K-Tec and Ashland acquire Metalcraft Scrapers

K-Tec Earthmovers and Ashland Industries have announced the acquisition of Metalcraft of GA Inc., a heavy equipment manufacturer that commits itself to providing innovative and quality products at a competitive price.

This acquisition provides a facility presence in Southeastern US, along with expanded product offerings from the Metalcraft brand. The Metalcraft facility, located in Louisville, Georgia, 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.

Randy Rust, Mike Palitsky and Dayton Ratzlaff

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.

According to K-Tec and Ashland, this addition to the K.A. Group will capitalize on organizational efficiencies, which includes an increase in production capability and, subsequently, shorter ordering lead times. Also, the K.A. Group seeks to implement practices across organizations that will enhance 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. 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,” says Mike Palitsky, president & CEO of K.A. Group. “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,” explains Dayton Ratzlaff, founder of Metalcraft. “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.”