What Nasco does

Nasco (operating as Nasco Education) is a U.S.-based developer and value-added distributor of specialty products serving the education and healthcare training markets, headquartered in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. The company operates an e-commerce storefront at nascoeducation.com organized across 19+ product categories spanning agricultural education, art supplies, career technical education, dissection and preserved specimens, early childhood education, health sciences simulation, math, physical education, science, social-emotional learning, special education, and STEM-STEAM. Beyond the storefront, the company distributes through physical and digital catalogs, a quick reorder system for returning customers, and a formal BIDS & QUOTES procurement channel with SAM.gov registration for federal and state institutional buyers. Its product mix includes both commodity educational supplies and higher-value items such as anatomical models, patient simulators, livestock showing equipment, and farm/ranch supplies, alongside pre-configured classroom kits, individual student kits, and custom kits built to educator specifications.

Nasco generates revenue primarily through one-time/perpetual product sales priced individually by SKU, with no disclosed subscription or licensing model. The company supports its catalog with a free resource layer including lesson plans, buying guides, webinars, and a blog, plus curriculum-aligned kits such as Cornell Lab Science Curriculum Kits and STEAM On Demand. Its customer base is segmented horizontally across K-12 schools and educators (primary), homeschool families, and Career & Technical Education programs, with secondary exposure to higher education and healthcare training buyers. Marketing is executed through organic social media, email newsletters, content marketing, webinars, and SEO-optimized e-commerce navigation. The company operates as a subsidiary of School Specialty following an acquisition, and continues to operate under the Nasco Education brand name with no public financial disclosure.

Name

Nasco

Legal name

Nasco

Website

https://enasco.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Nasco Education is a U.S. value-added distributor and e-commerce retailer of specialty educational and healthcare training supplies, serving K-12 schools, homeschool families, and CTE programs across 19+ product categories. It operates as a subsidiary of School Specialty.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Supplies Distribution

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual CTE & Career Pathways Programs (K–12) (EDAJADAL)

Keywords

• Educational supplies distribution
• Healthcare simulation training
• Classroom kits
• Agricultural education products
• STEM-STEAM supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Atkinson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Product Sales: Primary revenue from selling educational supplies, equipment, and materials directly to schools, teachers, and homeschool families through e-commerce and catalog channels. Products span across multiple educational categories including science, art, health sciences, math, agricultural education, and classroom supplies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nasco Education is a developer and value-added distributor of specialty educational products and healthcare training supplies, operating an e-commerce storefront at nascoeducation.com. It sells a broad assortment of educational supplies, classroom kits, custom kits, agricultural education products, health sciences simulation equipment, dissection specimens, STEM-STEAM materials, social-emotional learning resources, and special education materials to K-12 schools, homeschool families, CTE programs, and government/institutional buyers.

Product overview

Nasco Education is a multi-category educational supplies e-commerce platform and distributor operating as part of School Specialty. The company offers a broad portfolio of educational products organized across 19 major category areas including Agricultural Education, Art Supplies, Career Technical Education, Dissection & Preserved Specimens, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Family & Consumer Sciences, Furniture & Spaces, Health Education, Health Sciences, Homeschool Supplies, Math, Physical Education, Science, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), Special Education, and STEM-STEAM. The platform provides both individual products and pre-configured kits (classroom kits, student kits, custom kits) alongside teacher resources including free lesson plans, webinars, and buying guides. The Health Sciences category features simulation and training products including manikins and patient simulators. The company serves K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and homeschool educators through its e-commerce platform at nascoeducation.com.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classroom Kits Pre-assembled educational kits organized by subject area for classroom instruction, serving K-12 teachers and schools.
• Individual Student Kits Individual and custom student kits available across multiple subject areas, designed for personalized learning in classroom or homeschool settings.
• Custom Kits Bespoke educational kits built to specific teacher or institutional requirements, including custom SEL kits.
• Health Sciences Simulation Products Medical and healthcare simulation training products including anatomical models, manikins, patient simulators, nursing simulation, emergency rescue simulation, infant manikins, IV & injection training, and skills training equipment, for health sciences education programs.
• Agricultural Education Products Comprehensive agricultural education supplies covering animal science, aquaculture, horticulture, veterinary, farm machinery, and livestock showing for agricultural education programs.
• STEM-STEAM Products Science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics educational products including augmented & virtual reality, circuitry, engineering tools, robotics & coding, makerspace equipment, and measurement supplies.
• Dissection & Preserved Specimens Preserved biological specimens for educational dissection, including invertebrates, vertebrates, mammal organs, owl pellets, entomology supplies, and dissection tools for science classrooms.
• Farm & Ranch Supplies Farm management and livestock supplies including animal health products, artificial insemination equipment, beekeeping supplies, dairy/milking equipment, fencing, veterinary supplies, and livestock showing and grooming.
• Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Products Social-emotional learning materials including books, calming corner items, custom kits, games & activities, and sensory products for SEL instruction.
• Special Education Products Specialized educational materials for students with disabilities, including assistive communication, assistive technology, fine motor skills, gross sensory motor, life skills, and speech therapy resources.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• School SpecialtycoreOthersNasco Education has become part of School Specialty. This appears to be an acquisition or ownership change, with FAQ documentation provided for customers regarding the transition. School Specialty is a company specializing in educational supplies and curriculum materials.

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• School Specialty: Nasco's parent company and the largest US distributor of educational supplies, serving K-12 with a broader catalog across supplies, furniture, and curriculum. Directly comparable business model and customer base.
• Amazon Business: Mass e-commerce platform serving institutional and business buyers, including schools. Competes with Nasco on commodity supplies through scale, pricing, and logistics advantages.

Direct peers

• Carolina Biological Supply: Major direct-to-educator distributor of science education supplies, preserved specimens, and lab equipment. Closely comparable to Nasco's science and dissection categories with overlapping K-12 and higher-ed customers.
• Ward's Science: Specialty distributor of science teaching supplies, preserved specimens, and lab equipment for K-12 and higher education. Directly overlaps Nasco's science, biology, and dissection product lines.
• Dick Blick Art Materials: Leading distributor of art supplies to educators, students, and institutions. Comparable in art supplies category with overlapping classroom and institutional buyer base.
• Lakeshore Learning: Major K-8 educational supplies and curriculum distributor with strong classroom kit offerings. Comparable in early childhood, elementary, and classroom kit categories.
• Really Good Stuff: Catalog and e-commerce distributor of classroom supplies and educational materials for K-8 teachers. Overlaps Nasco on classroom supplies, teacher resources, and direct-to-educator channel.
• Frey Scientific: Specialty distributor of science education products, lab equipment, and STEM supplies to schools. Comparable in science and STEM-STEAM categories with overlapping K-12 customers.

Emerging players

• Oriental Trading: Mass-market distributor of arts, crafts, and educational supplies to teachers and parents. Overlaps on craft and basic supply categories but with broader consumer orientation.
• Kaplan Early Learning Company: Distributor of early childhood educational materials, furniture, and supplies. Overlaps with Nasco's early childhood and elementary education categories.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nascoeducation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NascoVideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/NascoEducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nascoeducation
• Instagraminstagram.com/nascoeducation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Nasco