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History of Ktech Corporation
The Opportunity...As nuclear testing went underground in the 1970s, entrepreneurs with scientific backgrounds saw opportunities aboveground. On December 14, 1971, one of these enterprising physicists, Donald Keller established Ktech Corporation, a professional and technical services company that specialized in shock physics and weapons effects. Three employees supported the company's contract with the Defense Nuclear Agency (now the Defense Threat Reduction Agency) during that first year. Thirty-one years later, Ktech Corporation has ten times as many employees and an established reputation with government and industry for sound scientific and engineering work, outstanding technical support services, and proven management expertise. The Beginning...
Keller, now Chairman of the Board, initially established Ktech in Santa Barbara, California. The heart of the company moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, within two years and began supporting a contract with the Air Force to perform scientific research and operate the Material Response Impact Facility in New Mexico, a state which has figured prominently in the field of nuclear physics since its selection in 1942 as the site for developing the first atomic bomb. The facilities initially established for that project are now known as Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, located in Los Alamos and Albuquerque, New Mexico, respectively. The Material Response Impact FacilityThe Material Response Impact Facility enabled scientists to study how materials reacted during nuclear fission experiments. In the 1970s, a major focus of the nuclear weapons field was to better understand and model nuclear weapons effects so that aboveground testing with pulsed power simulators could eventually replace nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site. Early on, Ktech became a leader in designing techniques and sensors to reliably measure and model dynamic material properties -- measurements of effects that last less than a microsecond. This expertise, combined with the company's growing reputation, led to additional opportunities with Sandia. Growth...
Continuing Success...To Keller, it has been important not only to have established a company with a solid reputation for science and service, but also to have created an enjoyable yet challenging work environment for its employees. In fact, Keller attributes the success of Ktech over the years to the high caliber of staff it has attracted and retained. One-third of its current employees have more than 10 years of service with Ktech -- a retention rate three times the national average. In 1988, Ktech reinforced its commitment to its employees by becoming an employee-owned company. Expanding into New Areas...By the early 1990s, as the Cold War ended and the federal government's emphasis shifted from weapons development to stockpile stewardship, Ktech was also geared for a shift in focus. Many of the technologies that Ktech helped to develop in the 1970s and 1980s could now benefit industry. For example, Ktech's piezoelectric sensors, originally developed to support the simulation and underground test programs, have found varied commercial applications such as in medical components and in integration into loudspeaker design. One region of expansion has been Ktech's work with thermal sprays, which began in 1995. At that time, Ktech was called upon to operate and maintain a thermal spray research laboratory at Sandia, including the design, installation, and maintenance of thermal spray equipment and control instrumentation. Thermal sprays provide wear-resistant, lightweight and cost-efficient coatings for a variety of engineered parts, such as automobile engine cylinders. Ktech's early involvement in themal spray design and installation has positioned it as a significant player in this field. Recently, Ktech and Sandia have begun to commercialize a newer, more efficient, cold spray technique. Adding Technical Communications Capabilities...To round out its capabilities, Ktech - in May 1998 - paired its expertise in scientific research with outstanding technical reporting by merging with Tech Reps, Inc., a local technical communications firm. Like Ktech's Keller, two of Tech Reps' founders, Robert C. Holmes and Donald E. Tiano, were also entrepreneur-scientists involved with the underground test program in the 1970s. Since its inception on May 6, 1974, Tech Reps has provided engineering and scientific support when needed, but its primary focus has been technical documentation. When Tech Reps received its first contract with the Defense Nuclear Agency in October 1974, Tech Reps' staff numbered four and its office equipment basically comprised two lawn chairs and an IBM Selectric. Today, Tech Reps' facilities are staffed by scientists, writers, illustrators, and production personnel, and its equipment includes networking and web capabilities, high- volume electronic storage capacity, multimedia capabilities, printers/scanners, large format printing, and high-production copiers. Tech Reps continues to document scientific and engineering projects, and produces high-quality communication products such as full-color reports, brochures, exhibits, presentation materials, and web pages. To accommodate its changing corporate structure, Ktech moved its administrative offices in 1998 (for the first time since 1973) to 2201 Buena Vista SE in Albuquerque. Current facilities also include an optical laboratory, an instrumentation laboratory, an automation and fabrication facility, and a machine shop, all located in Albuquerque. For a detailed on-line article about Ktech Corporation featuring a recent Tech Reps success with the State of New Mexico Oil Conservation District, please check out Business Solutions Magazine at:http://www.businesssolutionsmag.com/Articles/2004_04/040402.htm |
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