Kamen Wiping Materials

What Kamen Wiping Materials does

Kamen Wiping Materials Co., Inc. is a Wichita, Kansas-based manufacturer and distributor of industrial cloth wiping materials founded in 1896 and operating continuously for 130+ years. The company processes more than 50 grades of knit and woven wipers — including cotton terry towels, huck surgical towels, reclaimed textiles, and aerospace-grade non-woven wipes — at a single 25,000 sq ft facility equipped with 800 lb washer-extractors and 1,600 lb/hour tilt-loading dryers for in-house laundering. Its product portfolio spans Bar Mop Towels, Huck Towels, Reclaim Material (eco-friendly reclaimed rags), New Material Rags, and aerospace-certified Infinity and VeraClean wipes that meet Boeing specifications AMS 3819 and BMS 15-5G, among others. Customers include manufacturers and contractors across aerospace, composites and fiberglass, marine, oil field and energy, maintenance, painting, roofing, and general industrial applications throughout the 48 contiguous US states and Canada.

Kamen sells predominantly through a direct B2B model: a product catalog on products.kamenwipers.com combined with a Request-for-Quote workflow for bulk and custom orders, supplemented by phone and email sales via a toll-free line. Pricing is quote-based with products offered in standardized box sizes (4 lb, 8.5 lb, 22.5 lb, 46 lb) suited to industrial reordering. The company runs a private label program that allows distributor customers to apply their own branding, bar codes, color coding, and usage instructions to packaging, and it provides technical data on extractable matter, silicone content, pH, absorption rate, and lint ratings to support specification-driven buyers.

Kamen has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Paper Company of Wichita since February 2009, following its prior ownership by Leonard and Ivonne Goldstein from 1974. The Goldstein acquisition coincided with the firm's evolution into a specialist wiping materials supplier; a 2004 facility expansion doubled capacity, and a 2018 rebrand refreshed the visual identity across the product line. The firm employs 11–50 people, operates as a privately held corporation with no public ticker, and does not disclose revenue.

Name

Kamen Wiping Materials

Legal name

Kamen Wiping Materials Co., Inc.

Website

https://kamenwipers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kamen Wiping Materials is a Wichita, Kansas-based manufacturer and distributor of industrial cloth wipers — including terry towels, huck towels, reclaimed rags, and aerospace-certified wipes — serving aerospace, composites, marine, oil field, manufacturing, and painting buyers across the 48 contiguous US states and Canada through direct quote-based B2B sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Wiping Materials

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Specialty Wipers (Shop Towels, Cleanroom Wipers) (IMAMAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wet Wipes & Flushable Wipes (Nonwoven-based) (IMAMAGAC)

Keywords

• Industrial wiping materials
• Reclaimed cotton rags
• Aerospace cleaning wipes
• Cotton terry towels
• Industrial laundry services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wiping Materials Sales: Sale of wiping materials including terry towels, huck towels, reclaimed knit rags, new knit rags, and aerospace wipes. Products are sold in bulk quantities with various weight options (4 lb, 8.5 lb, 22.5 lb, 46 lb boxes) and packaged options.
2. Private Label Programs: Private label capabilities allowing customers to distribute products under their own brand, including custom packaging, company logos, bar codes, and color coding.
3. Industrial Laundry Services: In-house industrial laundering services processing customer materials using high-capacity washers and dryers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kamen Wiping Materials manufactures, processes, and distributes industrial wiping materials including terry/bar mop towels, huck/surgical towels, reclaimed knit rags (from repurposed textiles), new cotton knit rags, and specialty aerospace-grade wipes. The company operates an in-house industrial laundry with 800 lb/load washer-extractors and 1,600 lb/hour tilt-loading dryers, processes 50+ grades of knit and woven wipers, and offers private label packaging programs for resellers and end-users.

