---
title: 'Product Development Co-op at Tekton'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/product-development-co-op-tekton-grand-rapids-trj9dee55e2x'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-26'
---

# Product Development Co-op at Tekton

- **Company:** Tekton
- **Location:** Grand Rapids, MI
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-26
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/tekton/7a106046-00e3-4aee-82bb-affc67183325

## Job description

In the Product Development Co-op role, you work closely with other members of our Product Development Team on all phases of the product development process—researching, designing, manufacturing, and refining the highest-quality hand tools. We view the work of our Co-op program as an integral part of our full-time Product Development Team. You will join an existing project team in your first rotation and quickly be asked to contribute to the development project(s) underway. In later rotations, you will be asked to lead full development projects, or at least substantial portions of them.

## Responsibilities

- • Apply engineering principles to design and manufacture tools you believe in
- • Build and test models and prototypes to verify design concepts
- • Schedule and manage the development process for assigned projects
- • Work with the Manufacturing department to launch new products and refine processes
- • Evaluate suppliers’ manufacturing capabilities to ensure they will be reliable partners
- • Develop initial product standards to hand off to our Quality Control team
- • Design and perform tests that assess the performance of finished products
- • Collaborate with the Tool Applications and Content department to tell the tool’s story
- • Follow products into users’ hands, gathering and learning from their experiences

Indicators of a good match for this role

- • You are aligned with Tekton’s philosophy, ways of thinking, and work style
- • You are naturally curious and ask questions
- • You are a team player who knows when to ask for help or change your mind
- • You think like a mechanic and regularly use hand tools in your personal life
- • You are highly precise with details and determined to deeply research any given topic to become an expert
- • You have exceptional values including honesty, integrity, and empathy

Baseline qualifications

- • Currently pursuing a B.S.E. in the Engineering program
- • Familiar with CAD/3-D modeling and other standard industry software
- • Eligible to work in the United States without visa sponsorship

Pay range

- $22 - $25 per hour

## Benefits package

- Co-op employees receive a benefits package that includes paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and a 401(K) program.

Location and hours

- This is a full-time hourly co-op position starting in Summer 2027 located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Direct Supervisor

- Head of Product Development

## About the Department

- The Product Development department designs the tools we produce and ensures they consistently meet our quality expectations. They also create, organize, and publish the formal standards and specifications that we use to market our tools.

## About the company

- Tekton, Inc. is a family-owned company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We are dedicated to making the best hand tools you will ever own, and we start by designing the products that we personally believe in and want to own ourselves. We focus especially on tools used in mechanical and assembly work; our core categories include systems of hand drive sockets and ratchets, impact sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, and pliers.

Apply Link

- https://apply.tekton.com/tekton/form/EmploymentApplicationCoop/formperma/qayynXVy0qVlvesqpYzox8RXJMbeG6ZN27BlblI26Ds

## About Tekton

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: TEKTON designs and manufactures high-quality hand tools and tool organization systems for professionals and serious DIYers, sold direct-to-consumer and through authorized dealers.
- **Entity Type**: Private (family-owned, bootstrapped)
- **Headquarters**: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
- **Founded**: 1963
- **Founders**: Not publicly available (family-owned business)

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Hand tools manufacturing and retail (ecommerce)
- Target customers: B2C (professional tradespeople, serious DIYers, hobbyists) and B2B (via authorized dealers)
- Mission statement: "To make the world's best hand tools accessible to every person."

## Products & Services
- **Sockets & Ratchets**: Systems of hand drive sockets and ratchets, including impact sockets, organized logically by size and type.
- **Wrenches**: A full line of wrenches, with U.S.-sourced steel for in-house production.
- **Screwdrivers & Pliers**: Core hand tool categories with a focus on classic design and refined function.
- **Tool Organization**: Stacking tool boxes and drawers built on the L-BOXX platform, with custom-cut foam inserts to keep every tool in place.
- **Sets**: Assembled sets from individual components to maintain consistency; no sizes are skipped, even rare ones.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private, family-owned)
- **Key Metric**: Not publicly available (revenue is not disclosed)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not applicable (bootstrapped, family-owned)
- **Growth Signals**: Growing U.S. manufacturing operations (cutting, engraving, polishing steel, molding plastic, finishing and assembly); 152 total employees; actively hiring across multiple departments; expanding its product lineup with a focus on U.S.-sourced materials for in-house production.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Family-Owned & Independent**: Not beholden to outside investors, allowing long-term product quality and design decisions over short-term profit.
- **Best-in-Class Warranty**: "Best warranty service in the industry" — no time limits, no receipts required, and free shipping on replacements within the U.S. and Canada.
- **Orderly Tool System**: A single, consistent line of tools organized logically by size and type, making it easy for users to invest in a complete system.
- **U.S. Manufacturing**: In-house manufacturing with U.S.-sourced steel for wrenches, picks, hooks, and pry bars; an industry leader in agile manufacturing methods for fast engineering improvements.
- **Transparent Sourcing**: Clearly lists country of origin for every tool on its website; 81% made in Taiwan, 12.5% in the U.S., with the remainder from Canada, Germany, Sweden, Poland, and Slovakia.

## Strategic Focus
- **Growing U.S. Manufacturing**: Expanding in-house production capabilities to increase the percentage of tools made in the United States.
- **Direct-to-Consumer Model**: Prioritizing Tekton.com for same-day shipping and direct customer relationships, while maintaining an authorized dealer network.
- **Product System Expansion**: Continuing to build out a complete, organized tool system with no skipped sizes, targeting professionals and serious users.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: "Be Authentic" — a welcoming, fulfilling, and honest work environment with smart, hard-working, creative people. Emphasis on collaboration, candor, and dedication.
- **Work Policy**: On-site roles in Grand Rapids, MI. Openings include Fulfillment, Manufacturing (CNC, Finishing, General, Sewing), Product Development, Technology (Software Developer), Ecommerce (Photographer/Videographer, Technical Marketing), and User Services (Support Specialist).
- **Compensation**: Pay is based on contribution and effectiveness, not tenure. "Impressive compensation for impressive performance."
- **Onboarding**: Immersive onboarding with hands-on experience across all departments and meetings with key leaders.
- **Career Development**: Encourages ownership of projects and processes; supports growth of abilities and skills, even if that means moving to a new role inside or outside Tekton.
- **Benefits (Full-Time)**: Health, dental, vision, and life insurance; HSA contribution; paid holidays and PTO; tuition reimbursement; paid family leave.
- **Benefits (Part-Time)**: PTO.
- **Engineering Culture**: In-house manufacturing and agile methods mean engineers and product developers have direct, hands-on impact on physical product design and production.

## Sources
1. [tekton.com - About Us](https://www.tekton.com/about-us)
2. [tekton.com - Careers](https://www.tekton.com/careers)
3. [jobs.lever.co/tekton - Current Openings](https://jobs.lever.co/tekton)
4. [tekton.com - Homepage](https://www.tekton.com/)
5. [builtin.com - Tekton Company Profile](https://builtin.com/company/tekton)

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