its fourth year, is entirely free (fees are paid by the foundation). It had 140 children come to camp last year, with some coming from as far away as Hawaii
“Jim has a very philanthropic heart,” says Rennicke. “He doesn’t want people just to donate money, but roll up their sleeves and actively get involved in volunteering. That is one of his many missions: to connect people to people who are in need.”
Kapco is the winner of numerous accolades, including the Wisconsin Business Achievement Award for 2014 and is widely acknowledged for not only its skill sets as an industry leader, but its desire to give back to the community through its various companies. Steadily growing over the years, Kapco has expanded its facilities from about 63,000 square feet in 1972 to its present size of over 600,000 square feet.
“We are proud to be, and have every intention of staying, a ‘Made in the USA’ company,” says Malek. “We want to expand, in terms of manufacturing capabilities, through the investment in new technologies and, most importantly, add to our success through the investment in our great people.”
