On The Level: Keson and SOLA: Changing The Way You Look At Levels

Keson’s partnership with SOLA Measuring Tools has brought high-quality levels to North America

“We are very excited about bringing the highest quality level into the North American market under the Keson brand.” 

For years, the spirit and screeding level industry in North America has lacked meaningful innovation. Keson is aiming to change that through its new partnership with SOLA Measuring Tools Co. Together, they are bringing high quality and affordable levels to North America featuring SOLA’s FOCUS vial technology.  
 
A New Partnership 
 
Keson and SOLA are both family-owned, third-generation companies currently led by the grandsons of the company founders. SOLA started in 1949 with a leveling tool invented on the roof of the Scheyer family home in Gotzis, Austria. Keson started in 1968 in the basement of the Nosek family home in Berwyn, Illinois. Both companies are leaders in measuring and marking tools, offer complementary product lines, and share very similar values.  

In early 2018, the Nosek and Scheyer families joined together to form a new company — Keson LLC. With a combined 120 years of market experience, the Keson and SOLA alliance will build upon Keson’s U.S. manufacturing, existing distribution network and strong relationships by adding SOLA’s European manufacturing expertise, precision-engineering and industry-leading technology.  
 
Keson is headquartered in Aurora, Illinois, and is well known in North America for providing reliable, innovative and easy-to-use measuring and marking products to professional tradespeople who are passionate about their work. SOLA is headquartered in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the shadow of the Austrian Alps, and is a market leader in spirit and screeding levels in 30 countries around the world. Now united, Keson LLC is launching a two-brand North American strategy that will deliver levels with superior durability, unparalleled accuracy and a better experience for the user.  
 

The SOLA-branded levels will be positioned at the high-end of the market and will be the best-of-the-best, just as SOLA levels have been in Europe and around the world for the last 70 years. 
 
The Keson-branded levels will be mid-tier priced levels with SOLA technology, backed by the reputation Keson has built over the last 50 years.  
 
All of these new levels will be made in one of Keson LLC’s two European manufacturing facilities in either Austria or Hungary.  
 
“We are very excited about bringing world-class levels into the North American market under the SOLA brand to give users a choice at the high end of the market,” says Keson’s President, Aaron Nosek. “We are also very excited to capitalize on SOLA’s long history of manufacturing excellence and cutting-edge innovation to provide a more affordable version of high-quality levels under the Keson brand.”  
 
SOLA’s FOCUS vial technology will change the way you look at levels. Compared with industry-standard ring vials, the FOCUS vials are extremely accurate and much easier to read. This patented technology gives users a better, faster and more accurate reading even from a distance or in a low-light setting.  
 
Keson LLC’s introduction of more than 60 different level products under the SOLA and Keson brands have been available for purchase through local distributors and specialty stores since the fall of 2018. 

 FOCUS Vials show a higher contrast, giving users a better, faster and more accurate reading.