What Kinco does

Kinco is a Portland, Oregon-headquartered glove manufacturer founded in 1975 by Bruce Kindler as Kinco International. The company designs, sources, and distributes a comprehensive portfolio of work and performance gloves spanning genuine leather (pigskin, cowhide, goatskin, deerskin, buffalo, sheepskin), proprietary synthetic materials (the Mira™ series, Otto™ striped canvas), and coated/coated-knit constructions for cut, chemical, oil, water, and high-visibility applications. Its technology differentiation rests on a portfolio of trademarked materials technologies — including CoolCoat™ micro-foam nitrile, HydroFlector™ waterproofing, OilFlector™, CutFlector™, and fortiHIDE™ (a Scotchgard-infused leather) — supported by a registered U.S. and Canadian trademark portfolio. The flagship 1927® heritage style, launched in 1987, remains in production.

Kinco operates a multi-channel go-to-market: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through kinco.com (fulfilled from a Kansas City e-commerce center), distribution across 15,000+ U.S. retail store locations, and an authorized reseller network governed by a Reseller Policy and Unilateral Price Policy. The company also owns Welch, a work and safety suspenders brand acquired in 2019. Primary end markets are agriculture/ranching, industrial and trade work (mechanics, construction, welding), ski/snowboard, and general consumer/outdoor use. Following the 2025 acquisition by Mechanix Wear (a Gryphon Investors portfolio company), Kinco operates as part of a broader hand-protection platform alongside Chicago Protective Apparel, with founder Travis Kindler retaining a minority stake and continuing as President.

Name

Kinco

Legal name

Mechanix Wear LLC DBA Kinco

Website

https://kinco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kinco is a Portland, Oregon-based glove manufacturer founded in 1975, producing leather, synthetic, cut-resistant, coated, and winter gloves for agriculture, industrial, ski, and consumer markets via 15,000+ retail stores, DTC e-commerce, and authorized resellers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Work Gloves / Protective Handwear

NAICS

Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (316990), Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (316)

SIC

Leather & Leather Products (3100), Women's, Misses', And Juniors Outerwear (2330)

akta.pro primary industry

Cold-Weather Accessories Manufacturing (Thermal Sets/Arm & Leg Warmers) (IMAOAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protective, Safety & Tactical Leather Goods Manufacturing (Holsters/Pouches/Gear) (IMAOAHAF), Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers (CRAAAAAI)

Keywords

• Work gloves
• Leather gloves
• Cut-resistant gloves
• Winter ski gloves
• Performance gloves

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 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. Direct E-commerce Sales: Kinco sells gloves directly to consumers through its e-commerce website kinco.com, offering multiple shipping options including Economy, Ground, UPS 2-Day Air, and UPS Next Day Air
2. Retail Distribution: Kinco products are available through over 15,000 retail store locations, with sales to authorized resellers governed by Kinco's Reseller Policy
3. Wholesale to Authorized Resellers: Sales to authorized resellers who meet Kinco's reseller requirements including maintaining sales records, prohibiting sales to third-party marketplaces, and adhering to pricing policies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kinco manufactures and sells work and performance gloves spanning leather, synthetic, cut-resistant, coated-palm, chemical-resistant, ragg wool, textile, high-visibility, and waterproof/water-resistant categories for agriculture, ranching, industrial/trade, welding, gardening, outdoor recreation, and ski/snowboard markets. The line spans men's, women's, and kids' sizing, sold directly at kinco.com, through 15,000+ retail stores, and via authorized resellers. Proprietary materials include Otto™ fabric, CoolCoat™ nitrile coating, HydroFlector™ water-resistant treatment, OilFlector™, CutFlector™, MiraG2™/MiraHV1™/MiraXP2™ synthetic leathers, and fortiHIDE™ Scotchgard-treated leather.

Product overview

Kinco is a glove manufacturer and distributor offering a comprehensive portfolio of work and performance gloves. The core product line includes leather gloves (buffalo, cowhide, deerskin, goatskin, pigskin, sheepskin), synthetic gloves featuring proprietary Mira™ synthetic leathers (MiraG2™, MiraHV1™, MiraX2™, MiraXP2™), and various coated-palm and textile gloves. Signature technologies include CoolCoat™ micro-foam nitrile coating, HydroFlector™ water-resistant technology, OilFlector™ oil-resistant treatment, and CutFlector™ cut-resistant protection. The Otto™ Fabric Family represents an iconic product line combining pigskin leather with striped canvas. The 1927 Heritage Series (launched 1987) remains a cornerstone product. In 2019, Kinco acquired Welch®, a work and safety suspender brand. The company sells to over 15,000 retail stores and serves men's, women's, and kids' sizing categories across industrial, agricultural, welding, gardening, outdoor, ski, and snowboard markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KincoPro: Premium grain buffalo and synthetic hybrid glove line with enhanced durability features.
• HydroFlector
• Otto
• CoolCoat
• CutFlector
• OilFlector
• fortiHIDE
• MiraG2
• MiraHV1
• MiraX2
• MiraXP2
• Welch

