Kraft Tool

Ron Meyer and his partner Si Kraft started Kraft Tool Co. in September of 1981. Before that, they worked together for another tool company, where Ron was a national sales manager and Si was a director of marketing, but they just weren’t satisfied with how the business operated.

Both Ron and Si were underwhelmed with lead times, and product quality wasn’t up to their standards, so Kraft Tool was born from a desire to do better for their customers. “When you're working for another company, you do things like they want you to do,” says Ron. “And we decided that, when we started Kraft Tool, we were going to do it our way.”

Their “way” was to manufacture the best professional hand tools and provide top-notch service to their customers. “Back then, we wanted to come out and produce a quality tool at a decent, fair price. And we service the heck out of you,” Ron says.

That business mentality earned them steady growth. Early operations were housed in a 10,000-square-foot building, and, today, Kraft Tool has a 225,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility. Their footprint is wide, as well, selling in all 50 states and 63 foreign countries.

Over the years, Ron and Si were honest with themselves about the amount of business they could reasonably take on. Ron attributes that to their success. “That’s the worst thing you can do,” he says. “A customer asks you to do something, and you say, ‘Oh, I'm going to do it,’ and then you find out you can't.”

After Si’s death in 1990, Ron took on the business himself. “It brings a little tear,” he says. “It was just a heck of a lot of fun with him.”

In 2014, Ron’s son, Ryan, joined Kraft Tool. “He grew up in this business, so he's very familiar with it,” Ron says proudly.

“My dad, he's a hard worker,” says Ryan. “He sacrificed a lot to build this company. He would outwork anybody. So it was kind of instilled in me and still sticks to me to this day.”

Like his father, Ryan approaches business with a focus on creating honest, long-lasting relationships. “We are very loyal,” he says. “And I think it stems from our relationship with INTRUST. We've been with them for 20 years, and I think what I've learned along the years is loyalty is important.”

Like many businesses across the country in 2008 during The Great Recession, Kraft Tool faced tough decisions. "It's the only time I've ever laid off any people," Ron recalls. "It was the hardest thing I'd ever done. Our volume went in half, and at that time, you know, it was tough."

He says INTRUST's support during that time was critical. "They were willing to take a chance on us," he says. "They've got my back, and that means a lot." Though it took a couple of years for the business to recover, Kraft Tool has experienced growth every year since.

“Over the years, I can say we've had a lot of good people,” says Ron. “And you never get to where Kraft Tool is today without a lot of people helping you along the way.”

“INTRUST has always been there for me,” he continues, “and I've remembered that ever since. We've had chances to go elsewhere, but they've always come through for us, and I can't say enough about them.”

“We’ve enjoyed working with them,” agrees Ryan. “Great people work for INTRUST. They’ve been a great partner for us over the years. I can’t express enough of how important it is for the growth of our company, as well.”

The company is currently in the process of expanding its operations by another 75,000 square feet. "The future looks bright at Kraft," Ryan says. "We've been able to build a great reputation in the marketplace. As we go into the future, we want to grow this business to even greater heights."