Knight Equipment Company

What Knight Equipment Company does

Knight Equipment Company is a family-owned industrial distributor and specialty manufacturer of material handling products, founded in 1945 by Aubrey Knight in Bowling Green, Missouri. The company manufactures and distributes wire rope, chain, synthetic slings, and rigging hardware, serving logging companies, amusement ride operators, ski lift companies and resorts, and other industrial buyers primarily in the United States with selective international reach into Canada and the European Union. The product portfolio combines third-party branded hardware (Crosby shackles, turnbuckles, wire rope clips) distributed under partnership with manufacturers like Crosby and Liftex, alongside proprietary hand-spliced wire rope slings and custom amusement drive cables manufactured in-house at the Missouri workshop.

The company operates a 250,000 lb proof test bed and offers a portfolio of inspection and testing services — sling inspection, proof load testing with printed test certificates, electromagnetic wire rope inspection, and visual inspection — providing recurring service revenue from installed-base customers. These services are bookable online alongside the e-commerce storefront, while larger or custom orders are handled via direct phone and email quote-based sales. Pricing is largely transaction-based, with catalog items ranging from $2.80 to $94.99 and custom or bulk orders priced on request; a 30% restocking fee applies to returns.

Knight Equipment has been continuously family-owned since founding, with RJ Knight purchasing the business from his father Aubrey in December 1975 and continuing as owner through 2025. The company is classified as private with 11-50 employees, single headquarters in Bowling Green, MO, no disclosed funding rounds, and no external institutional shareholders. Distribution occurs through the company-owned e-commerce website and direct sales channels, with shipments via UPS, FedEx, USPS, or freight carriers depending on order size and destination.

Name

Knight Equipment Company

Legal name

Knight Equipment Co.

Website

https://knighteq.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Knight Equipment Company is a family-owned industrial distributor and specialty manufacturer, founded in 1945 in Bowling Green, Missouri, that supplies wire rope, chain, synthetic slings, rigging hardware, and custom-spliced cables to logging companies, amusement ride operators, ski resorts, and other industrial buyers in the U.S., Canada, and the EU.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Rigging and Lifting Equipment

NAICS

Textile Bag and Canvas Mills (314910)

SIC

Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)

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

• Rigging hardware supply
• Wire rope manufacturing
• Lifting sling products
• Material handling equipment
• Load testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bowling Green

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Knight Equipment generates revenue through the sale of material handling products including wire rope, chain, synthetic slings, rigging hardware, and related supplies. Products are sold one-time with no recurring revenue from the initial transaction. Many products require quote-based pricing while others have standard catalog prices.
2. Inspection and Testing Services: The company offers professional services including sling inspection, proof load testing (capacity up to 250,000 lbs), electromagnetic wire rope inspection, and visual inspection. These services provide recurring service revenue from existing customers.
3. Custom Fabrication and Splicing: Knight Equipment provides custom wire rope splicing services, including endless drive cables for amusement rides and ski industry applications. Custom orders may require additional lead time and are priced through quote requests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Knight Equipment Company distributes and manufactures material handling products including wire rope, chain, synthetic slings, and rigging hardware, with a focus on Crosby-brand fittings and proprietary hand-spliced wire rope slings made in their Missouri workshop. The company also provides custom wire rope splicing services and recurring inspection and proof load testing services (up to 250,000 lbs) for customers in logging, amusement ride, ski lift, and resort industries.

