On July 22nd, I had the pleasure of joining the team at Kai USA and Kershaw Knives to cut the ribbon on their newly expanded Tualatin facility — and I want to share why this moment matters for our community.
Kershaw’s story goes back to 1974, when founder Pete Kershaw set out to build blades worth putting his name on. Since 1977, the brand has been part of the Kai Group, a family-owned company with more than a century of bladesmithing heritage rooted in Seki, Japan. Tualatin has been proud to host their U.S. operations since 2003, and this expansion is a strong vote of confidence in our city.
Here at home, the Kai USA team designs, machines, and assembles knives under the Kershaw, Zero Tolerance, and Shun brands — products trusted by customers across the country and around the world. When you pick up one of those knives, there’s a good chance skilled hands right here in Tualatin had something to do with it.
That craftsmanship translates directly into local opportunity. This expansion means 40,000 square feet of additional production and warehousing space. Kai USA employs about 270 folks — machinists, assemblers, designers, engineers, and staff who show up every day to do precision work that demands real craftsmanship. Kai is the ninth largest private employer in Tualatin and is the leading employer in our Materials & Goods Manufacturing cluster. Companies don’t grow their footprint without real belief in a community’s workforce and future — and we don’t take that belief for granted.
Kai USA’s presence here goes beyond manufacturing, too. You’ll find numerous donated Kai/Kershaw/ZT products at fundraisers for local schools, food banks, youth sports, Chamber of Commerce events, and scholarship funds, reflecting the kind of civic engagement that turns a business into a true neighbor.
I want to thank Kai USA’s leadership team for their continued investment in Tualatin, and every employee on that production floor for the work that puts our city’s name on products used far beyond our borders. “Made in Tualatin” is something we should all be proud of.
Congratulations again to everyone at Kai USA and Kershaw Knives on this expansion. It’s a great example of the kind of homegrown industry that keeps Tualatin strong, and I look forward to seeing what the next chapter brings.
