Kinedyne Corporation is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the opening of its Lawrence KS facility. In spring 1990, soon after it was acquired by the company along with other assets of the Cargo Control Division of Aeroquip Corporation, the site launched warehouse operations.
Once devoted to warehousing the company's cargo control products, the facility now has the capacity to sew and fabricate many of Kinedyne's products, including strap assemblies and cargo nets. The site has evolved into a major hub for operations, from global purchasing, logistics, and human resources to a call center and a quality control and testing lab.
The facility — which achieved ISO 9001:2000 certification of its Quality Management System (QMS) in 2008 — is Kinedyne's first US facility to receive this quality certification. The plant also serves as the company's primary site for production of load securement equipment used by the US military.
As a major employer in the area, the Lawrence plant has become a fixture in the surrounding community by providing jobs to local residents and developing partnerships with local businesses. Kinedyne was recently honored for one aspect of its community work by the National Institute for the Severely Handicapped (NISH), a non-profit agency whose mission is creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Kinedyne received the “Small Business Partnership Award” from NISH for the company's work with Community Rehabilitation Programs.