Kent Automotive

What Kent Automotive does

Kent Automotive, founded in 1959 and headquartered in Chicago, is a B2B supplier of automotive repair products and solutions operating as a brand under Lawson Products, Inc. (part of Distribution Solutions Group, NASDAQ: DSPU). The company serves four primary customer verticals: collision centers, dealerships, independent repair shops, and commercial fleet operations, with a North American geographic footprint covering the USA and Canada. Kent distributes more than 134,326 SKUs organized into ten core product categories — Chemicals, Fasteners, Hardware, Electrical, Hydraulics, Safety, Tools, Welding, Material Handling, and Storage Equipment — with notable depth in OEM-specific body hardware for major automakers including BMW, Chrysler, Ford, GM/Toyota, Honda/Acura, Hyundai/Kia, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Subaru/Suzuki, Tesla, Volkswagen, and Volvo.

The company's technology and service layer combines an e-commerce storefront (with Quick Order, barcode scanning, and a mobile app), a dedicated field sales force of local representatives, managed inventory services, the PROS profit enhancement and inventory management tool (with CCC cost-recovery integration), and the Solutions Hub content platform. Headcount is reported in the 1,001-5,000 range, consistent with a mid-sized industrial distributor.

Kent's business model is B2B product sales with account-based pricing activated upon customer login; no public pricing tiers are disclosed, and billing cadence is monthly. Go-to-market is a hybrid of direct field sales (enterprise/mid-market) and self-service e-commerce, supported by content marketing, email campaigns, social media, and seasonal promotional offers. Revenue is generated through one-time purchases of consumable supplies, replacement hardware, tools, and safety/PPE products, with no disclosed software or subscription revenue stream of material size.

Name

Kent Automotive

Legal name

Kent Automotive (brand of Lawson Products, Inc.)

Website

https://kent-automotive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Kent Automotive is a Chicago-based B2B distributor (founded 1959; Lawson Products / Distribution Solutions Group brand) supplying 134,000+ SKUs of automotive repair products — body hardware, fasteners, chemicals, tools, and safety — to collision centers, dealerships, repair shops, and fleet operations across the USA and Canada via field reps and e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers (42312), Automotive Parts and Accessories Retailers (44133)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts (5013)

akta.pro primary industry

Maintenance, service & repair (MSR) parts distribution (filters, belts, hoses, wipers, fluids) (CRAOANAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Paint, refinishing & body shop supplies distribution (coatings, abrasives, tools, consumables) (CRAOANAF)

Keywords

• Automotive repair parts
• Collision center supplies
• Fleet maintenance products
• Automotive aftermarket supplies
• Vehicle repair tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Product Sales: Kent Automotive generates revenue through direct sales of automotive repair products including body hardware, fasteners, chemicals, abrasives, adhesives, electrical components, safety products, tools, and welding supplies to collision centers, dealerships, repair shops, and fleet operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kent Automotive supplies automotive repair products, shop supplies, and consumables to professional repair facilities, including collision centers, dealerships, independent repair shops, and fleet operations. The offering spans roughly 134,326 SKUs across 10 product categories such as chemicals, fasteners, hardware, electrical, hydraulics, safety, tools, welding, material handling, and storage equipment. Supporting services include a managed inventory program, a mobile app for ordering, and the PROS tool for parts management.

Product overview

Kent Automotive is a supplier of automotive repair products and solutions for collision centers, dealerships, repair shops, and fleet operations. The company offers a broad portfolio of automotive supplies organized into 10 core product categories: Chemicals (adhesives, sealants, lubricants, cleaners, coatings, brake products, parts washing), Fasteners (anchors, bolts, nuts, screws, rivets, retaining rings), Hardware (OEM-specific body clips/fasteners for major automakers, tire repair, keys), Electrical (batteries, cables, connectors, fuses, lighting), Hydraulics (fittings, hose/tubing, quick disconnects), Safety (PPE, facility safety, fire protection), Tools (cutting tools, hand tools, power tools), Welding (alloys, machines, accessories), Material Handling (hoists, slings, storage), and Storage Equipment. The company also provides services including managed inventory solutions, a mobile app, the PROS profit enhancement tool, and a Solutions Hub platform. Key products include the Kent Complete 3 body hardware system (KL3000) and branded chemicals and tools. With approximately 134,326 products across 10 categories, Kent serves collision repair professionals who need specialized OEM-matched hardware and industrial supplies to keep their operations productive.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Automotive Chemicals Automotive chemicals and shop chemicals (cleaners, solvents, adhesives, and related consumables) sold to professional collision centers, dealerships, repair shops, and fleet maintenance operations for use in vehicle repair workflows.
• Fasteners Automotive fasteners (bolts, nuts, clips, rivets, and related hardware) supplied to professional repair facilities for use in collision and mechanical repair work.
• Hardware General automotive hardware items supplied to repair shops and collision centers for routine vehicle repair and assembly needs.
• Electrical Components Automotive electrical repair products and components sold to professional repair facilities for vehicle electrical system service.
• Hydraulics Hydraulic components and supplies for automotive repair applications, sold to professional repair and fleet operations.
• Safety Equipment Personal and shop safety products for automotive repair technicians and facilities, supplied to collision centers, dealerships, and repair shops.
• Tools Automotive repair tools supplied to professional repair shops and technicians for use in collision, mechanical, and fleet service work.
• Welding Supplies Welding products and supplies for collision and metal repair work, sold to professional collision centers and repair facilities.
• Material Handling Material handling products for automotive shop and repair environments, supplied to professional repair and collision facilities.
• Storage Equipment Storage equipment and shop organization products for automotive repair facilities, sold to collision centers, dealerships, and repair shops.
• Managed Inventory Program Vendor-managed inventory replenishment service in which Kent Automotive monitors and restocks a customer's shop supplies and consumables, reducing stockouts and technician walk-time at the repair facility.
• PROS Tool Kent Automotive's parts-management tool that helps professional repair customers track and replenish parts at the point of use.
• Mobile Ordering App Mobile application that enables B2B customers to browse the Kent Automotive catalog, place orders, and manage their accounts from a mobile device.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kentautomotive
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@KentAutomotive
• Facebookfacebook.com/KentAutomotive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kent-auto

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kent Automotive