K-Tec and Ashland acquire Metalcraft Scrapers

The K.A. Group, the owners and management of K-Tec Earthmovers and Ashland Industries, announced it will acquire Metalcraft Scrapers, a manufacturer of earthmoving scrapers and accessory products.

The Louisville, Georgia-based Metalcraft will remain under the management of Dayton Ratzlaff, who founded the business in 2004.

K.A. Group owner Kinperium Industries says it will continue to invest in the 26,000-square-foot Georgia facility to support new product development and increased operational efficiencies across the organization, including shorter ordering lead times, enhanced product design, purchasing synergies, servicing support and company culture.

“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,” said Mike Palitsky, K.A. Group president and CEO. “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.”

“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,” says Ratzlaff.

K-Tec and Ashland merged in 2020 and were acquired by Kinperium Industries in January 2022. All three brands will join together as part of the K.A. Group. Financial details of the transactions were not disclosed.