Colson Group
Colson Group is the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of casters and wheel products, operating 42 facilities across 14 countries and serving medical, food service, automotive, industrial, retail, and furniture customers with more than 70 million casters shipped annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1878
- HeadquartersOak Brook, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Colson Group does
Colson Group is the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of casters and wheel products, headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. The company operates 42 production and distribution facilities across 14 countries, producing over 70 million casters annually with dynamic load capacities ranging from 40 lbs to 100,000 lbs. Its brand portfolio includes legacy names such as Colson, Albion, Shepherd, Jarvis, MedCaster, Pemco, Faultless, Bassick, Revvo, Rhombus, IMSA, and EHI Australia, supplemented by acquired brands Manner (Finland), AS Rollen (Germany), Arbco, Vulcan Industries, Forearm Forklift, and ESCO Plastics.
The company serves six primary verticals — medical/healthcare, food service and hospitality, automotive, industrial and material handling, retail, and furniture/office equipment — through a B2B go-to-market combining enterprise field sales with vertical market sales managers, an extensive global distributor network, brand-specific regional websites, and a proprietary Caster CAD 3D mobile application for product specification. Manufacturing capabilities span rubber processing, plastic injection molding, metal stamping, and precision machining across facilities in the United States, China, Germany, Finland, Colombia, Australia, and other locations.
Colson Group is a privately held company owned by Blue Wolf Capital Partners since March 2021, following prior ownership by Sentinel Capital Partners from 2012. The company operates an Employee Ownership Program launched in 2022 and is led by CEO Richard Kobor alongside an executive team including President of Colson Americas Bryan Spaulding, CCO Dennis E. Jones, CFO Ray Poole, CIO Joseph Hartmetz, and CHRO Joanne Hooey.
Colson Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Colson Group
- Legal name
- Colson Group Holdings, LLC
- Website
- https://colsongroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1878
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Colson Group is the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of casters and wheel products, operating 42 facilities across 14 countries and serving medical, food service, automotive, industrial, retail, and furniture customers with more than 70 million casters shipped annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Colson Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oak Brook
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices11 records
Markets served
Colson Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Caster and Wheel Product Sales: Colson Group generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of casters and wheels. The company ships over 70 million casters annually across 42 facilities worldwide. Products range from light-duty furniture casters to heavy-duty industrial casters capable of handling 100,000 lbs loads.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B enterprise sales model with quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Colson Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Colson Group is the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of caster and wheel products, producing over 70 million casters annually across 42 facilities in 14 countries. The portfolio spans light-duty furniture casters to heavy-duty industrial casters with load capacities from 40 lbs to 100,000 lbs, organized under multiple heritage and regional brands and sold to OEMs and end-users across healthcare, food service, automotive, aerospace, industrial, and retail markets through direct enterprise sales, vertical specialists, and a global distributor network.
Product overview
Colson Group is the largest manufacturer and distributor of caster and wheel products globally, offering a comprehensive portfolio of mobility solutions across multiple market segments. The company's product portfolio consists of core brands (Colson, Albion, Shepherd, Jarvis, MedCaster, Revvo, Pemco, Faultless, Bassick), regional brands (Rhombus in Europe, IMSA in South America, EHI in Australia), and acquired brands (Manner, ESCO Plastics, Forearm Forklift, Vulcan Industries, AS Rollen). The portfolio covers dynamic load capacities ranging from 40 lbs. to 100,000 lbs., serving industries including healthcare/medical, food service, hospitality, automotive, material handling, retail, and industrial manufacturing. The company also offers a Caster CAD 3D digital application for interactive product visualization and CAD model access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Colson: Industrial and institutional casters; quality lines since 1885, known for Performa wheel
- Albion
- Shepherd
- Jarvis
- MedCaster
- Pemco
- Faultless
- Bassick
- Rhombus
- Revvo
- IMSA
- EHI Australia
Products and services
- Colson brand casters and wheels
Quantifiable outcome
- Lead times reduced by up to 70 percent for some products through US manufacturing and distribution center optimization
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Colson Group
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Colson Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Colson Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ESCO PlasticscoreAcquired ESCO Plastics, a Houston-based manufacturer specializing in mission-critical, custom-molded polyurethane parts. Strengthens U.S.-based manufacturing and urethane capabilities in North America.
- Forearm ForkliftminorAcquired through Shepherd Hardware retail subsidiary. Company specializes in ergonomic lifting straps for material handling sector.
