KAB Seating
KAB Seating is a UK-based manufacturer of suspension seating systems for commercial vehicles — construction, agricultural, materials handling, and truck/bus applications — and office environments, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NASDAQ-listed Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersNorthampton, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What KAB Seating does
KAB Seating is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of suspension seating systems for commercial vehicles and office environments, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NASDAQ-listed Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG, ticker CVGI). The company produces air, mechanical, and heavy-duty suspension seats serving construction equipment, agricultural machinery, materials handling vehicles, trucks and buses, and office installations such as control rooms, call centres, and executive workspaces. Its UK headquarters and primary manufacturing plant sit at Round Spinney, Northampton, a site occupied since 1982; the corporate entity KAB Seating Ltd was formally established in 1984 and traces its lineage to Bostrom Seating (Wisconsin, 1935) and Bostrom Europe (Birmingham, 1962). CVG acquired KAB in 2001, integrating it into a portfolio that also includes the Bostrom, National Seating, and Stratos brands and provides shared access to 29 manufacturing plants across 20 countries.
The product portfolio is organised into multiple sub-brands. SCIOX is the agricultural seating family spanning entry-level through Premium+ variants with progressive variable damping, leather/fabric trim, and optional heat and ventilation. Sentinel is a mechanical-suspension range for construction and materials handling. The 100, 500, 600, 700, and 800 Series cover small-to-large agricultural, industrial, and truck/bus driver seats with air or mechanical suspension; the 700 Series is explicitly marketed to eliminate 70% of harmful vibrations. Bostrom addresses premium Class 8 truck seating, and a separate Office Seating line serves ergonomic control-room and call-centre applications. Manufacturing is supported by a Digital Thread Strategy on Siemens Teamcenter PLM linking CAD to MES, with collaborative robots (cobots) deployed for precision assembly and testing. Safety features include Occupancy Presence Sensors that confirm the operator is seated before vehicle operation.
KAB distributes products through a global dealer and distributor network (with regional websites for the UK, Germany, France, Spain, US, and Australia) and supplies OEMs directly — Volvo Construction Equipment is a named OEM partner following a custom Gold Rush SCIOX seat showcased at ConExpo 2020. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly listed. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 (quality, 2024-2027) and ISO 14001:2015 (environmental, 2024-2027) certifications and participates in major industry events including Conexpo-Con/Agg, Bauma, Stockholm Furniture Fair, and LAMMA. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.
KAB Seating firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KAB Seating
- Legal name
- KAB Seating Ltd
- Website
- https://kabseating.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- KAB Seating is a UK-based manufacturer of suspension seating systems for commercial vehicles — construction, agricultural, materials handling, and truck/bus applications — and office environments, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NASDAQ-listed Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KAB Seating industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Vehicle Seating
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Seating and Interior Trim Manufacturing (33636)
- SIC
- Office Furniture (2520)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Automotive Seating Systems Manufacturing (Frames/Mechanisms/Foam/Complete Seats) (IMACAKAA)
Keywords
Where KAB Seating is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Northampton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
KAB Seating business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Vehicle Seating Products: Manufacture and supply of comfortable, practical work seats for various types of vehicles including construction, agricultural, materials handling, and truck/bus applications.
- Office Seating Products: Ergonomic chairs for office environments including control rooms, executive offices, call centres, emergency services, and data processing facilities.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
KAB Seating product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KAB Seating manufactures and supplies heavy-duty suspension seating for off-highway and commercial vehicles, including construction, agricultural, industrial, mining, materials handling, truck, bus, and coach applications. The company also designs and produces ergonomic office seating for offices, control rooms, emergency response rooms, and 24/7 work environments. Its product lines include the SCIOX, Sentinel, Bostrom, and numbered 100/500/600/700/800 series seat families.
Product overview
KAB Seating is a world leader in vehicle seating with over 50 years of experience, now part of Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG). The company offers two main product lines: Vehicle Seating and Office Seating. Vehicle Seating comprises multiple product families including SCIOX (agricultural seats with air suspension and variable damping), Sentinel (mechanical suspension seats), 800 Series, 600 Series, 500 Series, 100 Series, and 700 Series (truck/bus seats), plus the Bostrom sub-brand for premium truck seating. The Office Seating line provides ergonomic chairs for control rooms, executive offices, call centres, and emergency services. The products are distributed globally through dealers and directly to equipment manufacturers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SCIOX: Seat product range featuring entry level to premium options with various suspension types for agricultural vehicles
- Sentinel
- Bostrom
- 100 Series
- 600 Series
- 800 Series
- 500 Series
Products and services
- SCIOX Seat Family
- Sentinel Seats
- 800 Series Seats
- 600 Series Seats
- 500 Series Seats
- 100 Series Seats
- 700 Series Seats
- Bostrom Seats
- Office Seating Range
Quantifiable outcome
- Eliminate 70% of harmful vibrations
Companies that use KAB Seating
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
KAB Seating technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
KAB Seating partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered regional, flagship and core.
