Founder
The Founder of KCH Services
Ken Hankinson joined the American Electroplating Society in the early 70's while working as a sales engineer for an air pollution control company. Ken has been a continuous AES (later AESF - now NASF) member since the 70's. Ken Hankinson founded KCH SERVICES in 1979 and in 1980 (less than a year later) incorporated the company that is now known as KCH ENGINEERED SYSTEMS. Since then, KCH has set the standard in several areas.
As a veteran in corrosion resistant equipment, Ken felt compelled to improve the ventilation practices and equipment for the plating and surface industry. Hankinson first used composite mesh pad technology to control chrome emissions at a small plating company in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1979.
In the 1990's KCH became the first company to achieve Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) on chrome emissions. This design basis is still used today and has proven KCH to be the leader in controlling chrome emissions.
In 1990, The Boeing Company asked Ken if he could provide a Factory Mutual approved PVC exhaust system. Hankinson
immediately went to work, investing in Factory Mutual testing, and ultimately pioneering PVC FM approved exhaust duct. This initiative satisfied Boeing's needs by eliminating the cost of using sprinklers in duct.
Texas Instruments called on Hankinson to help design a large vertical packed bed scrubber that could achieve 99% efficiencies without spray headers or spray nozzles. KCH'S engineering department went to work designing a low maintenance high efficient unit. Texas Instrument has ordered and installed over 40 of these 30,000-45,000 cfm scrubbers to date.
Ken and his company again set the Industry standards by developing the only USEPA verified energy conservation and process control utilizing the Automated Covered Tank System for Energy Conservation (ACTSEC). KCH has now installed several of these systems thus saving its customers thousands of dollars in energy cost's annually and eliminating literally tons of air pollution.
Another achievement was KCH ENGINEERED SYSTEM'S industrial standard setting development is the self-cleaning Chrome Mesh Pad control device that eliminates costly shut down associated with the requirements to clean mesh pads.
Ken has stayed very active in the metal finishing industry, serving as a committee member since 1999 on American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This ANSI committee is currently developing the guidelines for the next Industrial Ventilation Manual produced by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Hankinson served as a panelist at the University of Tennessee during the Nationally Televised Chrome Mact Standard sponsored by USEPA.
North Carolina's former Governors Hunt and Easley appointed Ken to North Carolina Commerce Department Advantage West board of trustees and Isothermal Community College board of trustees. The loss of US manufacturing jobs is a major concern of Hankinson's along with the spiraling cost not only of Health Insurance but all business insurance.
Ken's a strong supporter of the NASF and knows the importance the NASF plays in the survival of the Metal Finishing Industry. Ken has served as MFSA trustee, Past MFSA Equipment Committee Chairman, and AESF Air committee member. With over 32 years in this industry, Hankinson said he is proud to have made friends with so many honest and hardworking people in this knuckle busting, blue collar industry.