Product overview

Kamen Wiping Materials is a B2B supplier of industrial wiping materials offering a portfolio of knit and woven cloth products. The core product lines include: Bar Mop Towels (100% cotton terry towels for general cleaning), Huck Towels (specialized surgical towels with unique weave for medical and precision cleaning), Reclaim Material (sustainable reclaimed rags from repurposed textiles including bed sheets, hospital blankets, terry towels, and t-shirts), and New Material Rags (fresh cotton knit rags in various colors and weaves). Specialized offerings include Aerospace Wipes (Infinity and VeraClean aerospace-grade wipes meeting AMS 3819 and BMS 15-5 specifications) and Hermitex Crimped Cloth Rolls for polishing applications. Products serve diverse industries including aerospace, marine, composites/fiberglass, oil field/energy, maintenance, manufacturing, painters, and roofing/contractors. The company operates an in-house industrial laundry for processing and offers private label packaging programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bar Mop Towels 100% cotton terry towels (approximately 15"x17") that are extremely absorbent, durable, and lint-free. Designed for heavy-duty cleaning, delicate polishing, and repeated laundering in industrial, foodservice, and maintenance settings.
• Huck Towels (Surgical Towels) 100% cotton towels with a unique weave pattern (also known as surgical towels), low lint, highly absorbent, and reusable. Approximate size 15"x20" with hemmed edges, used for precision cleaning, medical/surgical settings, and industrial wiping.
• Reclaim Material (Reclaimed Rags) Eco-friendly reclaimed wiping rags sorted, laundered, and sanitized in-house. Includes white cotton/cotton blend bed sheets, cotton flannel hospital blankets, color terry towels, and color and white knit/t-shirt rags, available in 4 lb, 8.5 lb, 22.5 lb, and 46 lb boxes (and 10 lb bag for some grades).
• New Material Rags Industrial and shop rags made from new cotton knit materials including desert tan, gray, white, white cotton knit, and white French terry knit. Low lint, soft, and absorbent, for general-purpose wiping and finishing tasks.
• Infinity Aerospace Wipes 100% Rayon aerospace wipes that are extremely low-linting, strong, durable, and solvent resistant. Non-abrasive with no chemical binders. Boeing approved and meets AMS 3819, BMS 15-5, RIMS 1003 and LMCO P5396 specifications for aerospace cleaning and surface preparation.
• VeraClean Aerospace Wipes Multi-purpose cleaning cloth made from natural Rayon. Non-abrasive, contains no silicone or chemical binders. Chemically pure and extremely soft. Meets or exceeds SAE specifications AMS-3819C and BMS-15-5G for aerospace cleaning applications.
• Hermitex Crimped Cloth Rolls 100% woven cotton polishing cloth that is silicone-free, low-lint, and non-abrasive. Features firmly twisted yarns that collect and trap debris and moisture for polishing and surface finishing in aerospace, composites, and precision applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cotton retains over 25 times its weight in water
• +1 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sellars Absorbent Materials, Inc. Milwaukee-based manufacturer of industrial wipers, absorbents, and shop towels (Brawny Industrial, Tough Task). Direct comparable in product mix (reclaimed and new cloth wipers, specialty absorbents) and B2B industrial customer base.
• Atlas Graham Industries Co. Canadian manufacturer of industrial wiping cloths and floor maintenance products (Forte brand). Comparable as a similarly-sized specialty wiper supplier serving industrial and institutional customers across North America.
• Hospeco Inc. Manufacturer of industrial wipers, cleaning supplies, and personal care products for commercial and institutional markets. Overlaps with Kamen in industrial wiper SKUs and B2B distribution through janitorial supply channels.
• Contec, Inc. Manufacturer of cleanroom wipes, presaturated wipers, and contamination-control products for aerospace, semiconductor, and life-science customers. Direct overlap with Kamen's Infinity/VeraClean aerospace wipe portfolio.
• ITW Texwipe: Division of Illinois Tool Works producing cleanroom and precision wipers for semiconductor, aerospace, and pharmaceutical applications. Competes head-to-head with Kamen's aerospace-certified wipes in technical specification and customer profile.
• Berkshire Corporation: Manufacturer of cleanroom wipes, sterile wipers, and contamination-control products for life sciences, aerospace, and electronics. Direct competitor in the aerospace/cleanroom wipe segment where Kamen holds Boeing certifications.

Broad incumbents

• Kimberly-Clark Professional: Division of Kimberly-Clark producing KleenGuard and Kimtech industrial wipers, including cleanroom and aerospace-grade wipes. Larger, broader-portfolio incumbent competing with Kamen across the full industrial wiper spectrum.
• Georgia-Pacific Professional: Manufactures Brawny Industrial and enMotion paper wipers and shop towels at massive scale. A large incumbent offering disposable and reusable wiper SKUs that compete with Kamen's reclaimed and cloth products in industrial supply channels.
• Essity AB (Tork): Swedish multinational producing Tork industrial paper wipers, shop towels, and cleaning cloths. Larger global incumbent with strong distribution in industrial and foodservice channels — directly substitutes for Kamen's cloth wipers in many applications.

Regional players

• Cascades Inc. Canadian tissue and wiping-products manufacturer producing Cascades PRO and similar industrial wiper lines. Comparable as a North American wiper supplier with overlapping customer base and product overlap, though primarily operating from Canadian facilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kamen-wiping-materials-co

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 Kamen Wiping Materials