CK Technologies Celebrates 10 Years of Growth in Commercial Truck and Bus Market

MONTPELIER, Ohio, April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CK Technologies, LLC (CKT), a leading supplier to the commercial truck and bus industry and a unit of Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Cascade Engineering, celebrates its ten-year anniversary today.

"CKT's 10th anniversary is an important milestone, and the rapid growth we have experienced is a testament to the commitment and tenacity put forth by every CKT associate, as well as the strength of the partnerships we have forged with each CKT customer," said CKT President Mark Miller. "It is truly remarkable to consider the pace and extent of CKT's evolution from our founding operations to the high-complexity product manufacturing capability we have today."

Throughout the past decade, CKT has maintained a singular focus on the commercial truck and bus (CT&B) market while cultivating exceptional customer intimacy.  In addition to providing co-located resources, CKT has built an extensive manufacturing footprint that specifically accommodates the geographic distribution of its expanding customer base.  In addition, the Company has continued to develop an expanding array of innovative solutions to help its customers gain market advantage.

These factors have contributed directly to CKT's strong track record of growth.  In 2002, CKT was a one-plant operation; today it operates five facilities in four states and Mexico.  The Company has increased its total square footage capacity nearly five-fold and grown its team from 60 employees to more than 500.  Along the way, CKT has won industry recognition as a trendsetting organization distinguished by the creativity, quality and breadth of its product offering.

CKT's many "industry firsts" illustrate the breadth of this innovation:

• First to offer large chrome-over-plastic grilles
• First to offer an all-plastic bumper in the Class 4/5 market
• First to offer an all-plastic bumper in the Class 8 market
• First to offer molded-in color bumpers and chassis fairings
• Expert in providing engineering solutions that lead to significant cost and weight reductions
• Developed in-line vehicle sequencing of exterior products, with a body color paint capacity exceeding 15,000 colors

"Our core philosophy of hiring smart, hungry and humble people, along with our strategic investment in processes and technology is clearly displayed in the innovative, highly decorative CKT content found on virtually all major OEM heavy trucks in the United States today," added Miller.  "We are proud of what our dedicated CKT team has accomplished, deeply value the confidence our customers place in CKT, and look forward with anticipation to sharing with our partners the additional, impressive strides CKT plans to take in the 10 years to come."

About CK Technologies

CK Technologies (CKT) is a leader in providing innovative truck solutions to the commercial truck and bus (CT&B) industry through engineered plastic systems that deliver cost and weight savings aimed at all three major areas of the vehicle:  exterior, interior and functional/structural.  The Company was founded in 2002 when CKT recognized a strategic opportunity to position itself as a highly focused Tier 1 supplier of choice specific to the CT&B market.  CKT specializes in low-volume, high-variety injection molding, assembly, chrome, and base/clear paint finishing, with locations in Ohio, North Carolina, Texas, Michigan and Mexico.  Like the other business units in the Cascade Engineering family of companies (www.cascadeng.com), CKT has made sustainability the heart of everything it does – from business strategy to product development and commercialization.  CKT is a "triple bottom line" company guided by a strong focus on growth as well as the understanding that business can play a key role in making a positive environmental and social impact.  For more information, visit the company's website at www.cktech.biz.

SOURCE CK Technologies