KSS Enterprises

What KSS Enterprises does

KSS Enterprises is a regional wholesale distributor founded in 1945 and headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The company specializes in custodial and janitorial supplies, industrial and retail packaging, foodservice supplies, cleaning equipment, and related facility-maintenance products, serving business customers across the Great Lakes Region — primarily Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. KSS operates 11 public showrooms and 7 distribution centers, alongside an e-commerce-enabled catalog (catalog.kssenterprises.com) offering 4,800+ SKUs and a same-day order cutoff of 12:00 p.m. for next-day delivery. The firm employs 101–250 staff and serves nine named verticals including Building Service Contractors, Education, Healthcare, Food Service & Hospitality, Industrial, Grocery, Retail, On-Premise Laundry, and Churches.

The company's core technology stack is its e-commerce catalog and Customer Service Remote online order entry system, supplemented by relationship-management workflows routed through dedicated account coordinators and an inside sales team. Service lines beyond product distribution include Parts & Service (preventative maintenance and repair), an Equipment Rental Fleet (autoscrubbers, carpet extractors, floor buffers, wet/dry vacuums), and an Education & Training program supported by content partnerships with Buckeye International and equipment partnerships with Tennant Company. No proprietary AI/ML platform or data asset is described in the source.

KSS generates revenue primarily through transactional product sales (custodial supplies, packaging, foodservice, facility and grounds), equipment sales and rentals, parts and service, and professional training. Pricing is unit-based with a publicly disclosed catalog, a $250 minimum order, and a $10 handling charge for sub-minimum orders. The go-to-market is sales-led, combining field account coordinators, inside sales, retail showrooms, and an online storefront. KSS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BradyPLUS, itself part of the broader Envoy Solutions distribution network.

Name

KSS Enterprises

Legal name

KSS Enterprises

Website

https://kssenterprises.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KSS Enterprises is a 1945-founded, Kalamazoo-based regional wholesale distributor of custodial supplies, industrial packaging, foodservice products, and cleaning equipment, serving business customers across Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio through 11 showrooms, 7 distribution centers, and an e-commerce catalog of 4,800+ SKUs. It is a subsidiary of BradyPLUS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Janitorial and Industrial Supply Distribution

NAICS

Other Professional Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423490), Service Establishment Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42385)

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

Janitorial & Sanitation (JanSan) Supplies Wholesale (CRAOAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cleaning Chemicals & Disinfectants Distribution (CRAOAGAB), Foodservice & Kitchen Cleaning (Warewashing) Distribution (CRAOAGAH), Paper, Tissue, Wipers & Dispensers Distribution (CRAOAGAC), Cleaning Tools, Mops, Brooms & Brushes Distribution (CRAOAGAD)

Keywords

• Janitorial supply distribution
• Industrial packaging supplies
• Cleaning equipment rental
• Facility maintenance supplies
• Foodservice packaging products

Headquarters

HQ city

Kalamazoo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Custodial & Cleaning Supplies: KSS generates revenue through the sale of custodial supplies including chemicals, cleaning equipment, paper products, liners, restroom products, and related accessories. Sales are one-time transactional purchases, though repeat business is driven by the company's broad catalog of 4,800+ SKUs and customer relationships.
2. Product Sales - Packaging Solutions: Revenue from industrial packaging supplies including bags, boxes, bubble wrap, corrugated sheets, foam, kraft materials, labels, loosefill, mailers, poly tubing, strapping, stretch wrap, and tape. The company also offers custom/packaging equipment and retail packaging solutions.
3. Equipment Sales & Rental: KSS sells and rents cleaning equipment including autoscrubbers, carpet extractors, floor buffers, wet/dry vacs, and related machines. The rental fleet provides recurring rental revenue while equipment sales are one-time transactions.
4. Parts & Service: Revenue from parts sales and maintenance/repair services for cleaning equipment. The company offers preventative maintenance plans and on-site repairs, generating service revenue alongside parts sales.
5. Education & Training: KSS offers education and training programs for custodial staff, helping customers maximize use of cleaning products and equipment. This service supports product sales while potentially generating standalone training revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

