Starco
KENDA Europe Specialty is the European arm of Taiwan-based KENDA, designing and manufacturing tire and wheel solutions for Agriculture, Trailer & Caravan, and Outdoor & Utility OEMs across Europe, with in-house production in England and Croatia plus six fitting and distribution hubs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1962
- HeadquartersTilst, Denmark
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Starco does
KENDA Europe Specialty is the European specialty arm of KENDA, a Taiwan-based tire manufacturer founded in 1962. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes tire and wheel solutions across three OEM verticals — Agriculture (tractors, bale machinery, compact tractors, seed drills, hay tedders, agricultural trailers and implements), Trailer & Caravan (touring and static caravans, livestock, boat, and professional trailers), and Outdoor & Utility (dumpers, mowers, loaders, wheelbarrows, municipal vehicles, golf carts) — and additionally serves aftermarket replacement demand. Its European manufacturing footprint comprises a PU tire and PP (polypropylene) wheel facility in England, a steel wheel factory in Croatia, and access to KENDA's global production network including facilities in China. Six strategically located fitting and distribution centres across Europe support both OEM assembly-line delivery and aftermarket fulfillment, complemented by local webshops in Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Technically, the company's capabilities are anchored by a dedicated European Technical Centre focused on materials innovation, low-maintenance design, and technical/legislative compliance for specialty mobility applications. In-house manufacturing covers three distinct material platforms — steel wheels, plastic (PP) wheels, and polyurethane (PU) tires — enabling strict quality control and swift production times versus competitors relying on third-party toll manufacturing. The portfolio ranges from small wheelbarrow wheels to heavy agricultural machine tires, sold as complete tire-and-wheel assemblies, often customized to OEM specifications. Services include R&D, manufacturing, fitting and distribution, and customer care delivered through local hubs.
KENDA Europe Specialty operates a dual go-to-market model. The OEM channel delivers complete, frequently bespoke tire-and-wheel solutions directly to manufacturer assembly lines for Agriculture, Trailer & Caravan, and Outdoor & Utility OEMs, positioning the company as a long-term engineering partner rather than a transactional supplier. The Aftermarket channel distributes replacement products through distribution hubs and regional webshops for end users across ATV/UTV, agricultural implements, tractors, utility and groundcare, industrial, light transportation, golf, caravan, and trailer markets. Revenue is generated from hardware sales (B2B tire and wheel units); pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated based on volume, specifications, and customer requirements. The company is privately held under KENDA (Taiwan), which controls the European specialty arm as part of a global organization employing 14,000+ people across 8 tire factories, 6 wheel factories, and 4 technical centres.
Starco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Starco
- Legal name
- KENDA Europe Specialty
- Website
- https://starco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1962
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- KENDA Europe Specialty is the European arm of Taiwan-based KENDA, designing and manufacturing tire and wheel solutions for Agriculture, Trailer & Caravan, and Outdoor & Utility OEMs across Europe, with in-house production in England and Croatia plus six fitting and distribution hubs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Starco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Tire and Wheel Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Tire Manufacturing (32621), Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading) (326211), Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (3363)
- SIC
- Tires & Inner Tubes (3011), Motor Vehicle Parts & Accessories (3714)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Agricultural Tires Manufacturing (IMANAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Off-the-Road (OTR) & Heavy Equipment Tires Manufacturing (IMANAKAD), Specialty Tires (OTR, Industrial, Agricultural, Mining, Aviation, Marine) (TLAKADAJ)
Keywords
Where Starco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tilst
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Starco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- OEM Tire and Wheel Solutions: Custom-designed tire and wheel solutions for original equipment manufacturers in agriculture, outdoor & utility, and trailer & caravan sectors. Delivered directly to OEM assembly lines.
- Aftermarket Products: Replacement tires and wheels through distribution network and local webshops serving ATV/UTV, agricultural implements, tractors, utility & groundcare, industrial, light transportation, golf, caravan, and trailers markets.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Starco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Starco designs, manufactures, and delivers specialty tire and wheel solutions for OEM applications in Agriculture, Trailer & Caravan, and Outdoor & Utility segments, plus aftermarket replacement products. In-house manufacturing covers steel wheels, plastic (PP) wheels, and polyurethane (PU) tires at factories in England, Croatia, and China, supported by a European Technical Centre for R&D and six strategically located fitting and distribution centres across Europe.
Product overview
KENDA Europe Specialty offers a unified portfolio of tire and wheel solutions across three main OEM application segments (Agriculture, Trailer & Caravan, and Outdoor & Utility) plus an Aftermarket segment. The company combines its own manufacturing capabilities—including steel wheels from Croatia and PU tires/PP wheels from England—with a network of six European fitting and distribution centers. Services include European R&D (Technical Centre), manufacturing, fitting & distribution, and customer care. The portfolio ranges from small wheelbarrow wheels to heavy agricultural machine tires, with products also available through regional webshops in Poland, Switzerland, and the UK.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Agriculture Tire and Wheel Solutions Specialty tire and wheel solutions for tractors, bale machinery, compact tractors, hay tedders, seed drills, soil preparation equipment, specialty tractors, and agricultural trailers, delivered to agricultural equipment OEMs and the aftermarket.
