SOLA MEASURING TOOLS ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH KESON

Earlier this year, the Scheyer family (SOLA’s owners) joined together with the Nosek family (Keson’s owners) to form a new company – Keson LLC. With a combined 120 years of market experience, the SOLA and Keson alliance builds on SOLA’s European manufacturing expertise, precision-engineering and industry-leading technology by adding Keson’s existing distribution network, strong industry relationships and excellent reputation for service. Together, they are bringing more than 60 different high quality levels featuring SOLA’s FOCUS vial technology to North America.

Two Brands - Better Service
Keson LLC is launching a two-brand strategy that will deliver levels with superior durability, unmatched accuracy and a better user experience. The SOLA-branded levels will be positioned at the high-end of the market and will be the best-of the-best, just as SOLA levels have been in Europe and around the world for the last 70 years. The Keson-branded levels will be positioned as the best of the mid-tier levels, backed by SOLA technology and the reputation Keson has built over the last 50 years. By combing these two brands under a single supplier, distributors of professional measuring and marking products will enjoy better service and product selection. Keson LLC’s introduction of level products under the SOLA and Keson brands will be available for purchase through local distributors and specialty stores starting in the fall of 2018.

Competencies Bundled Together
“We are thrilled to be teaming up with a company that has such a strong distribution presence in our desired markets,” says Wolfgang Scheyer, President of SOLA Measuring Tools. “Our levels perfectly complement Keson’s core offering of measuring wheels, tape measures and chalk and chalk line reels.” The existing Keson infrastructure and experienced service and sales forces welcome the new challenges. “Our team could not be more excited,” says Aaron Nosek, President of Keson LLC. “SOLA is bringing new technology to a level market ready for meaningful innovation. We are excited to supply world-class levels for construction to our distributors and end-users.”

SOLA is most well known in the North American market for their BIG RED and X PRO levels. These industry leading products feature the patented SOLA FOCUS vial technology that enables users to more quickly, accurately and easily read a level – even in low-light settings. Since 2011, the FOCUS vial has been improving the working habits of European builders. In an independent study, given a choice between the FOCUS vial and a traditional ring vial, over 80% of professional level users selected the FOCUS as their preferred choice.