National Band & Tag Company

What National Band & Tag Company does

National Band & Tag Company is a 123-year-old, family-owned American manufacturer of metal identification tags and bands, founded in 1902 in Newport, Kentucky and currently operating under 4th and 5th generation Haas family leadership with 11 family members active in the business. The company produces customized identification products across at least seven verticals: pet/veterinary (rabies tags, plate tags, pet license tags), poultry and game bird, livestock, wildlife conservation, industrial/commercial (asset tags, OSHA-compliant wire rope and chain sling tags, power pole tags, aerospace/defense tags, food-grade stainless tags), and arboretums/horticulture. Manufacturing is conducted in-house at a single Newport facility using stamping and laser etching across aluminum, brass, stainless steel, and specialty alloys; the proprietary UV-stable black aluminum is documented at 20+ years of outdoor durability and supports high-contrast laser-etched QR codes, barcodes, and data matrix markings. The Paw Finders partnership integrates QR-code pet recovery technology directly into rabies tags, extending the physical product into a digital service.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer, made-to-order model with no recurring subscription component for standard products. Pricing is transactional — $25 minimum order, unit pricing on sets of 100, quantity discounts at 500 and 1,000 tags — with production lead times of 2-4 weeks off-season and 6-8 weeks during peak. Sales channels include direct phone (859-261-2035), email ([email protected]), website ordering, a Spanish-language storefront (placas-de-gallos), and a Walmart Marketplace listing added in 2025. Go-to-market blends SEO-driven content marketing, an active blog, email newsletters, social media presence (Facebook, YouTube, X, Pinterest, LinkedIn), and trade show attendance at industry-specific events including VMX, AWRF PIE, NAGA, NWTF, IEEE PES T&D, and NRPA. The legal entity is International Identification Inc., doing business as National Band & Tag Company; revenue is undisclosed, no external capital or parent company is in place, and there are no public funding events, acquisitions, or M&A activity on record.

Name

National Band & Tag Company

Legal name

International Identification Inc.

Website

https://nationalband.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

National Band & Tag Company is a 123-year-old, family-owned Newport, KY manufacturer of customized metal identification tags and bands — including rabies, poultry, livestock, wildlife, industrial, and arboretum tags — sold direct-to-customer via phone, web, and Walmart Marketplace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Identification Tags and Bands

NAICS

Forging and Stamping (3321), Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812)

SIC

Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Identification & Tracking Devices (Microchips, RFID, Tags, Scanners) (HLAMAFAL)

Keywords

• Metal identification tags
• Animal identification products
• Laser etched tags
• Livestock ear tags
• Custom industrial tags

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Metal Tag and Band Sales: One-time product sales of customized metal tags and bands for identification purposes. Products include rabies tags, license tags, bird bands, livestock ear tags, industrial asset tags, tree/plant tags, and custom plate tags. Revenue is generated through individual order transactions with no recurring subscription component for standard products.
2. Stock and Blank Tag Sales: Pre-manufactured blank tags and bands available for immediate purchase, including hand stamps for customer self-stamping. Provides ongoing revenue from repeat customers who prefer to customize in-house.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

National Band & Tag Company manufactures custom metal identification tags and bands using stamping and laser etching technologies. The company produces a wide range of identification products including rabies vaccination tags, pet plate tags, livestock ear tags, bird bands, poultry bands, industrial asset tags, wire rope/sling tags, aerospace tags, tree and plant tags, and HIN (Hull Identification Number) tags. Products are made in the USA from aluminum, brass, stainless steel, Inconel, and Monel for customers in veterinary, agricultural, industrial, horticultural, and wildlife conservation sectors.

