Crates Leather
Crates Leather Company is a third-generation family-owned American western saddlery brand founded in 1982, manufacturing hand-made leather saddles and tack worldwide under an exclusive 2016 licensing arrangement with Fabtron, Inc., serving equestrian riders across trail, rodeo, and show disciplines.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersLookout Mountain, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Crates Leather does
Crates Leather Company, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned American manufacturer of hand-made western saddles, founded in 1982 in Chattanooga, Tennessee by the Crates family to continue a western saddlery tradition dating to the 1940s at the former Simco Leather Company. The company's product line centers on western equestrian saddles spanning Trail, Barrel, Show, Youth, Roper, Arabian, Endurance, Cutter, and Reiner categories, plus a leather tack line of straps, breast collars, and bridles. Crates' core technology is traditional hand-crafted leather saddlery built on Ralide, Equi-fit, and Rawhide tree foundations with configurable rigging (Dee, C-Plate, DBL-C, FP, D-C, 3-pt, SH, MF) and bar profiles (Semi-QH, QH, Arabian, Gaited, MULE), with archives documenting hundreds of models produced from the early 1980s through 2010.
Since June 2016, Crates has operated under an exclusive worldwide licensing arrangement with Fabtron, Inc. of Maryville, Tennessee, under which Fabtron manufactures and markets all Crates-branded products globally while Crates retains the brand, customer support functions, and licensing royalty revenue. The company does not sell directly to end-users; instead, Crates products reach customers through equestrian retailers and direct-sale organizations. Crates' own revenue stream consists of licensing royalties from Fabtron and residual support activity, with the company's Chattanooga office functioning primarily as a customer information and ordering point. Manufacturing, shipping, and administration are consolidated at Fabtron's Maryville, TN facility under the Fabtron-Crates Alliance.
Crates Leather firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Crates Leather
- Legal name
- Crates Leather Company, Inc.
- Website
- https://cratesleather.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Crates Leather Company is a third-generation family-owned American western saddlery brand founded in 1982, manufacturing hand-made leather saddles and tack worldwide under an exclusive 2016 licensing arrangement with Fabtron, Inc., serving equestrian riders across trail, rodeo, and show disciplines.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Crates Leather industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Equestrian Saddlery
- NAICS
- Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (316), Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (31699)
- SIC
- Leather & Leather Products (3100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wallets, Small Leather Goods & Accessories Manufacturing (IMAOAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Leather Goods Components & Subassemblies Manufacturing (Straps/Handles/Hardware Assemblies) (IMAOAHAI), Leather, Suede & Alternatives (PU/Bio-based) (CRAAAMAG)
Keywords
Where Crates Leather is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lookout Mountain
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Crates Leather business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Leather Saddle Sales: One-time hardware sales of hand-crafted leather saddles and tack equipment through equestrian retailers. Revenue generated from direct product sales of saddles and related equestrian equipment.
- Licensing Royalties: Crates brand licensing arrangement with Fabtron, Inc. whereby Fabtron has exclusive license to manufacture and market Crates branded products worldwide, with Crates receiving licensing consideration.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Crates Leather product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Crates Leather Company, Inc. is a family-owned American saddlery business that designs and licenses the production of hand-crafted western leather saddles across multiple disciplines (trail, barrel, show, reiner, roper, youth, Arabian, endurance, cutter) and a complete line of leather tack. Products are hand-made in Tennessee, USA, and manufactured and distributed worldwide exclusively by Fabtron, Inc. under an exclusive licensing arrangement established in 2016.
Product overview
Crates Leather Company is a family-owned American manufacturer specializing in hand-made western saddles distributed exclusively worldwide by Fabtron, Inc. under an exclusive licensing arrangement established in 2016. The product portfolio centers on western equestrian saddles across multiple specialized categories — Trail, Barrel, Show, Youth, Roper, Arabian, Endurance, Cutter, and Reiner models — serving various riding disciplines and horse breeds. The current catalog features the most popular trail and reining models from the last decade, with plans to expand into additional categories including Barrel, Arabian, Gaited, and Endurance. The Archives document hundreds of historical models from the past 35 years. Beyond saddles, the product line includes a complete tack line of leather riding equipment and accessories. All products are proudly Made in Tennessee, USA.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Western Trail Saddles
- Barrel Saddles
- Show Saddles
- Reiner Saddles
- Roper Saddles
- Youth Saddles
- Arabian Saddles
- Endurance Saddles
- Cutter Saddles
- Leather Tack Line
Companies that use Crates Leather
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Crates Leather technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Crates Leather partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Fabtron, Inc.coreExclusive licensing arrangement whereby Fabtron, Inc. of Maryville, Tennessee has exclusive license to manufacture and market Crates branded products worldwide. Fabtron-Crates Alliance pools over 70 years of combined manufacturing history. Fabtron handles manufacturing, shipping, and administration functions while Crates Chattanooga continues as a source of product information and ordering requirements. Both remain separate family-owned companies operating in Tennessee.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Crates Leather competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Circle Y Saddles: One of the largest U.S. makers of western saddles (and parent of High Horse and Tucker brands), competing head-to-head with Crates in trail, barrel, reining, and roper categories through similar equestrian retailer channels.