- Arbco IndustriesminorAcquired Arbco Industries, based in Export, Pennsylvania. Private equity-backed manufacturer of wheels.
- MannercoreAcquired Manner, a Finnish family-owned caster manufacturer founded in 1890. Market leader in Nordic region with over 2,000 different casters for medical, equipment, logistics, and industrial applications. Manufacturing facility in Hanko, Finland.
- Ownership WorkscoreNon-profit organization partnered with Colson Group to structure and implement the employee ownership program launched in April 2022. The program grants employees shares in the company and encourages ownership mindset.
- Vulcan Industries, Inc.minorAsset acquisition of Vulcan Industries, a North American caster manufacturer specializing in light and medium duty applications for food service, hospitality, and medical industries.
- AS Rollen GmbHminorAcquired AS Rollen, a German caster and wheel manufacturer specializing in medical segment products. Located in Huckeswagen, Germany. ISO 9001:2015 certified facility with injection molding and automated assembly capabilities.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Colson Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tente International: Tente is one of the world's largest caster and wheel manufacturers, headquartered in Germany with global operations. Directly comparable to Colson as a multinational caster producer serving medical, industrial, and retail end markets.
- Blickle Räder+Rollen: Blickle is a leading German manufacturer of casters and wheels with global distribution. Closely comparable to Colson across industrial, medical, and material handling segments with a strong engineering and OEM focus.
- Hamilton Caster: Hamilton Caster is a US-based, family-owned industrial caster manufacturer founded in 1907. Directly comparable to Colson's North American heavy-duty industrial caster brands (Albion, Revvo), serving similar B2B distribution channels.
- Darcor Limited: Darcor is a Canadian caster and wheel manufacturer serving institutional, healthcare, and industrial markets. Comparable to Colson's MedCaster and Faultless brands, with overlap in hospital bed and institutional mobility applications.
- Algood Caster: Algood is a US caster and wheel manufacturer with strong retail and material handling presence. Directly comparable to Colson's Pemco and Shepherd brands, particularly in shopping cart and display caster segments.
- RWM Casters: RWM Casters is a US industrial caster manufacturer focused on heavy-duty kingpinless casters for towing and material handling. Directly comparable to Colson's Revvo and Albion kingpinless lines serving automotive and industrial towing applications.
- Caster Concepts: Caster Concepts is a US heavy-duty industrial caster manufacturer specializing in ergonomic and heavy-load solutions. Comparable to Colson's Albion brand with overlap in industrial material handling and ergonomic caster markets.
Emerging players
- Haion Industrial: Haion is a Chinese caster and wheel manufacturer exporting globally at competitive price points. Comparable to Colson's China-based operations (Luogang, Nansha, Nantong) but primarily competes on cost rather than brand or specification depth.
Broad incumbents
- Trelleborg Wheel Systems: Trelleborg is a large Swedish industrial polymer company with a wheel systems business serving agricultural, material handling, and industrial markets. Comparable as a broader incumbent with overlapping polyurethane wheel technology but not focused on the OEM caster niche.
Regional players
- Wheels For You / CASCOO: CASCOO is a regional caster and wheel supplier serving Europe and Asia with broad catalog offerings. Comparable to Colson's distribution-led brands but with weaker direct-manufacturing footprint and limited presence in North America.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Colson Group social profiles
Digital presenceColson Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Colson Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Colson Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Colson Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries19 records
Colson Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Colson Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A5 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Colson Group
What does Colson Group do?
Colson Group is the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of caster and wheel products, producing over 70 million casters annually across 42 facilities in 14 countries. The portfolio spans light-duty furniture casters to heavy-duty industrial casters with load capacities from 40 lbs to 100,000 lbs, organized under multiple heritage and regional brands and sold to OEMs and end-users across healthcare, food service, automotive, aerospace, industrial, and retail markets through direct enterprise sales, vertical specialists, and a global distributor network.
Is Colson Group a public or private company?
Colson Group is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Colson Group founded?
Colson Group was founded in 1878. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Colson Group based?
Colson Group is headquartered in Oak Brook, United States, in the North America region.
How does Colson Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: caster and Wheel Product Sales.
Who are Colson Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tente International, Blickle Räder+Rollen, Hamilton Caster, Darcor Limited, Algood Caster, RWM Casters and Caster Concepts. Haion Industrial is listed as an emerging player. Trelleborg Wheel Systems is listed as a broad incumbent. Wheels For You / CASCOO is listed as a regional player.
Does Colson Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Colson Group.