Torklift Central opened 40 years ago in Kent.
“Torklift is born out of dreams, hope and love,” said Torklift Central owner Jack Kay in a media release about the company that manufactures and sells trailer hitches. “In 1976, there was a man with a dream, and he moved that dream through his fingertips to make it a reality. That was Jon Kay.”
Torklift founder Jon Kay first opened shop at 315 Central Ave. N., in 1976. At that time it was a one-man, one-bay shop specializing in trailer repair, custom hitches and other automotive work.
“The guiding principal of the company has been innovation,” Jack Kay said. “It’s that very innovation that has expanded us into a worldwide manufacturer. Many customers local to our retail shop are not aware that our products are sold in multiple countries by the semi truck load and they don’t know about how it all started.”
One of the first products invented by Jon Kay is called a FastGun. The FastGun is a specially designed patented turnbuckle made to attach truck campers to trucks. It’s also used for rigging equipment, securing motorcycles in transit and many other commercial and agricultural applications.
Products invented at the company are manufactured in Kent and Sumner and are distributed all over the world among roughly 3,000 retail dealers. They include trailer hitches and suspension products for trucks, steps and handrail accessories for towable RVs and truck campers, RV storage and security products, snowmobile sled deck turnbuckles and tie downs and turnbuckles for truck campers. The business also manufactures a premiere boutique line of bike rack hitches, called EcoHitch, made especially for Teslas and other electric vehicles.
“All of our products that we manufacture are born at Torklift Central,” said Jack Kay. “It’s not just a retail shop. It’s actually a retail product and development center.”
For the past five years, Torklift Central has also hosted the Kent Turkey Challenge. This year marks its sixth year as the fundraising event kicks off in October.
“Each year we rally the community and work side-by-side with fellow businesses, schools and other organizations to raise money and food donations for the Kent Food Bank during Thanksgiving,” Jack Kay said. “We do this because we love our city. Kent is where we are from so it’s important that we give back to the community who has helped us achieve 40 years.”
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