Specializing in PIA (pain in the %@$) Jobs! since our founding in 1975

The Kowalski Heat Treating Company (KHT) was founded in 1975 by Robert S. Kowalski in a small 3,000 sq ft lakefront facility to service the needs of the tool and die industry in northern Ohio, specializing in highly distortion sensitive thermal salt bath processing and difficult PIA (Pain In The @%$) Jobs!

During the late ’80s and ’90s, Robert’s focus was on matching the growing processing needs of his automotive and specialty manufacturing customers, investing in new and better equipment, and making sure the staff was responsive and properly trained.  As the business grew, and next generation leadership “learned the ropes”, our operations expanded to more buildings, more equipment and staff, including 24-hour thermal processing, better and tighter production monitoring, integrated delivery, and superior quality controls.

In 2000, we added our K-LIFE Division, greatly expanding our ability to provide deep cryogenic enhancement for improved edge and wear resistance. By 2002, management decided to invest in our K-GLOW division featuring pulsed plasma technology, providing our customers with even greater hardening and surface edge retention. In 2008, we continued to acquire additional property around our facility and invested in expanding our processing capabilities to meet the needs of customers. And in 2011, we again grew our K-FLAT Division adding a 300 ton press to handle the increased heat set flattening requirements, adding tens of thousands of pounds of capacity per year while yet again expanding our management and facility production staff.

Based on customer demands and increased volumes, we’ve invested millions into our plants, facilities, and operations, with the addition of a fully integrated shop floor management software system, new state-of-the-art 10 bar furnaces, the expansion of our rack salt-to-salt processing, new buildings, new delivery trucks, and more.  And we’ve received some of our industry’s highest awards – DoD and ISO 9001 certified – taking on the industry’s toughest PIA Jobs!

In 2013, we added Plant 5, increasing our floor processing space by 25%, installed our K-Labs Metallurgical Laboratory, and invested in our staff training.  In 2014, we opened Plant 6, improved our logistics and company branding, and expanded our K-Flat processing.  Over the next three years, we integrated our OCTA shop floor management systems, expanded K-Salt Quenching, and brought online our Hestia K-Flat 10 Bar furnace.

2018 was another expansion year, with the opening of Plants 7, 8 and 9, and in ’19 and ’20 we launched K-Solve Prototype Development and Consulting, while growing our supply chain logistics, providing a more complete warehousing, processing, packaging and final assembly service for customers who needed a more complete parts management solution.

In 2022, we installed an automated selective Salt Tempering system and automated our Flat parts final inspection process in 2023. In 2024, we began Phase I of our  SSI (Super Systems) Technology upgrade of our processing controls plant-wide to enhance our operations.

In 2025, we’re celebrating our 50^th Anniversary servicing your PIA (pain in the @%$) Jobs! operating in 80,000+ sq. ft. of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. We remain dedicated to our original location in Ohio City, close to downtown on the north shore of Ohio overlooking beautiful Lake Erie at 3611 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113.

Please stop in anytime to see our operations. As you can imagine, we are very proud of our facility, our staff, and our heritage. You can reach us toll-free at 1-888-KHT-HEAT (548-4328).