May. 2026- Begun a mere seven years ago by Kim and Keith Jackson, 4K Aluminum has grown into a powerhouse of highly engineered structures that decorate luxury homes, hotels and retail establishments. The company uses aluminum extrusions to build patio covers and pergolas.
Kim Jackson, CEO, has 30 years’ experience in the aluminum extrusion industry. Keith Jackson, vice president, says the company sells exclusively to building contractors. The company began because there was a void in modern, high-quality extruded aluminum shade structure material being sold.
Las Vegas-based 4K Aluminum designs, fabricates and distributes outdoor structures to contractors.
There are two types of patio cover systems, according to Jackson. The first is aluminum extruded from a billet, which goes into a 3,000, 4,000- or 6,000-ton press. The extrusion is then powder coated. The other type is roll-formed coil. “This is gutter downspout material that is painted, stamped, shaped and snapped together. “There is a steel post inside and the exterior is roll-formed aluminum tube.”
When the couple first sought to start up 4K Aluminum, Kim Jackson suggested building patio structures with strong alloy extrusions. They then worked on engineering the structures and chose the best color choices for the market.
“We developed a system with two-post, four-post and attached structures,” Keith Jackson says. The latter can be attached with various length extruded beams. “Using a stainless steel U-bolt system, not one screw is visible anywhere. We can bolt to a wall, and the [roofing] bracket slides into that.
“At one time,” he says, “we had 160 SKUs and now we have over 1,000. We offer wood sublimation and four basic colors. More recently, we added a matte black because a lot of contractors wanted that in the Hollywood Hills.
“It was a big investment to change to that color,” he continues. “But we are an innovator. Now others are trying to emulate us absolutely nonstop. One thing we found is they cannot beat our price or service.”
The company’s first location in Las Vegas was 4,000 square feet. It quickly expanded to 6,000 square feet and then, four years ago, “we moved up to an 11,000-square-foot warehouse.” Three years ago, 4K Aluminum opened a 8,800-square-foot branch in Corona, California.
The growth has been fast. At the beginning of 2026, the company relocated its Las Vegas factory to a 27,000-square-foot warehouse. “In California, we moved from Corona to a 32,000-square-foot warehouse in Brea, California. We had an independent distributor in Reno and bought that company out. We also have a soft opening this spring at a new facility— 12,500 square feet in Rancho Cordova, California.” Finally, the company works with an independent distributor in Houston.
SMOOTH RIDE
At 4K Aluminum’s warehouses in Las Vegas and California, Raymond and Toyota forklifts were used to manage extended-length finished goods. When they wanted to purchase a new warehouse, the Jacksons talked with a fellow business owner about material handling options, stressing the need for efficiency.
The question was “what if we had an aisle system and sideloader?” Jackson says. “However, so many warehouses use pallets. For our longest beam, you cannot pick that with a standup forklift and turn it sideways. We had two men load carts with stock, including bundles, then move the cart down to the end of the aisle. The workers then had to stack the material by hand on the floor and take the rest back to the rack. A lot of labor was involved,” he says.
The Hubtex MAXX 30 sideloader can carry up to 6,600 pounds per lift.
Performing due diligence, “we came across Hubtex and began discussing price and features, but it is absolutely the quality of the machine that sold us,” Jackson says. He notes that the MAXX 30 sideloader “came with glowing reviews from other users. Also, our mill highly recommended the brand.
“We went back and forth for months with our new location,” he says. “We couldn’t have a machine be too big or heavy. We looked at how to design our aisles. We needed something very maneuverable.
“We took possession of the Hubtex, and it has been unbelievable. It can take 33-foot-long beams, lift them off a cantilever rack, through a 14-foot-wide door, set them down in the yard for pickup or set them on a flatbed trailer,” Jackson says.
Some of the incoming material comes in bundles, wrapped in wood and plastic. This might include 18 to 72 pieces of lattice work. Combined, the package might weigh 33,000 pounds. The Hubtex MAXX 30 can lift up to 6,600 pounds at once.
“Now, a truck enters the warehouse parking lot. The Hubtex sideloader comes out and takes the load inside.” No longer must 4K Aluminum “use roller carts and have workers manually push them in and out in 100-degree heat. Now, one employee does it all.”
The Hubtex forks spread up to 12 feet apart so that bundles are safely lifted and transported without sagging or slipping.
‘PIECE OF CAKE’
Mastering the finesse of the Hubtex took the operator several weeks. “Now it’s a piece of cake,” Jackson says.
“We have stainless steel bar, 20 feet long and very thin, and it’s like spaghetti. We cannot lift that with a regular forklift . Hubtex forks spread apart approximately 12 feet so that material does not sag, and we can deliver it straight from the truck into the warehouse. Before, we would use two carts and two forklifts and four to five men for that. Now one person does it.”
4K Aluminum has three levels of cantilever racks reaching 16 feet high. The new Hubtex was specified with a spreaded-fork carriage and hydraulic fork adjustment to facilitate the safe handling of diverse bundle lengths. If the stack of material is longer, the forks spread at the push of a button, the mast extends, forks lower, then the wheels turn 90 degrees and the sideloader “crab walks” out of the aisle, Jackson says.
POWER HOURS
The all-electric sideloader plugs in for overnight charging. Hubtex told Jackson the battery and charging system would keep up with a full-shift operation. “We operate it on and off throughout the day, not constantly. I talked to our operator, who said he typically still has a 70 percent charge left on battery at end of the day.”
4K Aluminum succeeds through its customer service, quality and pricing, Jackson says. “We never lower our quality. We work on our overhead costs. The Hubtex helps with time management and reduces manpower; and, because of the warm environment, our workers are not having to push heavy carts.
“If we needed to, we would buy another MAXX 30. Hubtex’s customer service is a 10 out of 10,” Jackson says. “It is priceless.”
4K Aluminum, 702/778-0709, 4kaluminum.com.
Hubtex North America, 800/548-2839, hubtex.com.
