K-D Mfg

K‑D Manufacturing: from a home workshop to global `groups` The company began in 1918 as a partnership between inventors Harry W. Kulp and Martin C. Dellinger, who were developing a new type of valve lifter. By 1919, the prototype was ready and production started in a home workshop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. K‑D remained independent through the 1970s, then moved through a series of industry consolidations:

• Late 1980s: K‑D joined EASCO, owner of Moore Drop Forging and a major Craftsman tools contract.
• 1990: After EASCO was acquired, Danaher Group added K‑D to its portfolio alongside Matco and Armstrong.
• 2010: Most Danaher tool brands (except Matco) were combined with Cooper Industries’ tool operations to form the Apex Tool Group joint venture.
• Later, Apex Tool Group was sold to a private equity holding company and continues to operate today.

K‑D’s story is the evolution of an engineering idea into a resilient tools business that adapted to market change while staying true to quality and practicality.