Who We Are
We’re a family-owned and operated business with more than 100 years of combined experience in mechanical dewatering, wastewater management, and industry advising. We pride ourselves on speed, innovation, and caring for your business the way we care for our own.
About Our Company
Our CEO and founder Zack Kagels cooked up Zk3 in 2015 — literally. As a second-generation expert in materials processing and wastewater management, Zack knew the industry was missing out on innovation, and started experimenting with chemistry in pots and pans in a garage, searching for better ways to conduct business and deliver results.
Rusty Kagels, Zack’s dad and VP of business development for Zk3, has 45 years of experience in environmental and industry services. Together, the father-and-son duo lead our problem-solving efforts, working closely with our partners to provide expert consultation and find new ways to lower costs while improving outcomes.
Emily Kagels, Zack’s wife, officially joined ZK3 in 2022 as president. With more than a decade of experience in management consulting, Emily’s business expertise is helping set Zk3 (and its clients) up for greater growth and success. To further expand Zk3’s family affair, Emily’s father, Bruce Meyers, is the company’s VP of engineering and in-house mechanical engineer, helping us meet all of our partners’ custom engineering and equipment needs.
Like any family unit, we work hard to take care of the people that matter most to us. At Zk3, our partners and customers are part of our family. We’re small but nimble, and the trust we have in each other allows us to move fast and stay ahead of the competition. We all bring different superpowers to the table, and we look forward to collaborating with our customers to amplify their own unique strengths.
Our Unique Approach: It starts with service.
When you work with ZK3, you’re getting more than a vendor; you’re getting a partner. Our team will work to provide recommendations, guidance, and advice for every job, bringing increased value and trust to our collaboration. With our expertise, we aim to minimize your costs, job length, and risk.
When you win, we win.
Our Team
Our expert team is here to serve you. How can we help you today?
Zack Kagels
CEO
Emily Kagels
President
Rusty Kagels
VP of Business Development
Cheryl Williams
Northeast Territory Manager
Ty Tyldesley
Operations Manager
Kevin Kneupper
Laboratory Manager
Locations
With four existing locations and an eye on future growth, we’re able to quickly serve clients all over the United States and meet a range of needs.
Hitchcock, Texas
Our corporate headquarters is home to our industry lab and product inventory, and is where all of our specialty equipment is dreamed up, designed, and built.
Danville, Illinois
The satellite lab and warehouse store additional inventory that enables Zk3 to efficiently serve ongoing projects within the Midwest region.