You could say the KAON journey began in 2014, when our founder, Tin Hua, bought his first 4x4. But really, it started much earlier than that.
The innovation that sits at the core of our business goes right back to the late 1980s, with a Father and two sons in the family garage. Out of work during the economic downturn, Tin’s father, Thang, invested in a small lathe and set up a basic workshop in the garage of their West End home. As young boys, Tin and his brother, Le, would clean and oil the machine as part of their chores, and started learning the trade from an early age. This became the first machine of the family business, TNN Engineering, that remains the foundation of KAON today
Fast forward to 2014, and with young kids, the seeds for KAON were sown from Tin’s desire to spend more time together as a family.
Instilling the love of the outdoors in their children through fishing, swimming and hiking; weekends were often spent exploring and camping in old company utes, at first with nothing but a basic four-man tent. It wasn’t long until the first family 4x4 was purchased – a Toyota Prado.
An enthusiastic tinkerer, Tin got to work on some simple modifications and stumbled across a few problems.
Unable to find adequate solutions, he made his own and shared them online, where interest quickly grew. It wasn’t long before he was packing orders for everything from transmission cooler brackets to cargo barriers.
From the very beginning, every item has been approached in our signature KAON way. Thoughtfully considered details and innovative, easy-to-install designs have been central to our products right from the first prototype; made with Tin, laying under the car in the garage, with a humble piece of cardboard.
Today, things look a little different. With the introduction of cutting-edge 3D scanning technology and a passionate team, we now have hundreds of locally-made products.
Our engineering roots remain as strong as ever, and we remain steadfast in our support of Australian manufacturing, trades and jobs, and championing local innovation for the next generation.
Creating 4x4 accessories gave us the confidence to explore horizons beyond what we thought possible. From the OTT in Cape York, Balfour in Tasmania, crossing the Simpson and everything in between – nothing feels beyond our reach anymore.
Exploring these places enables us to make memories, that as a family, we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.
We hope that the products we create give you the confidence to do the same, and that they push you to always keep exploring.
The Story Behind the Name
A quick google of the word ‘Kaon’ and you’ll find yourself deep in particle physics. To us, it’s far simpler. Our name was created with the same focus that began our business - our children and KAON is an acronym derived from their names. Our logo pays homage to our mission, and is inspired by the motif of two tyre tracks disappearing in the distance