Products and services

• Genuine Leather Gloves Durable genuine leather gloves offering protection against cuts, scrapes, and weather elements, with comfort and performance for cold weather, everyday tasks, and demanding jobs. Available in men's, women's, and kids' sizing.
• Otto™ Fabric Family Gloves Signature Kinco glove line combining premium pigskin leather with Otto™ striped cotton-blend canvas fabric back-of-hand, providing protection and wearability for farm work, ranching, outdoor recreation, and skiing applications.
• KincoPro™ Synthetic Gloves Premium grain goatskin and synthetic hybrid gloves and light-duty synthetic gloves offering breathability, durability, and protection features including SlipNOT!® grip dots.
• 1927 Heritage Series Gloves The original Kinco glove style (Style No. 1927), launched in 1987 as the 'Lined Firewood Glove.' The 1927 series includes lined premium grain pigskin palm gloves with knit wrists, safety cuffs, and Omni-Cuff™ designs, and includes the 1927KW, 1927KWT, 1927KWLT, and 1927 variants. Commemorated in the 50th Anniversary collection.
• Welch® Work and Safety Suspenders U.S.-based work and safety suspender business owned by Kinco since 2019. A second-generation family-owned company specializing in quality, handcrafted suspenders.
• Winter Wear / Ski Gloves Winter wear and ski gloves featuring HydroFlector™ water-resistant technology and ragg wool linings, including styles suited for skiing, snowboarding, and cold-weather work. Includes Alyeska ragg wool lined gloves used as base layers for extreme cold applications.
• Cut-Resistant Gloves Cut-resistant gloves featuring CutFlector™ cut-resistant technology, designed for mechanic, industrial, and construction applications requiring hand protection from cuts and abrasions.
• Coated Palm Gloves Coated-palm gloves featuring CoolCoat™ micro-foam nitrile coating for flexibility, softness, superior dexterity, breathability, and grip control when handling light oils and chemicals.
• High-Visibility Gloves High-visibility gloves featuring 3M Scotchlite reflective knuckle straps and ANSI-107 compliant MiraHV1™ high-visibility suede synthetic leather, providing safety visibility for industrial and roadway work.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 years in business since 1975 founding
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mechanix WearcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 July 2025Mechanix Wear, a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors and a California-based gloves platform, acquired Kinco. Kinco's current owner Travis Kindler remains as President under Mechanix Wear CEO Jesse Spungin while retaining a minority stake. The acquisition aims to leverage resources for growth, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
• Travis KindlercoreOthersCurrent Kinco owner who will remain as President under Mechanix Wear CEO Jesse Spungin while retaining a minority stake following the acquisition.
• WelchminorOthersU.S.-based work and safety suspender business acquired by Kinco in 2019. Second generation family owned company specializing in quality, handcrafted suspenders.
• Chicago Protective ApparelcoreOthersAcquired by Mechanix Wear in 2021 as the first add-on acquisition to the platform. Represents Kinco's broader ecosystem of protective equipment brands.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ansell: Global protective solutions leader with extensive hand protection portfolio. Competes in cut-resistant, chemical-resistant, and industrial glove categories where Kinco is active, though at a much larger enterprise scale.
• Burton: Snowboard industry leader with ski/snowboard glove line. Competes in the same skiing/snowboarding consumer segment where Kinco has underground following, though Burton's portfolio extends broadly across snowboards and apparel.
• Carhartt: Major workwear brand extending into gloves and accessories with comparable work/ranch/agricultural customer base. Wider portfolio but overlaps in insulated work gloves, leather drivers, and cold-weather gloves at similar retail price points.
• Showa Group: Global manufacturer of disposable, industrial, and specialty gloves with much larger scale. Competes with Kinco's coated-knit, chemical-resistant, and cut-resistant products in industrial B2B channels.
• 3M (Personal Safety Division): Diversified safety products manufacturer including high-visibility reflective and protective gloves. Commercially partners with Kinco (3M Scotchlite reflective knuckle straps) and competes in adjacent high-visibility glove categories.

Direct peers

• Wells Lamont: Established U.S. work glove manufacturer with a long heritage (founded 1907), competing directly across work, gardening, and winter glove categories. Comparable multi-channel distribution including mass retail, hardware, and farm/ranch channels.
• Hestra: Premium ski and outdoor glove specialist with strong heritage and brand recognition in the ski/snowboard market where Kinco has built its cult following. Comparable product positioning in insulated waterproof ski gloves.
• Youngstown Glove Company: Specialized work glove maker with strong focus on cut-resistant and utility gloves for trades, construction, and industrial segments. Comparable product breadth and similar target customer base of professional tradesmen.
• Ironclad Performance Wear: Performance work glove brand directly competing in industrial, mechanic, and construction segments with proprietary technology branding (similar to Kinco's CoolCoat/CutFlector) and similar pricing tiers for premium SKUs.
• Mechanix Wear: Mechanix Wear is Kinco's parent company and the most direct peer, specializing in mechanic and work gloves across the same industrial, automotive, and professional end markets. Operates the same glove manufacturing/distribution model with overlapping product categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KincoGloves
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kinco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Kinco