Who We Are
American craftsmanship meets bold agility.
King Machine is a family-owned company with longstanding industry relationships. We manufacture new tire molds and components for both the original equipment and replacement markets. We also provide mold services, warehousing, repair & refurbishment and consultative technical services to support tire operations, both domestically and in the Americas.
- Made in the USA
Family-owned and value-driven since day one - Fast. Reliable. Proven.
Fast lead times that outpace offshore providers - Accelerated by Design
Built with the accuracy and durability top tire brands demand - More than a Tire Mold
A true partner in your production success
History of Excellence
1951
Birth of King Machine
King Machine is founded in Akron, Ohio, USA, by a group of owners within the burgeoning post-World War II tire mold industry. Akron, then known as the “Rubber Capital of the World,” provided a fertile ground for the company’s genesis. The booming U.S. economy of the 1950s nurtured a rising middle class. The manufacturing sector shifted from wartime to peacetime production. While much of the world was rebuilding from the war, the U.S. was untouched, equipped with raw materials, factories, skilled labor, education, and expertise. Global demand for American products surged to aid reconstruction efforts.
1953
A New Beginning: Henry Barcz Arrives
A young immigrant Henry Barcz arrived in Akron from Graz, Austria, pursuing the ‘American Dream.’ Joining King Machine as a part-time laborer, his sheer determination to build a better life, despite an 8th-grade education and no connections, infused the company with the entrepreneurial spirit and hard work ethic that became foundational to its culture.
1950s – 1970s
From Laborer to Owner
Henry’s tireless dedication to mastering tire mold skills rapidly built his experience and confidence. He earned the owners’ respect and eventually became a small owner in King Machine. This era highlighted hard work, skill development, and earned ownership, values still central to empowering our people and fostering lasting partnerships.
1978
Henry Barcz Becomes Sole Owner
After 25 years of dedicated work and shrewd savings, Henry Barcz bought out the remaining owners in 1978, taking full control of King Machine. This propelled him to lead the business amidst intense competition, solidifying its family-owned ethos and proving his persistence and vision while honing the company’s resilience for the decades to follow.
Late 1970s
Gifford Wells Joins King Machine
Henry Barcz’s son-in-law, Gifford Wells, a BF Goodrich (now Michelin) veteran, joined King Machine. He spearheaded a new era of innovation, prioritizing enhanced quality, integrated technology, improved speed, and strong customer relationships. The standards he set remain foundational to King Machine’s ‘better, faster options’ and its ‘Accelerated by Design’ approach.
1981
First Geographic Expansion: North Carolina
King Machine opens its first mold services facility in Gastonia, North Carolina. This strategic move aligns with the tire industry’s southward migration, positioning King Machine closer to its evolving customer base.
1989
Expanding Capabilities: Wilson Mold & Machine
King Machine further expands its reach by establishing Wilson Mold and Machine in Wilson, North Carolina, adding to its growing network of facilities.
1998
The Third Generation & New Manufacturing Hub
Gifford’s son-in-law, Michael, joined King Machine to develop a new greenfield tire mold plant in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rapid growth prompted a move to a larger Westinghouse Blvd. facility, which became the primary new mold plant and company headquarters. This Charlotte hub solidified King Machine’s commitment to advanced manufacturing, precision, and purpose to produce a quality product at rapid speed.
2000
Specialized Production: King Model
King Machine opens King Model in Akron, Ohio, specializing in specific model types and delivering with precision. Previously, tire companies outsourced mold components to specialized shops, controlling the supply chain. Around 2000, we shifted to purchasing completed molds from machining companies, which took over sourcing. In response, King Machine began in-house production, starting with models and expanding to foundry operations, bead ring manufacturing, and sipe manufacturing. King Machine also adopted cutting-edge technology to “print” models from resin and sipes from powdered metal.
2002
Expanding Casting Capabilities: King Castings
King Castings is established in Wadsworth, Ohio, further vertically integrating King Machine’s production process, aligning with the company’s commitment to “Fast. Reliable. Proven.”
