John "Sonny" Kovatch returned home from World War II with the goal of testing his entrepreneurial skills by opening a two-car repair garage in Nesquehoning. In 1954, along with his brother, Joseph, Sonny opened an Oldsmobile Dealership.  Over the next several decades, the brothers would continue acquiring various car dealerships. In 1983, they purchased their first fire apparatus manufacturer and in 1985, KME Fire Apparatus was created. The Kovatch family, along with thousands of the some of the most skilled employees, would spend the next several decades building fire trucks for government and military contracts, local fire departments, and buyers all over the globe. Sonny passed away in 2011 but not before leaving a lasting impact on the community.  Sonny instilled in his children the same values he had for himself, hard work, dedication, and a strong desire to help the community. KME was purchased by REV Group in 2016, but unfortunately in 2021, REV Group announced they would no longer be producing KME firetrucks in Nesquehoning.