Our Local History

In 1999, the original owners started a small business building dumping bale beds on their farm. Three years later, they moved to Kingman, where they purchased a manufacturing plant. Our current owner, Corey Cress, joined the company in 2015 and soon began the transition toward ownership. Throughout this transition of ownership and company re-naming in February of 2017, Corey remained passionate about the manufacturing process and continued to make, assemble, and test all equipment in our facilities in Kingman, Kansas. Our South Fork Dumping Truck Flatbeds were introduced during this time. C5 Manufacturing’s product line strives to improve every day and works to ensure top quality for our customers in the farming, lawn and landscape, and construction industries.

“The entire manufacturing process starts and stops in Kingman, Kansas,” said Corey Cress, C5 Manufacturing Owner. “From the first weld to the last drop of paint, it all happens in Kingman.”

Our Process

Our top-of-the-line hay bale beds can load two to three bales of hay at a time and can lift 2,850 pounds. Since our inception, we have produced over 13,000 bale beds in all nine available sizes. From the initial welding process to the last coat of paint, everything takes place in Kingman. After years of experience, our top-tier C5 Manufacturing team has worked hard every day to perfect a manufacturing process to produce quality products. Here are the steps involved in building a hay bale bed:

1. Jig Work—We begin the manufacturing process by doing the initial jig work and building the bed frame. The bale bed frame is built in a jig, a piece of manufacturing tooling designed to place the bed parts in the correct location to ensure consistency each and every time. 

2. Small Parts—While we are building the frame bed, our team works on cutting small pieces necessary for later assembly. There are a lot of smaller sub-assemblies that are used in bed production. These parts are being built simultaneously for later use. 

3. Steel Cutting—Whether being cut by a CNC bandsaw or a computer-controlled plasma torch table, C5 Manufacturing uses state-of-the-art machinery to process the raw steel into bed parts. 

4. Cleaning—After each bed is welded up, the process shifts to preparation for paint. The first step is grinding all the sharp edges and sanding the flat surfaces of the bare metal; then, a three-state wash is done to ensure a clean paint surface. 

5. Painting—When it is time for the bed to be painted, each bed is mounted on a rotisserie so it can be rotated for complete access while being painted. Urethane primer and paint are then applied to the bed. 

6. Final Assembly—After the paint is dried by our 2.3 million BTU paint booth furnace, the bed is transferred to the last step, final assembly. Here the bale arms are attached, all the wiring, LED lights, and hydraulic power system is installed. The bed is fully assembled and tested before it is taken to the lot and ready for shipment.