Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company

What Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company does

Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company is a family-owned industrial rigging and lifting equipment supplier founded in 1979 in Corpus Christi, Texas. The company serves industrial and oil & gas customers across the South Central United States through three Texas locations — Corpus Christi (corporate headquarters, 302 Flato Road), San Antonio (4202 Dividend Dr), and Houston (5600 Surrey Square) — totaling over 80,000 square feet of operating space. Headcount has expanded from 8 founding employees to between 101 and 250 today.

Name

Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company

Legal name

Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company, Inc.

Website

https://kwrs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company is a family-owned industrial rigging and lifting equipment distributor founded in 1979, serving industrial and oil & gas customers in Texas through three locations, an e-commerce storefront, and on-site services including proof load testing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rigging and Lifting Equipment

NAICS

Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing (3326), Other Fabricated Wire Product Manufacturing (332618)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifting Accessories & Rigging (Slings, Shackles, Hooks, Spreaders) (IMAHAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lifting Attachments & Material Handling Accessories (Fork Attachments, Slings, Rigging) (IMAHABAJ)

Keywords

• Wire rope slings
• Rigging hardware
• Lifting equipment
• Fall protection
• Industrial rigging supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: One-time sale of rigging equipment including wire rope slings, synthetic slings, chain slings, rigging hardware, fall protection equipment, hoists, wire rope, cordage, and cargo control products. Revenue generated through individual transaction-based purchases with variable pricing based on product specifications.
2. On-Site Services: Service revenue from on-site support including mobile spooling, wire rope installation/removal, inspection, splicing, and repair services. Portable load cell rental and portable spooling machine rental services.
3. Proof Testing Services: Proof load testing services for customer equipment verification, safety compliance, and regulatory adherence (OSHA, ASME, API standards).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company manufactures, fabricates, and distributes wire rope slings, synthetic web slings, round slings, and chain slings under its own KWRS brand, complemented by distributed brands including Crosby rigging hardware, Van Beest/Green Pin shackles, Harrington hoists, and 3M fall protection equipment. The company also sells wire rope, cordage, and cargo control products, and provides value-added services including 24/7 on-site mobile spooling, wire rope installation, proof load testing up to 1.3 million pounds, inspection, and repair services.

Product overview

Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Co. is a family-owned industrial rigging and lifting equipment supplier founded in 1979, offering a comprehensive portfolio of proprietary and branded products. Their core offerings include wire rope slings, synthetic web slings, round slings, and chain slings under their own Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling brand, complemented by an extensive range of Crosby® rigging hardware (shackles, hooks, wire rope clips, hoist rings, wedge sockets), Harrington Hoists® manual and mini-hoists, 3M® fall protection equipment (DBI-SALA® and Protecta® harnesses, self-retracting lifelines, lanyards), and Van Beest®/Green Pin® shackles. The company also provides complementary product categories including wire rope, cordage, and cargo control. Beyond product sales, they offer value-added services including 24/7 on-site services (mobile spooling, wire rope installation/inspection), proof testing up to 1.3 million pounds, inspection/repair, SRL repair, and safety seminars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KWRS Wire Rope Slings

Quantifiable outcome

• Same-day shipping for in-stock items ordered before 3 PM Central Time
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CrosbycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrosby is a major brand of rigging hardware (shackles, hooks, turnbuckles, wire rope clips, hoist rings, wedge sockets, eye bolts, load binders) sold through Kennedy Wire Rope. KWRS carries a wide range of Crosby products including Crosby A-1337 LOK-A-LOY Alloy Connecting Links, Crosby A-342 Alloy Master Links, Crosby Shackles, and more.
• Van Beest (Green Pin)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVan Beest is a manufacturer of rigging hardware, particularly known for Green Pin brand shackles and wire rope clips. KWRS distributes Green Pin Shackles, Green Pin Wide Body Sling Shackles, and Green Pin Wire Rope Clips.
• Harrington HoistscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHarrington Hoists (Kito Group Company) provides hoisting equipment. KWRS carries Harrington Manual Hoists and Harrington Mini (LX & CX) Hoists, ranging from $278.38 to $3,288.07.
• 3M Fall Protection (DBI-Sala, Protecta)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor3M Fall Protection brands including DBI-Sala and Protecta provide fall protection equipment. KWRS distributes a wide range including harnesses (Delta Vest, ExoFit X100/X200/X300), self-retracting lifelines (Nano-Lok, Personal SRL), lanyards, anchorage connectors, rope lifelines, and carabiners.
• MAGNA Lifting ProductsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMAGNA Lifting Products is a brand of rigging hardware carried by KWRS.
• American Wire Rope & Fitting (AWRF)minorOthersIndustry association membership displayed on KWRS website footer, indicating membership in American Wire Rope & Fitting organization.
• Wire Sling Technical Bureau (WSTDA)minorOthersIndustry association membership displayed on KWRS website footer, indicating membership in Wire Sling Technical Bureau organization.
• American Petroleum Institute (API)minorOthersIndustry association membership displayed on KWRS website footer, indicating membership in American Petroleum Institute organization serving oil & gas industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BrandSafway: Large industrial services provider covering scaffolding, access, insulation, and rigging-related on-site services in heavy industrial and energy markets; relevant for its on-site service presence to overlapping customers.
• Kito Group: Manufacturer and owner of multiple rigging and hoist brands including Crosby Group and a stake in Harrington Hoists. Competes with KWRS as a broader lifting-equipment platform supplying many of the same brands KWRS distributes.
• Columbus McKinnon: Broad-lifting OEM and brand owner (including the Crosby Group) operating across hoists, cranes, and rigging hardware. Overlaps with KWRS's product lines through Crosby and related lift products carried as a channel partner.
• Crosby Group: Leading manufacturer of rigging hardware (shackles, hooks, wire rope clips, master links) directly comparable to a major portion of KWRS's branded rigging hardware inventory; now part of Kito/Crosby integrated platform.

Direct peers

• Van Beest (Green Pin): Manufacturer of rigging hardware (Green Pin shackles, wire rope clips, sling shackles) that KWRS distributes; a direct category competitor on the hardware portion of the product mix.
• Liftex: Specialty manufacturer and distributor focused on synthetic web and round slings with in-house fabrication and proof testing — directly comparable to KWRS's proprietary synthetic sling line and testing service.
• Bishop Lifting Products: Multi-location specialty distributor of slings, rigging hardware, hoists, and fall protection serving oil & gas, construction, and industrial end markets — a near-direct parallel to KWRS's product mix and customer base.
• Mazzella Companies: Specialty distributor and fabricator of lifting, rigging, and crane-related products with in-house sling fabrication and on-site services — closely mirrors KWRS's combination of proprietary slings, distribution, and value-added services.
• Industrial Sling: Sling-focused manufacturer and distributor of wire rope, synthetic, and chain slings serving industrial and energy customers — overlapping product scope with KWRS's core sling categories.

Regional players

• Sling Centre: UK-based specialist supplier of lifting slings, rigging equipment, and lifting accessories with comparable product categories; serves as a useful regional benchmark since KWRS markets some on-site services as worldwide.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kennedywrs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kennedy-wire-rope-&-sling-co.
• Instagraminstagram.com/kennedywireropeslingco
• Xx.com/KennedyWire

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 Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company