- Tex Tan Western Leather Company: Historic Texas maker of western saddles, tack, and leather goods dating to the late 1800s. Closely overlaps Crates on product category, heritage-brand positioning, and distribution through western retailers.
- Billy Cook Saddles: Long-running Texas-based maker of hand-crafted western saddles across trail, barrel, roper, and show categories. Comparable to Crates on heritage positioning, Made-in-USA craft narrative, and equestrian retailer distribution.
- Reinsman Equestrian: Maker of western saddles, tack, and equestrian accessories sold through tack shops and online channels. Overlaps Crates on western saddle categories and multi-channel distribution to the same rider base.
- Martin Saddlery: Manufacturer of custom and production western saddles, including barrel, roper, and cutter models, sold through western tack retailers. Comparable to Crates on product mix, customer profile, and Made-in-USA positioning.
- Fabtron, Inc. Exclusive worldwide manufacturer and marketer of Crates branded saddlery since 2016 and itself a long-established Tennessee saddlery maker. Directly comparable in product category, geography, and equestrian customer base, with the additional layer of being Crates' contracted OEM/licensing partner.
- Tucker Saddlery: Producer of trail and endurance western saddles with strong dealer network across the U.S. Comparable to Crates on western trail/endurance positioning and equestrian retailer distribution, though now owned by Circle Y.
- Big Horn Leather: Manufacturer of western and endurance saddles plus tack, sold primarily through equestrian retailers. Comparable product mix and channel model to Crates, especially on the endurance and trail saddle categories.
Emerging players
- Abetta Saddles: Producer of lightweight western and trail saddles targeting recreational riders. Competes with Crates at the entry-level trail segment and is sold through the same equestrian retailer channels, though at lower price points.
- Wintec (by Bates Australia): Synthetic and trail saddle brand competing at a lower price point than Crates in the trail/endurance category. Comparable end-customer but a different material story (synthetic vs. leather) and broader mass-market positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Crates Leather social profiles
Digital presenceCrates Leather financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Crates Leather leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Crates Leather funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Crates Leather 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 Crates Leather
What does Crates Leather do?
Crates Leather Company, Inc. is a family-owned American saddlery business that designs and licenses the production of hand-crafted western leather saddles across multiple disciplines (trail, barrel, show, reiner, roper, youth, Arabian, endurance, cutter) and a complete line of leather tack. Products are hand-made in Tennessee, USA, and manufactured and distributed worldwide exclusively by Fabtron, Inc. under an exclusive licensing arrangement established in 2016.
Is Crates Leather a public or private company?
Crates Leather is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Crates Leather founded?
Crates Leather was founded in 1982. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Crates Leather based?
Crates Leather is headquartered in Lookout Mountain, United States, in the North America region.
How does Crates Leather make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Leather Saddle Sales are the primary driver. The others are licensing Royalties.
Who are Crates Leather's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Circle Y Saddles, Tex Tan Western Leather Company, Billy Cook Saddles, Reinsman Equestrian, Martin Saddlery, Fabtron, Inc., Tucker Saddlery and Big Horn Leather. Emerging players are Abetta Saddles and Wintec (by Bates Australia).
Does Crates Leather have an API?
No public API is recorded for Crates Leather.
What industry is Crates Leather in?
Crates Leather's product category is Equestrian Saddlery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAHAB, Wallets, Small Leather Goods & Accessories Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMAOAHAI, Leather Goods Components & Subassemblies Manufacturing (Straps/Handles/Hardware Assemblies). Its NAICS code is 316 and its SIC code is 3100.