- CEMATregionalCEMAT from Czech Republic appointed as official KAB Dealer for Czech Republic and Slovakia in January 2019. Supplier of high-quality products in handling and construction fields. Staff received training at CIEB facility.
- BF EquipementregionalFrench distributor BF Equipement has updated their showroom in Saint-Égrève, France, displaying KAB seats from Construction and Agricultural ranges. Exhibits at Truck-Show at Castellet race track and Le Sommet de L'elevage.
- Volvo Construction EquipmentflagshipCustom collaboration on Gold Rush branded excavator featuring SCIOX seat with gold stitching and embroidery. Seat toured US dealerships and was exhibited at ConExpo 2020. Includes hydro-dipped plastic parts and custom leather covers.
- Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG)coreOhio-based Commercial Vehicle Group acquired KAB Seating in 2001. KAB operates as a major division within CVG's seating portfolio, leveraging global sister company expertise for design and manufacturing. CVG has 29 plants in 20 countries for production of seats and related cabin products.
- Holmek Consulting ABregionalSwedish consulting and distribution partner, exhibited with KAB at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2020 for office seating products.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KAB Seating competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stratos: Sister CVG brand focused on commercial vehicle seating. Closely comparable as a fellow CVG seating brand competing in similar OEM and aftermarket channels.
- ISRI: Spanish manufacturer of suspension seating for trucks, buses, agricultural and construction equipment. Highly comparable in product range and end-market focus on commercial and off-road vehicles.
- Sears Seating: US-based OEM and aftermarket seat manufacturer specializing in suspension seats for agriculture, construction, material handling and industrial equipment. Direct competitor in core off-road seating categories.
- National Seating: US-based commercial vehicle and industrial seating manufacturer; sister brand under CVG alongside KAB. Directly comparable products, customers, and competitive positioning within CVG's own seating portfolio.
- Grammer AG: German-listed global manufacturer of seats for commercial vehicles, agricultural and construction equipment, forklifts, and trucks. Closest direct peer to KAB in off-road and commercial vehicle suspension seating, with overlapping OEM customer base and product portfolio.
- Milsco Manufacturing: Wisconsin-based manufacturer of seats for powersports, motorcycles and commercial vehicles, now part of Continental AG. Comparable suspension seat technology and industrial customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Lear Corporation: Global automotive seating and electronics supplier with broad OEM coverage. Overlaps with KAB's commercial vehicle seat work through its E-Systems and Seating segments, though primarily focused on passenger vehicles.
- Faurecia (FORVIA): Global automotive technology group with a major seating division. Broad focus across passenger vehicles but also commercial vehicle cabin solutions, making it an overlapping broad incumbent in adjacent segments.
- Adient: World's largest automotive seating supplier, spun out of Johnson Controls. Has commercial vehicle seating exposure; broader portfolio but overlapping product categories and customer types.
Emerging players
- Recaro Automotive: Premium seating brand with applications in passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and specialized applications. Comparable in premium positioning and ergonomic focus, though smaller in commercial vehicle share.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
KAB Seating social profiles
Digital presenceKAB Seating compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
KAB Seating financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KAB Seating leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
KAB Seating funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KAB Seating M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KAB Seating
What does KAB Seating do?
KAB Seating manufactures and supplies heavy-duty suspension seating for off-highway and commercial vehicles, including construction, agricultural, industrial, mining, materials handling, truck, bus, and coach applications. The company also designs and produces ergonomic office seating for offices, control rooms, emergency response rooms, and 24/7 work environments. Its product lines include the SCIOX, Sentinel, Bostrom, and numbered 100/500/600/700/800 series seat families.
Is KAB Seating a public or private company?
KAB Seating is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was KAB Seating founded?
KAB Seating was founded in 1984. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is KAB Seating based?
KAB Seating is headquartered in Northampton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does KAB Seating make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Vehicle Seating Products are the primary driver. The others are office Seating Products.
Who are KAB Seating's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stratos, ISRI, Sears Seating, National Seating, Grammer AG and Milsco Manufacturing. Broad incumbents are Lear Corporation, Faurecia (FORVIA) and Adient. Recaro Automotive is listed as an emerging player.
Does KAB Seating have an API?
No public API is recorded for KAB Seating.
What industry is KAB Seating in?
KAB Seating's product category is Commercial Vehicle Seating. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAKAA, Automotive Seating Systems Manufacturing (Frames/Mechanisms/Foam/Complete Seats). Its NAICS code is 33636 and its SIC code is 2520.