Product overview

Knight Equipment Company is a family-owned distributor and manufacturer of material handling products founded in 1945, operating as a single-location business in Bowling Green, Missouri. The product portfolio centers on wire rope, rigging hardware, and lifting products, complemented by custom splicing services. The core product line includes Crosby-brand shackles, turnbuckles, and wire rope clips alongside proprietary hand-spliced wire rope slings manufactured in-house. Specialized offerings include amusement drive cables for carnival and amusement ride companies, as well as ski industry products. Services include sling inspection, proof load testing up to 250,000 lbs, electromagnetic wire rope inspection, and visual inspection. The company serves logging, amusement ride, ski lift, and resort industries primarily in the United States with some international reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lifting Slings Load-bearing lifting products including synthetic web slings, round slings, and endless round slings in various sizes and ply ratings, used for vertical, basket, and choker hitches in lifting and rigging applications by industrial customers.
• Shackles Heavy-duty rigging hardware connectors including Crosby G-209, G-213, G-2130, and S-209 screw pin and bolt-type anchor shackles, available in galvanized and self-colored steel with various diameters and working load limits for industrial rigging buyers.
• Turnbuckles Crosby turnbuckles in Jaw and Jaw, Jaw and Eye, and Eye and Eye configurations for straight or in-line pull applications, with various thread diameters and take-up lengths.
• Wire Rope Clips Drop-forged cable clamps and wire rope clips including Crosby G-429 Fist Grip Clips, G-450 Wire Rope Clips, and generic drop-forged cable clamps ranging from 7/16 inch to 1-1/2 inches.
• Hand Spliced Wire Rope Slings Proprietary handmade wire rope slings with eye terminations manufactured in-house at the Missouri workshop, available in 3/8 inch and 1/2 inch diameters and 4- to 10-foot lengths with synthetic fiber core construction.
• Amusement Drive Cables Custom wire rope cables specifically designed for amusement rides including Ferris wheels, Tilt-a-Whirl, Merry-Go-Round, and other carnival equipment, including endless drive cables and replacement cables for major ride manufacturers.
• Sling Inspection Inspection service for wire rope, chain, and synthetic slings to ensure safety and continued use compliance for industrial customers.
• Proof Load Testing Testing service for wire rope slings, chain slings, synthetic web slings, and rigging hardware with capacity up to 250,000 lbs; includes annual calibration and printed test certificates.
• Electromagnetic Wire Rope Inspection Advanced inspection service using electromagnetic testing to evaluate internal wire rope condition, detecting internal defects such as broken wires and loss of metallic area, with detailed graphical reporting.
• Visual Inspection Cost-effective visual inspection service where technicians examine wire rope for visible wear, broken wires, and other defects to determine rope condition.
• Knight 3/8 Steel Core Cable w/ Self Locking Swivel Hook Proprietary Knight-branded winch line product featuring steel core cable with self-locking swivel hook, working load limit of 2,624 lbs and minimum breaking strength of 13,120 lbs.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• WireCo WorldGroup: WireCo is one of the world's largest wire rope manufacturers serving industrial, mining, energy, and crane markets. Comparable to Knight's wire rope offerings from a manufacturer/wholesale perspective, with overlapping industrial customer base.
• The Crosby Group: Crosby is the leading manufacturer of rigging hardware (shackles, turnbuckles, wire rope clips) - a major supplier to Knight Equipment. Broad incumbent in the same product categories with global manufacturing scale, offering overlapping capabilities from a manufacturer's perspective rather than as a distributor.
• Columbus McKinnon: Columbus McKinnon is a publicly traded global manufacturer of lifting and rigging products including chain, hoists, and material handling equipment. Broad incumbent covering most of Knight's product categories from a vertically integrated manufacturing perspective.

Direct peers

• Bishop Lifting Products: Bishop Lifting is a multi-branch U.S. distributor of rigging, lifting, and safety products including wire rope, slings, shackles, and hoist equipment. Direct overlap with Knight Equipment's product catalog and customer base, particularly in industrial and amusement markets.
• Certex USA: Certex USA is a rigging and lifting products distributor with multiple U.S. locations, offering wire rope, chain, synthetic slings, and in-house fabrication/testing. Comparable product mix and distribution model to Knight Equipment, with greater scale and geographic coverage.
• Mazzella Companies: Mazzella is a large U.S. distributor of overhead lifting, rigging, and industrial products with a wire rope fabrication and inspection service offering. Comparable to Knight in product breadth and in-house fabrication/services, though significantly larger and more geographically diversified.
• All Rigging Lifting Solutions: All Rigging is a U.S. distributor of rigging, lifting, and safety equipment with multiple locations. Directly comparable to Knight Equipment in product breadth and distribution-led model, with broader geographic reach.

Others

• Stainless Structurals America: Adjacent industrial supplier in the metal/rigging hardware space. Less directly comparable but shares the industrial metalwork customer base that Knight serves.

Emerging players

• Lift-It Manufacturing: Lift-It is a U.S. manufacturer of synthetic slings, lifting products, and material handling equipment. Comparable to Knight's synthetic sling and rigging offerings, with a manufacturing focus and direct distribution model.

Regional players

• Pacific Wire Rope & Rigging: Pacific Wire Rope is a West Coast U.S. distributor and fabricator of wire rope and rigging products serving port, marine, and industrial customers. Comparable product mix to Knight, but oriented toward Pacific maritime and industrial markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KnightEquipmen1

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Knight Equipment Company