KSS Enterprises is a regional wholesale distributor that sells custodial/janitorial supplies, cleaning chemicals, paper and liner products, industrial packaging materials, foodservice disposables, office and facilities/grounds supplies, and cleaning equipment to commercial customers. It complements product distribution with equipment sales and rentals, preventative maintenance and repair services, and staff training/education programs. Sales are fulfilled through field account coordinators, an inside sales desk, an e-commerce catalog of 4,800+ SKUs, and 11 public showrooms supported by 7 distribution centers in the Great Lakes Region.

Product overview

KSS Enterprises is a specialized distributor offering a multi-category portfolio of products and services. The core offerings include Custodial Supplies (cleaning products, equipment, and training), Packaging Solutions (supplies, equipment, and custom solutions), and Education & Training programs. These are supported by Parts & Service with preventative maintenance and a Rental Fleet program. The company operates an Online Catalog platform with 4,800+ SKUs spanning janitorial supplies, COVID products, industrial packaging, food service supplies, office supplies, and facilities & grounds materials. KSS Enterprises is part of the BradyPLUS/Envoy Solutions distribution network serving the Great Lakes Region since 1945.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custodial Supplies Wholesale distribution of cleaning chemicals, paper products, liners, restroom supplies, matting, receptacles, warewash and laundry chemicals, and cleaning equipment for commercial facility maintenance. Designed for building service contractors, schools, healthcare facilities, churches, retail, and industrial customers across Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.
• Packaging Solutions Distribution of industrial and retail packaging supplies including bags, boxes, bubble wrap, corrugated sheets, foam, kraft materials, labels, loosefill, mailers, poly tubing and sheeting, strapping, stretch wrap, and tape. Includes packaging equipment and custom packaging solutions quoted per project, intended for shipping operations, e-commerce, retail merchandising, and industrial packagers.
• Education and Training Programs Training programs that help custodial teams use cleaning products effectively, improve efficiencies, and maximize facility maintenance productivity, including standardized cleaning process content such as the 5-Step Standardized Cleaning Process wall chart co-distributed with Buckeye International. Aimed at schools, healthcare, building service contractors, and other facility maintenance customers.
• Parts and Service (Preventative Maintenance and Repair) Preventative maintenance, repair, and parts replacement services for cleaning equipment including autoscrubbers, carpet extractors, floor buffers, and wet/dry vacuums (e.g., Tennant machines). Includes on-site service requests and maintenance plans, serving customers who rely on KSS equipment uptime.
• Cleaning Equipment Rental Fleet Rental program supplying autoscrubbers, carpet extractors, floor buffers and floor machines, and wet/dry vacuums for temporary use. Targeted at customers needing short-term or supplemental cleaning equipment without capital purchase, including building service contractors and industrial facilities.
• KSS Online Catalog (E-commerce Storefront) Self-service online ordering platform giving business customers access to 4,800+ SKUs across janitorial supplies, COVID products, facilities and grounds, food service, office, and industrial packaging categories, with real-time unit pricing and online purchasing. Supplements phone, fax, and email ordering for SMB and individual buyer segments.
• COVID and PPE Product Line Distribution of personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer, disinfectants, and electrostatic sprayers for infection control and pandemic response in healthcare, education, retail, and facility maintenance settings.
• Food Service Supplies Distribution of food products and foodservice supplies (including disposables and related items) to restaurants, hotels, hospitality venues, and on-premise laundry operations.
• Facilities and Grounds Supplies Distribution of facility maintenance products, tools and hardware, grounds maintenance supplies, lighting, and safety products to commercial and institutional facilities.
• Office Supplies Distribution of office furniture, office technology, and miscellaneous office supplies for business customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supplies make up only about 10% of overall facility budget, with the rest being labor — making training and product efficiency critical to cost savings

