History of KAS Enterprises, Inc.
KAS Enterprises, Inc. is the culmination of decades of hard work and dedication by the Upchurch family. Kenneth “Monty” Upchurch began his journey in the tool industry in 1971 (he was 18 years old) when he purchased his first Craftsman tool set so that he and his buddy could work on their dirt bikes. Driven by his passion and ambition, Monty moved into the automotive tool industry and began his life’s work. “I gained a tremendous amount of business knowledge and “people” knowledge from my conversations with customers”, Monty reminisces. Always a keen observer, he began to recognize trends and shifts in the industry. New technologies were emerging and Monty saw the tide rising. Armed with his tireless work ethic and formidable acumen he was ready to start his own company, in 1981 Toolco was born.
Over many years Toolco would evolve into the KAS Enterprises, Inc. of today.
The fledging company grew and flourished. The workload was so heavy that Co-founder Karen Upchurch (Monty’s wife) rolled up her sleeves in support. “We spent many nights after the kids were in bed staying up late to re-pack product that our customers needed”, she recounts. Karen is now President and CEO of KAS Enterprises, Inc. Through the years the family business has experienced mergers, acquisitions, re-organizations and more. Monty and Karen’s children (Katie, Adam and Stephen) were at times recruited to chip in on the growing workload. All three played a vital role in Toolco’s evolution from a small start-up into KAS Enterprises, Inc., a leading and trusted partner in the automotive tool industry. This has been a life-long mission for the Upchurch family. Today, we are KAS Enterprises, Inc. and we are a second-generation family-owned business. Adam (Operations Manager) and Stephen (Business Development Lead) have both come into the business full time to foster KAS Enterprises’ growth and to continue the realization of a decades-long endeavor set forth by Monty and Karen.
The company’s continued success can be attributed to the core principles that were present at its inception. At KAS Enterprises, Inc., our vision is to be the driving force behind the success of our customers, empowering them with the right tools to achieve their goals efficiently and effectively. Through our unwavering dedication to excellence and a customer-centric approach, we aim to leave a lasting impact on the automotive industry, setting new standards of quality and service.
From cotton balls to car lifts, there is no job too big and no task too small.