2008
Component Specialization: King Rings
King Machine opens King Rings in Charlotte, North Carolina, specializing in the production of specific mold components. This specialization strengthens our ability to provide comprehensive solutions and deep expertise across a range of mold components, further establishing King Machine as “More than a Tire Mold.” At this time, King Machine was the world’s most advanced producer of bead rings, utilizing true 5-axis, twin spindle machining, with no hands touching the product from raw material to finished product.
2010
Navigating the Great Financial Crisis & Pioneering One-Stop Mold Services
As the US tire mold industry collapsed due to overseas costs, King Machine distinguished itself as the last independent provider, surviving on unwavering quality and rapid speed, affirming its ‘better, faster options’ mission. This resilience fueled a strategic pivot: the development of a unique ‘one-stop mold services’ model, offering comprehensive support from warehousing to repair. Now a full-service partner, King Machine drives significant domestic and international growth, fulfilling its vision of lasting industry partnerships.
2010 – 2019
Continued Domestic Expansion
Throughout this decade, King Machine expanded its domestic footprint with new facilities, getting closer to the customers who depend on us, enabling faster response times and localized support:
2010: King Machine of Fayetteville (Fayetteville, North Carolina)
2014: King Machine of South Carolina (Sumter, South Carolina)
2014: Wilson Mold & Machine of Aiken (Aiken, South Carolina)
2017: King Machine of Alabama (Rainbow City, Alabama)
2019: King Henry HQ (Charlotte, North Carolina)
2017
First International Foothold: Mexico
Building on the success of its one-stop service model, King Machine establishes its first international presence with a mold services operation in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
2020 – 2025
Continued Strategic Expansion and Specialization
King Machine strategically expands and specializes, bringing advanced capabilities and services closer to domestic and international customers:
2020: King Machine of Illinois (Mt. Vernon, Illinois)
2024: King S-WerX (Charlotte, North Carolina)
2025: King Machine Technologies (San Luis Potosi, Mexico)
2025
Accelerating Global Tire Development with Hypermold
King Machine launches Hypermold, delivering unmatched speed to give partners more time to test, refine, and lead in global tire innovation.
2026
Celebrating 75 Years
As King Machine enters its 75th year in 2026, customers continue to value our technical abilities, broad services, industry-leading turnaround times, strong relationships, and strategic proximity within the global tire mold industry. While future challenges and opportunities are unknown, our employees remain bound by an unbreakable commitment to each other, their customers, partners, and community. We do not give up. We do not settle.
Strategic Expansion
Growing with purpose.
Delivering with precision.
Over the past 75 years, we’ve gone from a small, regional manufacturing company to a multi-facility organization. That transformation has been in line with the needs of tire manufacturing plants operating throughout the U.S. and Mexico. For us, it’s not just about getting bigger–it’s about getting closer to the customers who depend on us.
As we’ve expanded, so have our capabilities. With investments in additive manufacturing, we’re helping tire manufacturers move faster, design more freely, and shorten development cycles.
Our mold repair and refurbishment capabilities now handle treads, sidewall plates, bead rings, clamp rings, mold mechanisms, and bladder molds.
And our service operations handle warehousing, inventory management, logistics, and plant transfers.
Our Mission
We work each day to provide better, faster options for the world’s tire industry.
Our mission isn’t just about manufacturing molds, it’s about building lasting partnerships, empowering our people, and moving the tire industry ahead with precision and purpose.
From shop floor to customer floor, we hold ourselves to a higher standard: do the job right, do it fast, and always stand behind the work.
It’s a lot to promise, but that’s how we roll.
A Look to The Future
We will continue to bring excellence and raise the standard for the tire mold market.
We believe we have an obligation, both to our customers and to our employees, to continue to raise the bar. To provide products and services of value and do it profitably. That’s how we can ensure a competitive future.
To that end, we are continually investing in capital equipment, software, infrastructure, and support services. And beyond that, we’re investing in our employees—building their skills, and providing rewarding career paths.
The desire to be the world’s best tire mold company is what makes us such a valued partner to our customers.
