Over 75 Years of Machining Expertise
About KCSP Machine
Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Headed
About Our Kansas City Machine Shop
KCSP Machine, formerly Kansas City Screw Products, is a trusted precision machine shop known for providing complex, critical machined components in short lead times.
Our location in the heart of the Midwest places us in a prime location to serve OEMs from coast to coast across the country. KCSP Machine’s proximity to industry-leading vendors supports the response times of our outsourced processes.
We are active members in several local manufacturing associations, including:
Kansas City Manufacturer’s Network, which is supported through the Manufacturer’s Extension Program (MEP)
The History of KCSP
With over 75 years of experience, we have the expertise necessary to produce well-crafted complex components at volume. Having survived multiple disastrous fires and rebuilding from the ground up, our resilience is part of what makes KCSP Machine a long-lasting, multi-generational company that will be around for years to come.
1943: Frank Leighter founded a screw machine shop to provide quality parts to regional manufacturers. The original facilities were just south of our current location in Kansas City.
1946: Leighter officially named his business, and Kansas City Screw Products was born.
Early 1960s: Frank Leighter patented a device on a product, a crank shaft straightener for lawn mowers, that Kansas City Screw Products produced for many years.
1963: Frank retired and passed the business to his son, Gene Leighter. At the time, Gene operated a separate shop, so he made the strategic decision to merge it with Kansas City Screw Products. This is also when we moved facilities to the heart of Kansas City, just behind where we sit today.
1978: Kansas City Screw Products experienced a catastrophic fire that resulted in a near total loss. We didn’t have fire insurance at this time, so we needed to start from scratch. Gene rented (and eventually purchased) the building next to the site of the fire and transformed it into KCSP Machine’s current facilities.
1982: Steve Leighter took over the business after the untimely passing of his father, Gene.
1984: Our longest tenured team member, Rob, joined Kansas City Screw Products.
Late 1980s to early 1990s: We embarked on a multi-year investment in CNC lathes and mills. This was a transitional period in our industry, as manual mills and lathes began to phase out in favor of CNC work.
1995: A second fire devastated our shop, wiping out a good deal of our equipment and building. As we worked to rebuild, we ran our business out of the one small section of our shop that survived the disaster: the 10,000-square-foot shipping and receiving department.
2023: Our current owner, Brandon Worrell, purchased the business. His goal as CEO is to preserve the legacy that the Leighter family built while expanding KCSP Machine’s offerings to better support customers’ supply chains.
The aftermath of the 1978 shop fire (exterior)
The aftermath of the 1978 shop fire (interior)
Steve Leighter (left) and Brandon Worrell (right)
The Rationale Behind Our Name Change
It was important to us to think about the present and future of our Kansas City machine shop while holding onto the fundamental aspects of our business. For that reason, we like to think of it more as a refresh than a full rebrand.
While a portion of our business is high-production screw machining, we offer a variety of precision machining services, particularly multi-axis machining and CNC turning. We dropped Kansas City Screw Products down to KCSP Machine to better reflect the scope of our offerings while preserving the legacy and recognition associated with our brand’s name. Our customers associated the name Kansas City Screw Products with the exceptional quality and customer service we are known for. Our goal is for our customers to view KCSP Machine as the company they trust but with a greater diversity of capabilities.
Partner with a Reliable, Efficient Precision Machine Shop
Are you interested in working with a shop that prioritizes customer service, quality, and speed? When you’re ready to get started, please request a quote or give us a call at 816-231-8444. We look forward to hearing from you!