Kann Manufacturing Corporation

What Kann Manufacturing Corporation does

Kann Manufacturing Corporation is a privately held, third-generation family-owned industrial manufacturer founded in 1946 and headquartered in Guttenberg, Iowa. The company designs, engineers, and fabricates aluminum and steel refuse collection bodies, recycling bodies, agricultural bodies and trailers, dump truck bodies, flatbeds, marine workboats and barges, gas cylinder bodies, and specialty truck bodies, serving waste-hauling fleets, municipal and private recyclers, farms and grain elevators, construction firms, marine operators (including government and search-and-rescue), oilfield logistics, and other OEMs through a direct-sales model with quote-based pricing.

The technology backbone is all-weld aluminum and steel fabrication, with proprietary lightweight structural designs using 5454 H-32 aluminum sheet and 6061 T-6 extrusions (160 lbs/linear foot in flagship dump bodies), patented adapter systems such as the KANN Adapter and Route King front-loader platform, and multi-compartment recycling bodies with adjustable bulkheads and tip-to-dump unloading. The marine line uses 5052 and 6061-T6 marine-grade aluminum. The product portfolio spans roughly seven families — Refuse, Recycling, Agricultural, Dump, Marine, Flatbed, and Specialty — plus a Tier-1 contract manufacturing service.

The revenue model is hardware-only, manufactured-to-order, with customers engaging the company directly via phone (800-806-5266), email ([email protected]), and website quote forms. No public pricing is disclosed; transactions are quote-based and influenced by customization, spec, and order volume. Distribution is direct (no dealer network), the company claims a global reach, and it markets through its own website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Pricing strategy emphasizes a customer value proposition of payload efficiency (claimed up to $20,000/year incremental revenue per truck), faster loading cycles (sub-8 seconds on automated side loaders), and durability. No public financials, no institutional investment, and no M&A activity are disclosed in the available data.

Name

Kann Manufacturing Corporation

Legal name

KANN Manufacturing Corporation

Website

https://kannmfg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kann Manufacturing Corporation, founded 1946 in Guttenberg, Iowa, is a third-generation family-owned OEM of refuse, recycling, and agricultural truck bodies, trailers, dump bodies, and marine workboats and barges, selling direct to waste-hauling fleets, recyclers, farms, and government and commercial marine operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refuse and Recycling Truck Bodies

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing (336211), Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (33621)

SIC

Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)

akta.pro primary industry

Vocational/Work Truck Manufacturing (Dump/Refuse/Mixer/Utility) (IMACABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Truck Body & Upfit Manufacturing (Box/Dump/Service/Refuse) (IMACAGAC), Truck Body & Upfitting Manufacturing (Box Bodies/Service Bodies/Cranes/Liftgates) (IMACABAI)

Keywords

• Refuse truck bodies
• Recycling collection equipment
• Agricultural truck bodies
• Marine workboats barges
• Aluminum welding fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Guttenberg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Truck Body Manufacturing: Design, engineering, and manufacturing of refuse collection bodies (front loaders, side loaders, rear loaders), recycling bodies, dump truck bodies, agricultural bodies and trailers, flatbeds, and specialty truck bodies sold as complete units or components to waste management, recycling, construction, and agricultural companies.
2. Marine Product Manufacturing: Manufacturing and sale of commercial workboats, work barges, and boat/barge trailers featuring marine-grade aluminum construction for various marine applications.
3. Contract Manufacturing Services: Contract engineering and manufacturing services provided to other Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) as a Tier 1 supplier of parts and components, including small and large weldments.
4. Parts and Attachments: Sale of various attachments, adapters, and options including the KANN Adapter, Carry Can, Cart Grabber, grain chutes, beet gates, high lift gates, tarps, and other accessory products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KANN Manufacturing Corporation designs, engineers, and manufactures refuse collection truck bodies (front loaders, side loaders, rear loaders), recycling bodies, agricultural bodies and trailers, dump truck bodies, flatbeds, aluminum workboats and barges, and specialty truck bodies. Products are built through aluminum and steel welding and fabrication at the company's facility in Guttenberg, Iowa, and are sold to waste management companies, recycling companies, agricultural operations, marine operators, construction firms, and OEMs.

