Mile Stones in the History of K&B Manufacturing (from mecoa . com)

1946 Founded by John Brodbeck and Lou Kading

1955 Merged with Allyn Manufacturing

K&B bought out Allyn

Owned by Nabisco Briefly

Sold to Aurora Plastics

K&B acquired Veco Products

Sold to Leisure Dynamics

1981 Leisure Dynamics dissolved and K&B was sold to John Brodbeck, however he had a silent partner, William G Bennett, Owner of Circus Circus Enterprises.

1990 K&B built a new 50,000 sq ft facility in Lake Havasu City, Arizona and began the move from Downey, California.

1996 William Bennett placed new management in an attempt to turn a profit.

Mid 1999, the management of K&B was planing on moving K&B to Las Vagas. Randy Linsalato, owner of MECOA and RJL Industries was offered K&B Mfg by Mr. Bennett as an alternative to moving the factory to Las Vegas. Mr. Bennett was disappointed with the management and staff in place at K&B so he decided to to sell to Randy Linsalato. Randy was a long time friend to the Brodbeck's and to Mr. Bennett and was in the industry with MECOA and RJL for 20 years at the time..

Late 1999 K&B was sold to MECOA (RJL Industries) and the move back to California began. Now located in Monrovia, Ca., about 25 miles north of the old Downey location.

For MECOA the purchase of K&B was unexpected. At the time MECOA - RJL Industries was deep into a contract developing and building oxidant air pumps for Ballard Power Systems, a daughter company of Ford and Daimler.