Product overview

National Band & Tag Company is a family-owned manufacturer (est. 1902) offering a comprehensive portfolio of identification solutions spanning animal/poultry tags, industrial/commercial tags, and laser-etched products. The core product lines include Dog & Cat Tags (rabies tags, license tags, plate tags in multiple shapes), Industrial Tags (asset tags, power pole tags, wire rope tags, HIN tags, aerospace/defense tags, food-grade tags), and Laser-Etched Tags (QR code tags, barcode tags, UV-stable black aluminum tags). Specialty offerings include Tree/Vineyard Tags for horticulture, Livestock/Lab Animal Tags, Bird Bands, Poultry Bands, and Game Bird Products. The Paw Finders QR code rabies tags represent a technology-enhanced product integrating with the Paw Finders pet recovery platform. Products are manufactured in the USA with materials including aluminum, brass, stainless steel, Inconel, and Monel, using stamping and laser etching technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hasco: Livestock tags brand marketed under the Hasco name, referenced in company history.
• Paw Finders

Products and services

• Dog & Cat Tags (Plate Tags) Identification tags for pets available in multiple shapes including round, square, rectangle, diamond, oval, triangle, heart, rosette, octagon, and specialty shapes. Made in aluminum, brass, and stainless steel with stamping or laser etching options for veterinarians, pet owners, and municipalities.
• Rabies Vaccination Tags

Quantifiable outcome

• UV Stable Black Aluminum tags demonstrate 20+ years outdoor durability
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Paw FinderscoreTechnology or IntegrationPaw Finders provides QR code technology integrated into National Band & Tag rabies tags. Each tag is linked to an online pet owner profile with contact information. If a lost pet is found, anyone with a smartphone can scan the QR code and connect with the owner directly without special scanners. One-time registration fee of $2.99 paid by pet owner.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Metalcraft: Manufacturer of custom metal nameplates, asset tags, barcode/UID labels, and industrial identification products. Direct peer for National Band & Tag's industrial/commercial asset tag, aerospace, and laser-etched barcode/QR code product lines.
• Y-Tex Corporation: U.S. manufacturer of livestock ear tags, insecticidal ear tags, and identification products for cattle. Direct competitor in the livestock identification category and a relevant peer for National Band & Tag's ear tag and visual animal ID business.
• Allflex Livestock Intelligence (Merck Animal Health): Global leader in livestock visual and electronic identification tags (ear tags, RFID) owned by Merck Animal Health. Directly comparable to National Band & Tag's livestock, poultry, and animal identification product lines, though significantly larger and globally scaled.
• Destron Fearing (Digital Angel): Manufacturer of visual and electronic livestock identification tags, pet ID, and wildlife tracking products. Directly comparable to National Band & Tag's pet, livestock, and wildlife conservation identification product lines.
• Stoffel Seals: Manufacturer of metal and plastic security seals, identification seals, and tamper-evident tags used in industrial, transportation, and utility applications. Direct peer for National Band & Tag's security seals, valve tags, and industrial identification product categories.
• Temple Tag Inc. Manufacturer of custom livestock ear tags and animal identification products. Direct peer for National Band & Tag's livestock visual identification business, particularly in the cattle and small ruminant segments.
• Ritchey Tags: Manufacturer of livestock ear tags, custom ID tags, and small animal identification products. Directly comparable to National Band & Tag's ear tag, livestock, and lab animal identification product portfolio.

Emerging players

• C.H. Hanson: Manufacturer of marking, labeling, and metal identification products including brass tags, valve tags, and industrial markers. Comparable to National Band & Tag's industrial metal tag and engraving product lines, though typically focused on tools and smaller-scale marking products.

Broad incumbents

• Brady Corporation: Large global identification solutions company offering labels, signs, asset tracking, and safety/identification products for industrial and commercial customers. Overlaps with National Band & Tag's industrial asset tag and laser-etched product lines, but operates at much greater scale across a broader portfolio.
• Panduit: Global infrastructure and identification solutions provider offering cable ties, labels, markers, and asset identification systems for industrial, electrical, and network applications. Overlaps with National Band & Tag's wire markers, asset tags, and industrial identification SKUs as part of a much broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/National_Band
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/nationalband
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalBand
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-band-&-tag-company
• Pinterestpinterest.com/NationalBand

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 National Band & Tag Company