Kraft Fluid Systems is a distributor and component packager of hydraulic, power transmission, and electronic control technologies for mobile and industrial equipment manufacturers.

Their primary products and services: OEM Systems Integration, Hydraulic & Power Transmission Equipment, Mobile Electronics & Radio Controls, and Kraft Electric Drives.

Bob and Marie Kraft founded Kraft Fluid Systems in 1972 and, since its inception, the company’s mission has been to provide customers with increased value through superior application and technical assistance, quality products, and responsive service.

Kraft continues to prosper using the values on which Bob built the company; “Customers are the focus of everything we do, and we value long-term customers as our greatest asset. Our goal is to learn and satisfy customer needs by helping them utilize the latest technology.”

Mobile Equipment Market Key to Growth

The foundation of their continued growth and success is their focus in the mobile equipment market. Their highly diverse customer base includes manufacturers of all types of off-road vehicles and equipment serving the construction, road building, material handling, agriculture, wood processing, mining, defense, and oil and gas industries.

Their Field Sales, Engineering and Technical Service teams are all Certified Fluid Power Specialists through the International Fluid Power Society. Combined, they have over 200 years of mobile application expertise.

Today, Kraft is excited by the opportunities for improved machine control using new electronic technologies with their hydraulic experience. This provides their customers with complete systems integration. They currently have more than 100 successful electronic control applications in operation.

Kraft has been a Tribute customer since 1984, and for the past eighteen years they have served as an Alpha test site for new software releases.

Sue Johnson, IT Manager, says “I enjoy being a test site for Tribute because I get the new features early. It’s been great watching the Tribute software evolve over the years. They continually improve and enhance their product which keeps us working with greater efficiency. That’s especially important now when we have to do more with less. Our employees can get the information they need, on their own, when they need it.”

Kraft represents and services about 30 major suppliers including Sauer-Danfoss, Fairfield Manufacturing, HydraForce, Schabmuller, Hetronic, MP Filtri, Mico, and Haldex, to name a few.

2017 Acquisition Expands Territory into Wisconsin

With their headquarters located in Strongsville, Ohio, their territory includes Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and parts of Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut and Wisconsin.

In September 2017, they entered the Wisconsin market by acquiring Dynacom Inc. in Cedarburg, Wis. This move expands the company’s hydraulic component sales and service territory to 12 states. 

They are an authorized build and repair center for many of their products and have a 24/7 online system for customers to view inventory, place orders, check order status, track shipments, and view invoicing history.

A longtime member of  the International Fluid Power Society, the National Fluid Power Association, and The Motion & Control Network (FPDA), Kraft leads the industry by their active involvement in industry associations. Scott Durand, Kraft's VP of Sales and Marketing, was elected president of FPDA for 2017-2018 and looks forward to creating added value for the members.

In 1998 Bob Kraft began an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, or ESOP, as part of his succession plan. In 2000, the company became 100% employee owned.

Diane Baker, President and CEO, says, “Our employee owners are our greatest resource. We believe that respected and rewarded employees lead to satisfied long-term customers. At Kraft Fluid Systems we recognize what is most important to the customer and our focus every day is to help them sell more machines.”

Kraft Fluid Systems
Cleveland, Ohio
www.kraftfluid.com

Post updated 10-11-17