What KICKER does

KICKER (legal entity: Stillwater Designs, Inc.) is a US-based, founder-owned manufacturer of aftermarket mobile audio systems founded in 1973 by Steve Irby in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The company invented the mobile-stereo enclosure market with the Original KICKER — the first full-frequency speaker box designed specifically for cars and trucks — and has since built a 50+ year brand under the 'Livin' Loud' identity. Operations are consolidated in a 280,000-square-foot facility in Stillwater with nearly 200 employees.

KICKER's product portfolio spans four primary verticals: car audio (subwoofers, amplifiers, speakers, loaded/unloaded enclosures, integration interfaces), marine audio (weatherproof subwoofers, amplifiers, speakers, tower systems, media centers), powersports audio (PowerBars, PowerCans, weatherproof amplifiers, all-weather speakers, Bluetooth receivers), and motorcycle audio (model-specific audio kits, KPX amplifiers, Harley-Davidson bag lid accessories), plus an adjacent Lifestyle line (OA Series outdoor audio, indoor/outdoor speakers, headphones/earbuds) and branded merchandise. Core proprietary technology includes the square Solo-Baric L7 subwoofer architecture, dual-basket replaceable cone assemblies, the KEY smart-amp with patented ASP automated tuning (US 10,979,847), and weatherproof designs validated against salt, fog, and UV exposure. The portfolio is protected by at least 28 granted US patents and industrial design registrations.

The business model is hardware sales through a two-tier channel: approximately 1,200 authorized US dealers plus international distributors serving roughly 2,000 dealers across approximately 50 countries, complemented by direct-to-consumer e-commerce at kicker.com. Pricing is per-unit (e.g., PXA200.2 at $159.95, PXA500.1 at $279.95) with no subscription or recurring-revenue component. KICKER sells exclusively to consumer/aftermarket retail (automotive enthusiasts, boat owners, powersports riders, motorcyclists) with no enterprise B2B contracts or named institutional customers identified. The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and remains under founder/president Steve Irby's leadership with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or M&A activity.

Name

KICKER

Legal name

Stillwater Designs, Inc.

Website

https://kicker.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

KICKER (Stillwater Designs, Inc.) is a US-founded, privately held manufacturer of aftermarket mobile audio systems — subwoofers, amplifiers, speakers, and enclosures for cars, marine vessels, powersports vehicles, and motorcycles — sold through roughly 1,200 US dealers and 2,000 international dealers across 50 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Audio Equipment

NAICS

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (334310), Sporting Goods Retailers (459110), Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42391)

SIC

Household Audio & Video Equipment (3651), Wholesale-Electrical Appliances, Tv & Radio Sets (5064)

akta.pro primary industry

AV Receivers, Amplifiers & Hi‑Fi Components Retail (CRACAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Motorsports & Powersports Gear & Accessories Retail (CRAMABAN)

Keywords

• Car audio systems
• Marine audio equipment
• Powersports audio solutions
• Motorcycle audio kits
• Mobile audio manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Stillwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Mobile Audio: KICKER generates revenue primarily through the sale of audio hardware including subwoofers, amplifiers, speakers, and enclosures for automotive, marine, powersports, and motorcycle applications. Products are sold through authorized dealer network and direct-to-consumer via kicker.com.
2. Accessories and Gear: Sale of accessories including grilles, wiring, installation hardware, and branded merchandise (apparel, gear)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

KICKER (Stillwater Designs, Inc.) designs, manufactures, and sells mobile audio hardware — including subwoofers, amplifiers, speakers, loaded and unloaded enclosures, and integration interfaces — for cars, trucks, marine vessels, powersports vehicles (ATVs/UTVs/side-by-sides), and motorcycles. The company sells these products direct-to-consumer via kicker.com and through roughly 1,200 authorized U.S. dealers plus international distributors serving ~2,000 dealers in ~50 countries.

Product overview

KICKER (Stillwater Designs) is a mobile audio manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of car, marine, powersports, and motorcycle audio products. The core product lines include subwoofers (L7, CompR, CompRT, CompVR, CompVT, CompC series), amplifiers (CX, PX, KPX, KXMA series), speakers, and loaded/unloaded enclosures. Supporting products include powered subwoofers, integration interfaces, and accessories like grilles, LED lighting kits (KMLC, KLSR), and remote controls (CXARC). The company also offers a KickerU mobile app for installation tools and training. Lifestyle products include OA Series outdoor audio, indoor/outdoor speakers, and headphones. The company sells branded merchandise (apparel, accessories) and operates a dealer network across car, marine, and powersports segments. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• L7: Solo-Baric L7 subwoofer series
• CompR
• CompRT
• CompVX
• CompC
• Comp
• CompQ
• Solo-Baric L7S
• L7R
• L7T
• CompVR
• CompVT
• Competition Gold
• Hideaway
• KEY
• CX-Series
• QS-Series
• KS-Series
• CS-Series
• DS-Series
• KM-Series
• KXMA-Series
• KMA-Series
• PX-Series
• PS-Series
• OA Series
• KickerU
• SoloX
• BullFrog
• Cush
• Tabor
• VSS

Products and services

• Car Subwoofers

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Sand AssociationminorOthersProud sponsor of the American Sand Association, supporting off-road motorsports community.
• Drag SpecialtiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor powersports dealer for KICKER motorcycle audio products. Customers can buy KICKER products through Drag Specialties dealers.
• Parts UnlimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor powersports dealer for KICKER products. Customers can buy KICKER products through Parts Unlimited dealers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Hertz Audio: Specialist car/marine audio brand positioned in premium speaker, amplifier and subwoofer categories with growing North American presence.
• Focal: Premium audio brand with car audio integration products (Focal Inside) appealing to the same enthusiast/bass-performance buyer as KICKER.

Direct peers

• JL Audio: Direct competitor in car, marine and powersports aftermarket audio with comparable subwoofer/amplifier/speaker product lines and a similar high-performance enthusiast positioning.
• Pioneer: Global consumer and car audio incumbent selling head units, amplifiers, speakers and subwoofers through overlapping dealer and big-box channels.
• Kenwood: Established car audio competitor with comparable product breadth in head units, amplifiers and speakers, distributed through similar aftermarket channels.
• MTX Audio: Direct competitor in car, marine and powersports audio offering subwoofers, amplifiers and speakers aimed at the same enthusiast lifestyle customer.
• Memphis Audio: Specialist car/marine audio competitor in subwoofers, amplifiers and processors with overlapping dealer-focused distribution.
• Rockford Fosgate: Direct competitor in car and powersports audio with strong brand recognition, similar dealer-driven go-to-market and overlapping product categories (subwoofers, amps, speakers).
• Alpine Electronics: Major car audio competitor with broad head unit, amplifier, speaker and subwoofer lines and deep relationships with mobile electronics retailers.

Broad incumbents

• Sony Car Audio: Broad consumer electronics incumbent with significant car audio product lines (head units, speakers, amplifiers) and global retail scale larger than KICKER.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KICKERaudio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KICKERFANATIC
• Facebookfacebook.com/KICKERaudio
• Instagraminstagram.com/kickeraudio
• Pinterestpinterest.com/kickeraudio

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KICKER