About Us

what we do

a new way to create

KAD’s passion for engineering transforms prototyping to an artform. As artists, we take pride in our creations from start to finish. We manufacture your product directly from the model and manually inspect every order – ensuring consistently high quality for every part we make.

3140

2019 Prototypes

Clients

Years

OUR CAPACITY

CNC MACHINING

SILICONE MOLDING

URETHANE CASTING

a new way to create projectS

KAD team specializes in CNC Machining, Silicone Molding and Urethane Casting. We are capable of making any size prototype using many different raw materials. Programing a piece at a time, KAD has manufactured a 128 inch long part using a CNC machine.

Check Out Our Services

OUR BELIEFS

communication

KAD believes that making prototypes should not be an arduous process. The shop makes it easy on clients with its light atmosphere, experienced team and transparent communication. Creating hardware today is time consuming and expensive but it doesn’t have to be impossible.

Support

KAD believes everybody should be able to receive the prototype needed to complete their goal. The expert process with our software system quickens the manufacturing operation and we are open to discuss price to fit any budget. The KAD team values supporting clients from the very beginning of the product’s development to the very end.

Brian Kippen

Brian is the owner & founder of KAD Models & Prototypes, Inc. Before launching KAD in 2011 with model maker John Dove, Brian worked as the Director of Operations at A&J Product Solutions and a machinist at Performance Structures. Brian is drawn to the challenge of making design concepts into reality and motivated by the ever-changing landscape of machining.

Kacie Merchand

Kacie, is the COO of KAD Models & Prototypes, Inc. She worked to launch KAD’s new East Coast division and continues to oversee KAD’s ongoing business operations. She came to the team with several years of experience working in schools (US and France) and hospitals. She has a Master of Science degree from the University of Vermont, a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Sociology, and a lifelong pursuit of learning and exploration.

Christopher Bastain

Christopher (Chris) Bastain is no stranger to a variety of art forms and technological advancements. Fascinated by 3-D Modeling, he attended San Francisco State University to pursue a career in Industrial Design. Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Manufacturing dominated his interest because–it allowed physical involvement from the concept phase to the production of his designs. This passion ultimately led to a successful career as a machinist.

Thinh Quoc Dang

Thinh (Dang), a Native to the bay area, started in the Manufacturing world 4 years ago as a novice at KAD. He has been developing the skills required to become a CNC machinist on the job with the help and support of the team.

Peter Derkacz

Peter, born and raised in the Bay Area, has always loved to build and fix things since he was a kid. Computers captivated his interest early on in life which eventually warped into restoring classic cars. He met Brian through their shared interest of classic cars and quickly became intrigued with machining. Turning concepts into reality is the driving force behind his willingness to continue learning and adapt with the ever-changing manufacturing space.

Alex Woods

Alex is a Vermont native, he has always enjoyed making things and working with anything mechanical. He graduated Vermont Technical College with a degree in Manufacturing Engineering. After completing school he worked as a tooling design engineer. When looking to switch to a more hands-on career he found an opportunity at KAD.

Brandan Palmer

Born and raised in Vermont, Brandan has always loved the small state and close-knit communities, but always had ambition to achieve higher education and make complex and cool things. He attended Vermont Technical College and received an Associates Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a Bachelors Degree in Manufacturing Engineering. He jumped at the opportunity to join the KAD team when they opened up shop 5 miles from his home, and became the first machinist to be employed at their East Coast branch.

Atlas

Atlas, the Shop floorman, started at the shop since its founding and in addition to closely monitoring shop activities and training up his assistant, supports KAD by holding the floor in place with frequent naps.

Piper

Piper joined the team in 2019. Her energetic nature and years of experience chasing sticks makes her the perfect Branch Manager. She is motivated, a dedicated worker, and passionate about her job, particularly when it comes to creating automotive parts as she loves chasing cars in her spare time.

Moose

Moose, our youngest employee, is following in his brother’s footsteps as Assistant to the Shop floorman. Given his optimistic disposition and tendency to multitask, such as taking naps while he grows, he is a natural fit in balancing out Atlas’s workload.

clients

SAY HI!

create project

Partnering with KAD you get a team of highly skilled machinists collaborating on your project. We provide an edge for creative ability, pace and product excellence. Building a prototype is a process, let’s get started on your prototype journey together.

GET A QUOTE

want to join us?

KAD is happy and open to add more esteemed machinists to continue to increase the team’s dexterity. Check out the Career’s page to see what it means to be a part of the company and what we look for in a colleague. Do not hesitate to send in your resume!

Careers

We would love To work with you. Join the team.

We are always looking for motivated, creative and skilled individuals to add to our team. Visit our careers page to view available job positions.

Learn More

Contact (510) 995-8446

Follow

Menu