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BradyPLUScoreOthersKSS Enterprises is now proudly part of BradyPLUS, a specialized distributor and solutions provider in JanSan, foodservice, and industrial packaging. The company also displays the BradyPLUS endorsed logo on its website. BradyPLUS is a parent company/holding that unifies specialized distributors in the facility care and packaging space. Copyright notice reads '2024 – KSS Enterprises, a BradyPLUS company.'
• Envoy SolutionscoreOthersKSS Enterprises is part of Envoy Solutions, described as a specialized distributor and solutions provider in facility care, foodservice, packaging, and marketing execution. Envoy Solutions appears to be a sibling or parent entity operating in the same distribution space alongside BradyPLUS.
• Buckeye International (Honors Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKSS Enterprises participates in Buckeye International's Honors Program, distributing educational materials including the 5-Step Standardized Cleaning Process wall chart. This is a co-marketing relationship where Buckeye provides training content and KSS distributes it to customers as part of its education and training service offering.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Envoy Solutions: Envoy Solutions is the larger affiliated holding company within which BradyPLUS (and therefore KSS) operates, providing facility care, foodservice, packaging, and marketing execution solutions across North America. It is a corporate-level peer operating the same distribution categories as KSS but at significantly greater scale.
• Veritiv Corporation: Veritiv is a publicly-traded distributor of packaging, facility solutions, and print products, with overlap into KSS's industrial packaging and facility maintenance categories. It serves as a broad-line comparator for the packaging portion of KSS's portfolio.
• HD Supply (now White Cap): HD Supply (now operating as White Cap after the Maintenance & Hardware segment divestiture) is a major facilities maintenance and industrial distribution incumbent. It competes with KSS on the maintenance supplies, cleaning equipment, and facilities products side, though at far greater scale and with a national footprint.
• Grainger: Grainger is a large national MRO and facility maintenance distributor with a strong e-commerce platform. While it does not specialize in JanSan the way KSS does, it competes for the same facility maintenance and cleaning product spend with a much broader catalog and digital capability.
• Bunzl Distribution: Bunzl is a global distribution company whose North American operation distributes foodservice disposables, janitorial supplies, and packaging products — overlapping directly with KSS's product mix. It is a publicly-traded incumbent with a roll-up strategy that mirrors the BradyPLUS approach.
• BradyPLUS: BradyPLUS is the direct parent company of KSS Enterprises and a specialized national distributor of JanSan, foodservice, and industrial packaging supplies. As the operating platform that consolidates regional distributors including KSS, it is the most direct structural peer — same product categories, same customer verticals, broader geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Daycon Products Company: Daycon is a regional JanSan distributor serving the Mid-Atlantic and surrounding states with cleaning chemicals, equipment, and training. It is highly comparable to KSS in business model (chemicals + equipment + training + regional density) and customer verticals (education, healthcare, BSCs).
• HP Products: HP Products is an Indianapolis-based janitorial and foodservice supply distributor serving Indiana, Kentucky, and surrounding states. It directly overlaps with KSS's Great Lakes footprint in Indiana and offers a near-identical product catalog and customer-segment focus.
• Imperial Dade: Imperial Dade is one of the largest privately-held distributors of foodservice packaging, janitorial supplies, and equipment in North America. It directly competes with KSS across the same JanSan/foodservice/packaging product categories and shares a multi-region distribution business model, making it the closest direct comparator for KSS's model.

Regional players

• Sysco: Sysco is the largest U.S. foodservice distributor, with a footprint that overlaps KSS's foodservice supply category. While Sysco focuses on food itself rather than JanSan, it competes for the foodservice packaging and warewashing chemical business that KSS services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KSSEnterprisesVideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/kss.enterprises
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kss-enterprises
• Instagraminstagram.com/kss.enterprises

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 KSS Enterprises