Product overview

Kann Manufacturing Corporation is a third-generation family-owned manufacturer (since 1946) producing truck bodies, trailers, marine products, and refuse/recycling equipment for the global marketplace. The product portfolio consists of seven core product lines: (1) Refuse Bodies including Route King Front Loaders, Curb Master Side Loaders, and Pack Master Rear Loaders for residential and commercial waste collection; (2) Recycling Bodies including Curbsort Recyclers, Multi-Compartment Front Loaders (CoCollector), Multi-Compartment Side Loaders, and Split Rear Loaders for curbside recycling; (3) Agricultural Bodies & Trailers including Grain Bodies, Silage Bodies, Grain Trailers, and Frac Sand Trailers for farming applications; (4) Dump Truck Bodies in both aluminum and steel; (5) Marine Products including Commercial Workboats, Work Barges, and Boat & Barge Trailers; (6) Flatbeds in aluminum and steel; and (7) Specialty Bodies including side loader eject models and gas truck bodies. The company also offers Contract Manufacturing Services for other OEMs and a comprehensive line of attachments including the KANN Adapter, Carry Can, Slider Fork, Cart Grabber, Cart Latch, and Transformer Arm Attachments that enhance the functionality of their refuse collection equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Route King: Front loader refuse collection truck series
• Curb Master
• Pack Master
• Mighty-Max
• Curbsort
• CoCollector
• Silage Master

Products and services

• Route King Front Loaders Front loader refuse collection trucks with patented technology that can be adapted to collect rear load containers, residential containers, or multiple commodities. Available in commercial and residential configurations for waste management operators.
• Curb Master Side Loaders Side loader refuse collection trucks for side load collection applications, available in single or dual side loading capabilities with manual, semi-automated, and automated loading options for waste management operators.
• Pack Master Rear Loaders Rear loader refuse collection trucks combining quickness and durability with the ability to fit into tight locations while packing industry's best legal payloads. Available in 8 to 25 cubic yard volumes for waste management operators.
• Curbsort Recyclers Multi-compartment recycling trucks with all-weld aluminum design, manual loading, adjustable bulkhead partitions, and tip-to-dump unloading for separate commodity collection by recycling companies and municipal programs.
• Multi-Compartment Front Loaders (CoCollector) Two or three compartment residential front loaders featuring manual, semi-automated, or automated loading of loose, bagged, or carted garbage with high compaction loads and tip-to-dump unloading for waste and recycling operators.
• Multi-Compartment Side Loaders Two Compartment Automated Side Loader available in six body sizes from 18 to 32 cubic yards, with arm reach up to 102 inches, loading cycle under 8 seconds, and two independent compartments to eliminate cross-contamination.
• Split Rear Loaders & Containers Multi-compartment split rear loaders weighing 14,500 lbs, available in 12-, 16-, and 20-cubic-yard sizes with 50/50, 60/40, or 70/30 split compartments for separate refuse or recycling collection.
• Grain Bodies All-weld aluminum grain bodies available in Farm and Commercial models with one-piece corrugated sidewalls and extruded plank floors, designed for hauling grain from farm to grain terminal.
• Silage Bodies Aluminum silage bodies featuring hydraulic- or pneumatic-powered high lift-door with continuous interior single-piece smooth aluminum sidewalls that taper progressively for easy silage unloading.
• Grain Trailers All-weld aluminum grain trailers available in Steerable Pup (18'-26'), Skid Pup (14'-20'), and Single Hopper configurations, designed to be pulled behind KANN grain body trucks for semi-equivalent loads.
• Aluminum Dump Truck Body Lightweight structural aluminum dump body featuring 5454 H-32 aluminum sheet with 6061 T-6 structural extrusions, weighing only 160 lbs/linear foot enabling up to 2,000 lbs more payload than steel equivalents.
• Steel Dump Truck Body Steel dump body designed for construction and heavy-duty applications with rugged durability and proven load-after-load performance.
• Commercial Workboats All-weld 5052 and 6061-T6 marine grade aluminum workboats including Flat Bottom, Semi Vee-Bottom, Vee-Bottom, Search & Rescue, Dive/Recovery, Electro Fishing, Bow Door Boats, Deck Boats, and Pontoon designs.
• Commercial Work Barges All-weld 5052 and 6061-T6 marine grade aluminum work barges available in Crane Barge, Fork Barge, Transport Barge, Deck Barge, and Dive Barge configurations.
• Boat & Barge Trailers Commercial grade boat and barge trailers built for heavy use, available in painted or galvanized finishes.
• Aluminum Flatbeds Aluminum HD Flatbeds sharing design characteristics with aluminum grain body floors, available in floor lengths of 14'-26' with stake pockets, tie down rail, and winch rail system options.
• Steel Flatbeds Steel flatbeds featuring rugged 1/4 inch steel diamond plate floor and under-structure design with proven durability over 30 years.
• Frac Sand Trailer Aluminum frac sand trailer designed for oil and gas industry transportation needs.
• Side Loader Eject Models Specialty side loader eject models including Big Trough Single Side Loader Eject (SLES), Dual Side Loader Eject (SLED), and Two Compartment Single Side Loader (SLEM) for specialized refuse collection.
• Gas Bottle Body (Mighty-Max Series) Lightweight structural aluminum gas bottle body weighing less than 3,500 lbs, allowing transport of 60-80 more gas cylinders than comparable steel body trucks.
• Gas Cylinder Body Aluminum gas cylinder body with smooth exterior sidewalls for customer advertisement, full length interior wall strapping tie-ins, and easy cylinder access for loading and unloading.
• Contract Manufacturing Services Contract engineering and manufacturing services for other OEMs, including design assistance and Tier 1 supplier of parts and components, offering small and large weldments.
• KANN Adapter Attachment Patented attachment allowing existing front-load trucks to collect both front-load and rear-load containers up to 6 cubic yard capacities, increasing versatility and value of front loader equipment.
• KANN Carry Can Attachment Residential carry can attachment available as fork mounted attachment on commercial units or trunnion mounted for fully dedicated residential front loader configuration.
• KANN Slider Fork Front loader attachment for collection of varying width containers, providing flexibility for different container sizes on collection routes.
• Cart Grabber Attachment Attachment enabling collection of up to 300 gallon carts on most KANN side loaders.
• Cart Latch Manual mechanical or pneumatic air cart latches that can be added to troughs and tipper bars to convert manual side loaders into semi-automated units.
• Transformer Arm Attachments Transformers for KANN Mini Side Loader that can convert standard units into semi-automated or automated units by adding cart tippers or automated arm packages.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lightweight aluminum dump bodies weigh 2,000 lbs less than steel equivalents, enabling operators to legally haul one additional ton per trip
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Battle Motors (formerly Crane Carrier / CCC): Battle Motors is an established manufacturer of vocational Class 7-8 chassis (refuse, recycling, construction). Comparable to KANN as a broader vocational truck player in the refuse and recycling space, though Battle Motors focuses on chassis while KANN specializes in body upfitting.

