A & K Development, Inc.

A global enterprise, A &amp; K Development Company designs and manufactures equipment for the food processing and agricultural industry. As an innovator in equipment design, A &amp; K introduced its first high capacity sweet corn husking machine, the &ldquo;Power Husker&rdquo;, in 1979, launching a revolutionary change within the sweet corn industry. The highly successful &ldquo;Power Husker&rdquo; for seed corn followed in 1984. Now with more than 3,000 husking units operating in over 40 countries, not only is A &amp; K the world leader in the production of husking equipment for the sweet and seed corn industries, but it also manufactures pre-cleaning equipment for carrots, citrus products, potatoes, radishes, beets, garlic and onions.<br />
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Ronald L. Anderson, owner and founder of the company, developed the original A&amp;K &quot;Power Husker&quot; in 1979. Based on his years of experience in the food processing industry, he saw the need for a sweet corn husking machine that would use less floor space, damage fewer kernels, be easier to maintain, and operate fully automatically. Recognizing the potential of the prototype machine during the 1979 season, A &amp; K Development Company manufactured and sold 8 units for the 1980 processing season. The A&amp;K Power Husker revolutionized the husking of sweet corn, and became the standard model within the industry. Throughout the industry, large and small processors alike began converting their operations to this model of husking machine exclusively. Seldom has there been a machine that has converted an entire industry to its use in such a short period of time. Over the years, A&amp;K has been granted 12 patents for its innovative designs and technical concepts for food processing equipment.<br />
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Once the sweet corn industry had been won over, A &amp; K applied its innovation to the seed corn industry. Seeing that the configuration designed for husking sweet corn would be too aggressive for easy-to-shell seed corn, A&amp;K designed and patented a special spiral roll to husk the corn with less force. Adding a blade to the roll eliminated a problem of ears standing on end. Tested at a seed processing plant in 1984, this system&rsquo;s extraordinary performance initiated the conversion of the seed corn industry to the new &ldquo;Power Husker&rdquo; as well.