Kapco Metal Stamping was founded in Grafton in 1972. Tom Kacmarcik, Sr. started the company with his wife, Josephine.
In addition to quickly becoming known for making quality metal products for a customers across the Midwest, the firm was founded on the mission of being a community partner.
Today, there are six entities under the Kapco Inc. umbrella: Kapco Metal Stamping, Lakeshore Chinooks, Advanced Coatings Inc., SpeedKore Performance Group, K-Nation Entertainment and nonprofit organization Hometown Heroes. The company has expanded its headquarters to include die building, fabrication, laser and CNC operations. Four new facilities were recently added in West Bend and Grafton, and a plant was also acquired in Osceola.
The company has grown from its humble husband and wife team to include more than 400 employees. Yet throughout all this growth, at the heart of the company is a continued dedication to philanthropy and the community.
“Jim (Kacmarcik, president) has taken the company vision and mission to whole new levels,” said Neil Willenson, vice president of community relations at Kapco. “He believes deeply in the power of giving, but more importantly, knows instilling the value of giving in the next generation of workers will have huge rewards.”
Kacmarcik is blessed to run a successful company and have a healthy, strong and successful family, and he strives daily to pay it forward, Willenson said.
Kapco routinely goes beyond just writing a check, and its president does that, too, he added.
“For Jim, it’s about giving people the opportunity to pay it forward, to learn the joys of giving themselves,” Willenson said.
This will mark the 12th official year of Kapco’s Kids2Kids Christmas Toy Drive. The annual event empowers individuals and organizations in the community to collect toys for kids who might not otherwise receive gifts at Christmas, and teaches other children the joy of giving to those less fortunate than them.
“It started with an internal email from Jim, telling staff to empower children to collectively purchase 1,000 toys for other less fortunate children,” Willenson said.
Last year, the drive collected more than 20,000 toys for kids with the help of partner companies and local schools.
In 2013, Willenson and Kacmarcik co-founded Camp Hometown Heroes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving children who have lost a parent who served in the military.
Each year, the organization welcomes more than 150 children from all over the country, entirely free of charge. Together, they can experience healing, happiness, acceptance and growth.
Volunteers from Kapco and other organizations in the community return each year to work at the camp.
Additionally, Kapco annually hosts the Grand Slam Charity Jam to raise money for Hometown Heroes and the children it serves.
The event, which has featured headline performers like The Jacksons, and the Commodores, raised more than $141,000 for Camp Hometown Heroes in 2017.
“Kapco is committed to giving back, but more importantly to being the first ‘ripple,’” Willenson said. “Our goal is to not only have an impact on the community in the work that we do, but inspire others to get involved, take the reins and pay it forward.”