Direct peers

• TBEI / Trail King Industries: Trail King manufactures a broad range of trailers including construction, agricultural, and specialized hauling trailers. Comparable to KANN's grain trailers, frac sand trailer, and boat/barge trailer product lines.
• Heil Environmental (Heil/Refuse Bodies): Heil is one of the largest North American manufacturers of refuse collection truck bodies (front loaders, rear loaders, side loaders). Directly comparable to KANN's Route King, Curb Master, and Pack Master refuse body lines and competing for the same municipal and private hauler customers.
• McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing: McNeilus (part of Oshkosh) is a leading manufacturer of refuse and ready-mix truck bodies. Closely comparable to KANN's refuse bodies, recycling bodies, and front/rear/side loader product lines, targeting the same waste management fleet customers.
• New Way Trucks: New Way is an Iowa-based manufacturer of refuse collection truck bodies (side loaders, front loaders, rear loaders). Directly competes with KANN's refuse and recycling body product lines and shares a Midwest manufacturing footprint and customer base.
• Labrie Enviroquip Group: Labrie is a North American manufacturer of refuse collection vehicles including side loaders, front loaders, and recycling bodies. Comparable to KANN's Curb Master and Curbsort product lines and competing in the same municipal and commercial waste fleet segment.
• Reading Truck Body: Reading Truck Body manufactures a wide range of vocational truck bodies including dump bodies, flatbeds, and service bodies. Closely comparable to KANN's aluminum and steel dump body, flatbed, and specialty body offerings.
• Loadmaster Corporation: Loadmaster manufactures dump truck bodies and hoists for vocational and construction applications. Directly comparable to KANN's aluminum and steel dump body product line targeting construction and aggregate hauling fleets.
• J.G. Truck Bodies: J.G. Truck Bodies is a family-owned manufacturer of refuse, recycling, and roll-off truck bodies. Comparable to KANN's refuse and recycling body lines and competing for similar municipal and private hauler customers.
• East Manufacturing: East Manufacturing produces aluminum dump trailers, dump bodies, and flatbeds for vocational and agricultural applications. Comparable to KANN's aluminum grain bodies, dump bodies, and flatbed offerings, particularly for ag and construction end markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KannMfg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXmsZ5hvQHbmGiuUTe7EyLw
• Facebookfacebook.com/kannmfg

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 Kann Manufacturing Corporation