- Trailer & Caravan Tire and Wheel Solutions Tire and wheel solutions for touring caravans, static caravans, lightweight/DIY trailers, professional trailers, livestock trailers, boat trailers, and car transporters, supplied to trailer and caravan OEMs and aftermarket customers.
- Outdoor & Utility Tire and Wheel Solutions Tire and wheel solutions for dumpers, mowers, loaders, wheelbarrows, municipal service vehicles, trolleys, fork lift trucks, telehandlers, and golf carts, offered to outdoor and utility OEMs and the aftermarket.
- Aftermarket Tire and Wheel Solutions Aftermarket replacement tires and wheels for ATV/UTV, agricultural implements, tractors, utility and groundcare, industrial, light transportation, golf, caravan, and trailer applications, distributed through six European fitting and distribution centres and local webshops in Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Companies that use Starco
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Starco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Starco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Starco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Trelleborg Wheel Systems: Leading European manufacturer of agricultural, forestry, and specialty tires. Directly competes with KENDA Europe in agricultural and OTR tire segments, serving the same OEM and aftermarket customers.
- BKT (Balkrishna Industries): India-based specialist in off-highway tires for agricultural, industrial, and OTR applications. A fast-growing direct competitor to KENDA Europe in European agricultural and specialty tire OEM channels, with comparable price-value positioning.
- Mitas (Continental AG): European specialty tire manufacturer focused on agricultural, motorcycle, and industrial tires. The closest direct competitor to KENDA Europe in European agricultural and trailer tire markets, with similar OEM-embedded business model.
- Maxam Tire: Specialty tire manufacturer producing agricultural, industrial, and OTR tires. A peer competitor in the European specialty tire market, with overlapping OEM and aftermarket customer profiles.
- Starco: European-based manufacturer and distributor of specialty tires and wheels, particularly for trailers, agricultural, and outdoor power equipment. Direct competitor in the European trailer/caravan and aftermarket segments.
- Titan International: Manufacturer of specialty tires and wheels for agricultural, construction, and consumer applications. Comparable in specialty tire/wheel bundled solutions and OEM-embedded business model.
Broad incumbents
- Continental Specialty Tires: Major tire manufacturer with a dedicated specialty tires division covering agricultural, industrial, and trailer applications. Overlaps meaningfully with KENDA Europe in agricultural and trailer tire markets but is part of a much broader automotive portfolio.
- Michelin (Specialty Tires / Camso): Global tire leader with strong agricultural and specialty tire offerings through its Camso and Michelin brands. Competes with KENDA Europe Specialty across agricultural and outdoor utility segments, with deeper R&D and brand recognition.
- Bridgestone (Specialty & Agri): Global tire leader with Firestone agricultural and specialty tire lines serving European OEMs. Competes with KENDA Europe in agricultural and trailer segments, though as part of a much broader portfolio.
Regional players
- Vredestein (Apollo Tyres): Dutch tire manufacturer owned by Apollo Tyres, with strong European presence in agricultural, trailer, and specialty tires. Comparable in European specialty market focus and OEM relationships.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Starco social profiles
Digital presenceStarco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Starco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Starco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Starco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Starco
What does Starco do?
Starco designs, manufactures, and delivers specialty tire and wheel solutions for OEM applications in Agriculture, Trailer & Caravan, and Outdoor & Utility segments, plus aftermarket replacement products. In-house manufacturing covers steel wheels, plastic (PP) wheels, and polyurethane (PU) tires at factories in England, Croatia, and China, supported by a European Technical Centre for R&D and six strategically located fitting and distribution centres across Europe.
Is Starco a public or private company?
Starco is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Starco founded?
Starco was founded in 1962. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Starco based?
Starco is headquartered in Tilst, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Starco make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. OEM Tire and Wheel Solutions are the primary driver. The others are aftermarket Products.
Who are Starco's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Trelleborg Wheel Systems, BKT (Balkrishna Industries), Mitas (Continental AG), Maxam Tire, Starco and Titan International. Broad incumbents are Continental Specialty Tires, Michelin (Specialty Tires / Camso) and Bridgestone (Specialty & Agri). Vredestein (Apollo Tyres) is listed as a regional player.
Does Starco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Starco.
What industry is Starco in?
Starco's product category is Specialty Tire and Wheel Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANAKAE, Agricultural Tires Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMANAKAD, Off-the-Road (OTR) & Heavy Equipment Tires Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 32621 and its SIC code is 3011.