K-Tec Earthmovers and Ashland Industries announced the acquisition of Metalcraft of GA, Inc. Metalcraft is a heavy equipment manufacturer that is committed to providing innovative and quality products at a competitive price.
This acquisition provides a facility presence in the Southeastern United States along with expanded product offerings from the well-respected Metalcraft brand. The Metalcraft facility, located in Louisville, Ga., will keep its operations under the management of founder Dayton Ratzlaff who will continue to play an important role in the growth of the Metalcraft business.
K-Tec, Ashland and Metalcraft are all manufacturers of earthmoving scrapers and accessory products serving the construction, mining and agriculture markets. Joined together, all three brands are part of the K.A. Group.
This addition to the K.A. Group will capitalize on organizational efficiencies including: shorter ordering lead times, as production capabilities are increased; implementing industry-best practices across organizations for enhanced product design, purchasing synergies, servicing support, and company culture.
K.A. Group President and CEO Mike Palitsky said, “Metalcraft is an impressive organization that has developed a niche in the earthmoving industry. The company has a culture of hardworking and humble experts that mesh seamlessly with our family values in our existing Canadian and Wisconsin locations. They have a proven track record of bringing innovative solutions to the market that perfectly complement the breadth of our existing earthmoving product line offerings to the construction, mining, and agriculture markets. I want to reassure Metalcraft dealers and customers that we are committed to retaining the Metalcraft brand and existing product offerings.”
Metalcraft founder Dayton Ratzlaff said, “We are excited to join the K.A. Group family in this next chapter of Metalcraft’s story. We see great advantages for our operations to build machines faster to match the high-demand for our products. I look forward to accessing this new corporate horsepower to allow our Georgia team to focus on our manufacturing strengths and continue building our innovative equipment at exceptional value for earthmovers around the world.”