Manufacturing & industrial IT support in Kansas
When the line stops, the cost is measurable. We work to keep it running.
What you get
- Shop-floor networking: built for dust, distance, and interference
- Legacy equipment isolation: segmented so old systems can’t be a doorway
- Production-first scheduling: maintenance planned around your shifts
- Tested recovery: verified restores of production data
Manufacturing downtime has a number attached to it. Idle staff, missed shipments, and schedules that don’t recover. Meanwhile the equipment running your operation is often a decade old, unpatchable, and impossible to replace on short notice.
CK Technologies supports manufacturers and industrial operations across Central and Western Kansas with networks built for shop-floor conditions, isolation for legacy systems, and support that understands what an hour of downtime actually costs.
What goes wrong in manufacturing IT
The failure modes we see most often across Kansas industrial operations.
Legacy equipment that can’t be patched
Controls, CNC machines, and monitoring systems often run operating systems that stopped receiving updates years ago. Replacing them isn’t realistic. Isolating them is — and it’s the difference between an old machine and an open door.
Shop-floor networks built for offices
Dust, heat, vibration, electrical interference, and long cable runs destroy equipment specified for a carpeted office. Industrial environments need hardware rated for them.
Ransomware reaching production
Manufacturing is among the most-targeted sectors, because downtime creates pressure to pay quickly. Flat networks let an infection on an office workstation reach production systems in minutes.
Maintenance scheduled through a shift
Patching and reboots during production cost real money. Work should be planned around your schedule — which requires a provider who actually asks when your shifts run.
Nobody owns the OT/IT boundary
Your equipment vendor handles the machines. Your IT provider handles the office. The network connecting them frequently belongs to neither, and problems there go unowned.
Production data with no verified backup
Job files, CAD drawings, machine programs, and quality records are difficult or impossible to reconstruct. Having a backup is not the same as having proven you can restore one.
The result: Networks built for the environment they actually live in, legacy systems isolated instead of exposed, and maintenance that works around production rather than through it.
Where OT meets IT
Most manufacturing IT problems live at the boundary between operational technology and information technology. Your machine vendor supports the equipment. A typical IT provider supports the office. The network in between often has no clear owner — and that’s where failures happen.
We take responsibility for that boundary. That means segmenting production systems from general office use, isolating equipment that can’t be patched, and building network infrastructure rated for the conditions on your floor.
It also means scheduling around you. Maintenance windows get planned against your shift schedule, because an update applied during a run isn’t maintenance — it’s an outage.
Old equipment doesn’t have to be a security hole. When a machine can’t be patched, isolation is the answer — and it’s far cheaper than replacement.
- Network segmentation: production systems separated from office traffic
- Legacy system isolation: unpatchable equipment contained, not exposed
- Industrial-grade hardware: switches and access points rated for the floor
- Layered security: endpoint protection, email filtering, and MFA
- Verified backups: tested restores of job files, programs, and records
- Shift-aware maintenance: windows planned around production
How we onboard a manufacturer
Step 1
Floor & network assessment
We walk the operation — office, floor, and everything between — documenting what’s connected, what’s unpatchable, and where the network was never built for the environment.
Step 2
Segment & harden
We separate production from office traffic, isolate legacy equipment, and replace hardware that isn’t rated for the conditions, working around your shift schedule.
Step 3
Ongoing management
We monitor, patch what can be patched, verify restores, and coordinate with your equipment vendors — so problems at the boundary have a clear owner.
Who we support
- Manufacturers and fabrication shops
- Industrial service and equipment companies
- Agricultural processing operations
- Distribution and warehousing
- Energy and utility service providers
- Any operation where downtime stops revenue
Common reasons manufacturers call us
- Equipment runs an OS that can’t be updated and nobody knows what to do
- Shop-floor network hardware keeps failing
- Maintenance keeps happening during production
- Your machine vendor and IT provider blame each other
- Nobody has verified production data can be restored
Common questions
Still have a question? Call us and a technician will answer.
We have equipment running old Windows versions. What can you do?
Isolate it. Replacing production equipment because its operating system is unsupported is rarely realistic, so the practical answer is network segmentation — putting that equipment where it can do its job without being reachable from the rest of your network. It’s a fraction of the cost of replacement, and together with monitoring and tested backups it greatly reduces the exposure.
Can you work with our equipment vendors?
Yes, and we expect to. Machine vendors support the equipment; we support the network and systems around it. When a problem sits at the boundary, we coordinate directly with them rather than leaving your staff to relay messages between two companies.
Can you schedule work around our production shifts?
Yes. We ask about your shift schedule during onboarding and plan maintenance windows around it. If you run multiple shifts or continuous operation, we work with you to find genuine windows rather than assuming evenings are free.
Is manufacturing really a ransomware target?
Yes. Manufacturing is among the most-targeted sectors, largely because production downtime creates urgent pressure to restore operations. The most effective defenses are unglamorous: segmented networks, tested backups, multi-factor authentication, and email filtering. We put those in place.
How much does manufacturing IT support cost?
We charge a flat monthly rate per user, with project work for infrastructure like cabling or network hardware quoted separately. Pricing depends on your number of users, sites, and the state of your existing infrastructure. Visit our pricing page for details.
What areas of Kansas do you serve?
We support manufacturers and industrial operations throughout Central and Western Kansas — including Hays, Salina, Colby, Great Bend, Dodge City, Russell, WaKeeney, and communities across Central and Western Kansas. On-site support is available across the region.
IT that keeps production running
If downtime is costing you and nobody owns the problem, let’s talk.
Related: All industries · Managed IT Services · Business IT Support · Network Services