Madison-Kipp history

A fixture on the city’s East Side since 1903, metal parts maker Madison-Kipp has been working to clean up spills of toxic materials from the soil and groundwater.

Oliver Kipp passes unexpectedly in 1904, and a year later the company’s name changes again to the Madison-Kipp Lubricator Co.

Thomas A. Coleman, a company employee, becomes President in 1908.

1914: Thomas E. Coleman and his father, Thomas A. Coleman, buy Madison-Kipp.

In 1917, two-thirds of all steam and gasoline farm tractors made in the United States are equipped with Kipp parts.

1924: Thomas E. Coleman succeeds his father as president.

An important development took place in 1930, when the company introduced a high-speed air grinder for making dies.

Beginning in 1932, the company forges a partnership with Ford to provide carbertour castings for their new line of eight cylinder cars.

Prior to the start of World War II, in March 1938, the company began querying United States military arsenals about a new process for manufacturing ammunition that involved the use of steel molds as opposed to boring parts out of aluminum bar stock.

1943: Madison-Kipp aids the war effort by making machinery and parts for ammunition production.

MKC transitions toward aluminum die casting for toy car manufacturing in 1946, with the decline in demand for war materials.

During the 1950’s, the three principal products that MKC manufactures are mechanical lubricators, zinc and aluminum die casting, and high-speed air grinders.

1953: Business expands to include a wide array of parts used in the manufacture of appliances, as well as consumer and business products.

Coleman graduated from Northwestern University in 1955 with a degree in ecology.

1964A FAMILY TRADITIONThe family tradition at MKC continues as J. Reed Coleman becomes President following his father’s death in 1964.

1967: Madison-Kipp transfers incorporation from Wisconsin to Delaware.

In 1970 the company acquired a die-casting plant in Johnson City, Tennessee.

In May 1973, Kippcast President Leland Ruffner told the Wisconsin State Journal that sales of die-cast parts for use in refrigerators, cars, and the like had increased 50 percent during the previous year and were on target to rise another 30 percent during 1973.

Madison-Kipp had purchased its first robot in 1976, and in the following years had gradually added more, along with employees to program and monitor them.

1979: Years of growth place Madison-Kipp among the top 2 percent of United States die-casting firms by size.

Expansion and Modernization: 1980-99

In 1981, Madison-Kipp used approximately 20 robots to increase the accuracy and efficiency of its manufacturing operations and spare humans from functions that were unsafe or uncomfortable--such as pouring ingot metal into hot furnaces.

Another important development took place in 1982, when Russell D. Davis was named Kippcast's president and chief operating officer.

A number of noteworthy developments took place at Madison-Kipp in 1987.

1989: KLS International, Madison-Kipp's lubrication systems division, is sold to IDEX Corporation.

On the environmental front, the company establishes energy-conserving molten metal delivery systems in the 1990’s, while recycling also becomes part of the production process.

In 1991, Madison-Kipp employed about 500 employees.

By 1997, Thomas Caldwell was serving as president of Madison-Kipp, and J. Reed Coleman remained chairman.

1999: Madison-Kipp forms a global investment concern called MKC WorldWide.

Midway through 2001, the issue appeared closer to being resolved when Madison-Kipp received a Clean Air Act permit from the Environmental Protection Agency citing that it met both state and federal government standards for air pollution.

2002: After more than 100 years of operation, sales reach approximately $75 million.

In 2004, longtime local manufacturer Madison-Kipp Corp. was enjoying steady success as a supplier of mostly engine-related parts for large trucks and SUVs.

2006EXPANSIONIn 2006, the company announces plans to expand operations into Sun Prairie, renovating an old factory into a modern, world-class facility at 1655 Corporate Center Drive.

In 2010, manufacturers made just more than 1 billion pounds of product, according to figures from NADCA, the North American Die Casting Association.

Koblinski, who’s run the company since 2011 for current owner J. Reed Coleman, said last week in an interview that Madison was a “tough town for manufacturing.”

2017-FUTUREMADISON-KIPP CORPORATION TODAYToday, under the direction of current President and CEO Tony Koblinski, Madison-Kipp Corporation continues to be a leader in die castings and subassemblies from its three world-class facilities in Madison and Sun Prairie.