KD Lift is a product invented by Jason Keast and Jim DeStefano that allows one person to safely and easily transport heavy wire reels. It mounts to a truck hitch and can carry reels weighing up to 1000 pounds, eliminating the need for trailers and additional workers. Utility companies have found that KD Lift streamlines operations by reducing injuries, physical strain, costs and transport time. After receiving inquiries from coworkers, Keast and DeStefano began manufacturing KD Lift in 2014 and it has since proven its value to customers like Ontonagon County R.E.A. in safety, efficiency and preventing worker injuries.

1. Contact: Jason Keast Contact: Emma Finkbeiner
jasonk@kdlift.com emfinky@gmail.com
(906) 553-3800 (231) 499-4871
KD Lift Spools Change in the Cable Industry
Upper Peninsula innovation makes reel transport safer, easier, less expensive
ESCANABA, Mich. — Two entrepreneurs from Escanaba have introduced a made in America
product that is changing the way utility companies look at wire reel transport.
Jason Keast and Jim DeStefano, owners and founders of KD Lift, prototyped their first lift in
2013 with Jason’s father Mike Keast for their own personal use. After inquiries from coworkers
and other utility crews, Keast and DeStefano began manufacturing the product in 2014.
“We built KD Lift to solve a problem in our everyday work, and what we created has done so
much more than we could have imagined,” Keast said.
KD Lift is a multi-purpose reel lift designed to safely and easily lift wire reels and allow these
reels to navigate through alleyways and other areas of limited space. The product allows one
person to load and unload heavy reels in minutes, eliminates the need for expensive trailers and
allows for faster drive time, easy city parking and single man teams.
Bill Tucker, a line superintendent at Ontonagon County R.E.A., was one of KD Lift’s first
customers, and said the product has already proved its value in safety and efficiency. Tucker
said he would recommend the product and plans to purchase additional lifts.
“We used it extensively for three days and it performed flawlessly,” Tucker said. “KD lift really
appears to prevent injuries and reduce physical strain on the body. One operator can do it
safely and we’re all being asked to do more with less these days. They are on to something that
will really help utilities and it’s over-engineered, which gives me confidence in its longevity.”
The current method of hauling reels of cable, fiber and strand requires a utility truck or pickup to
tow a trailer with the reels on it. Loading the reels, which weigh up to 680 pounds, onto the
trailer requires two or more workers. KD Lift has a maximum operating load of 1000 pounds and
weighs less than 300 pounds. It mounts to a class-five hitch and can carry reels as wide as 40
inches and as tall as 48 inches. KD Lift sells for just $4,500 and is able to be shipped
economically on a pallet. It requires a lead-time of only four to six weeks.
“We’re not only changing the industry, we’re changing how we look at safety of transport,” Keast
said. We’re protecting the companies, protecting the employees and making this line of work
more efficient.”
KD Lift was invented by linemen in the field and professionally engineered for a long lifetime of
dependable service. It’s efficient, safe and inexpensive. It’s just another tool in your toolbox.
KD Lift is a client of Invent@NMU. Invent@NMU specializes in helping people bring their
concepts to market.
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For more information, like KD Lift on Facebook or visit http://www.kdlift.com/.