Kent and Gloria

It all started with two people falling in love…
After Kent and Gloria met, fell in love, married, and started a family, Kent was laid off from his job. With a family to provide for, Kent and Gloria decided to take a chance and in 1968 they decided to start Value Plastics.

Value Plastics

Over the years Value Plastics has become the leader in the medical fitting industry. In 1995, after 10 years of research and development, Value Plastics launched the KENT Systems quick coupling line. Kent and Gloria sold Value plastics in 1998 and tried to retire. By 2001, Kent and Gloria decided to purchase the KENT Systems product line from Value and make it an independent company.

Eldon James

So, in 2001 Kent decided to contract Eldon James as the exclusive Master Distributor of KENT Systems. For the next few years Eldon James was the sole distributor for KENT Systems.

Direct to the customer

In 2004 KENT Systems had the opportunity to offer their entire product line directly to their customers without going through a master distributor. That meant better prices, faster service, custom options, and more products could be offered directly to the customer. Linda and Lyle began their KENT Systems careers in 2001, starting in the assembly department and working their way up to management.

Lyle and Linda: new owners with a bright future

In 2006 Linda and Lyle were approached by Kent and Gloria to purchase KENT Systems. It was a win/win situation for everyone. Linda and Lyle would continue on running and managing KENT Systems while Kent and Gloria would be able to partially retire (again) and continue to work. Linda and Lyle have continued to expand and grow the business by introducing new products, materials, markets, and time saving techniques.

Lyle Eldon Sampson

Lyle Eldon, the youngest of 5 siblings, grew up in the plastic industry. His parents, Kent and Gloria, owned Value Plastics and Lyle grew up at the company, literally. Through much of his childhood, Lyle and his parents lived in an apartment in the Value Plastics building. Between homework and playtime, Lyle would sort and de-gate product, perform odd jobs, and check production runs. He listened and learned while his mom worked with customers and his dad worked in the shop. He vividly recalls working on school projects in the shop as his dad worked away on a new product design that would in time become the KENT Systems Quick Coupling product line. Lyle and Linda met her senior year in high school. They both decided to go to Florida to attend college. Lyle graduated from Full Sail School for the Recording Arts with a Recording Engineering degree and a Film and Video Engineering degree. Lyle migrated into the marketing field before starting at KENT Systems.

Linda Morris Sampson

Linda started her first business at a young age. She ran a lunch room helper program at her elementary school, since then she was always involved in some kind of business. She went to Florida with Lyle right after high school, and a year later they were married. In 2001 Linda gave birth to their son and the next KENT Systems generation was born. Linda has an undergraduate degree in business management and a master of business administration. She also works part time a local career college, the Institute of Business and Medical Careers, in the business department.