Kawe
KAWE is a Dutch family-owned manufacturer founded in 1970 that develops, produces, and distributes clutch and brake friction parts for the global automotive aftermarket across passenger car, truck/bus, and agricultural/industrial segments through a distributor network spanning 70+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersRaalte, Netherlands
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kawe does
KAWE B.V. is a Dutch family-owned manufacturer founded in 1970 in Raalte, Netherlands, that develops, produces, and distributes clutch and brake friction parts for the global automotive aftermarket. The company's roots trace back to 1938 through predecessor entity Kruitbosch & de Weerd, and it is currently led by CEO Alvin De Weerd with a workforce of 51-100 employees spanning three generations of family involvement. KAWE operates three primary business units: Cars/LCV (over 2,000 references), Truck/Bus (over 1,500 references covering all major European truck brands), and Agri/Industry (over 2,000 references for 80+ tractor brands), and claims a world record of over 5,000 clutch references in total.
The company's core technology is in-house friction parts manufacturing (not remanufacturing), making it the only independent aftermarket manufacturer in Europe with in-house truck and tractor clutch production. KAWE holds ISO 9001 certification from TÜV Nederland and operates a proprietary KBS Quality System that has driven warranty returns consistently below 0.30% (around OE level). Specialized product lines include a High Performance division offering custom perforated sports brake discs and motorsport clutch solutions, and a Classic Clutch remanufacturing service for vintage vehicles.
KAWE monetizes through B2B hardware sales to a network of selected distributors and dealers operating in more than 70 countries, with regional export managers and named partners (IHR Group, Thoben GmbH, regional business developers) covering Western Europe, Central/Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia, and South America. The company supports its channel through trade show participation (Automechanika Frankfurt, Istanbul Automechanika), electronic catalog distribution (Tecdoc, KAWE Web catalog, Inforicambi, Aldoc), and a high-experience sales team (minimum 20 years in friction technology). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.
Kawe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kawe
- Legal name
- KAWE B.V.
- Website
- https://kawe.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- KAWE is a Dutch family-owned manufacturer founded in 1970 that develops, produces, and distributes clutch and brake friction parts for the global automotive aftermarket across passenger car, truck/bus, and agricultural/industrial segments through a distributor network spanning 70+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kawe industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Parts Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (3363), Motor Vehicle Brake System Manufacturing (33634), Motor Vehicle Transmission and Power Train Parts Manufacturing (33635)
- SIC
- Motor Vehicle Parts & Accessories (3714), Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts (5013)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Clutch, Torque Converter & Flywheel Manufacturing (IMACAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Service & Parking Brake Systems (Mechanical/Electronic Parking Brake) (IMACAIAC)
Keywords
Where Kawe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Raalte
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kawe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Clutch Parts Sales: Sales of new clutch parts including clutch kits, conversion kits, hydraulic bearings, pilot bearings, clutch forks, guide tubes, friction cables for passenger cars, trucks, buses, and agricultural vehicles
- Brake Parts Sales: Sales of brake pads, brake shoes, brake discs for cars, LCVs, trucks, trailers, buses, and agricultural/industrial machines
- High Performance Custom Parts: Customized solutions for motorsport enthusiasts including perforated sport brake discs, customized pressure groups and friction plates for autocross, car race, rally, drag race, sprint, tractor pulling and classics
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Kawe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KAWE develops, produces, and distributes clutch and brake parts for passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, and agricultural and industrial vehicles. The company offers more than 5,000 clutch references across its product range and serves customers in over 70 countries through dedicated market segments for Cars/LCV, Truck/Bus, and Agri/Industry, supplemented by high-performance and classic clutch lines.
Product overview
KAWE is a family-owned company specializing in the development, production, and distribution of clutch and brake parts since 1970. The company operates across three main market segments: Cars/LCV (passenger cars and light commercial vehicles), Truck/Bus, and Agri/Industry (agricultural and industrial machinery). Their product portfolio includes over 5,000 clutch references, making them a leading independent aftermarket manufacturer in Europe. The core product lines consist of clutch kits, conversion kits, hydraulic bearings, pilot bearings, clutch forks, guide tubes, friction cables, brake pads, clutch sets, clutch discs, clutch covers, flywheels, friction plates, and release bearings. They also offer a High Performance division providing perforated sports brake discs and customized clutch solutions for motorsport applications (autocross, rally, drag race, tractor pulling). A specialty Classic Clutch line remanufactures clutches for vintage vehicles. KAWE distributes to over 70 countries through a network of selected distributors and dealers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Clutch Kits and Components
- Brake Pads
- Truck and Bus Clutches
- Agricultural and Industrial Clutches In-house tractor and industrial clutch solutions for agricultural machinery and industrial vehicles.
- High Performance Clutch Solutions
- Classic Clutch Remanufacturing
- Perforated Sports Brake Discs Custom-perforated brake discs designed for sports and high-performance driving applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Warranty returns consistently below 0.30% (OE level quality)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kawe
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kawe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Kawe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NRF (Nederlandse Radiateuren Fabriek)coreNRF and KAWE Holland have joined forces at multiple international events including Paris, Dubai, and Istanbul Automechanika 2023 (Hall 3 stand B165). Both are leading Dutch automotive producers offering complementary product lines.
- Thoben GmbHcoreExclusive German agricultural clutch distributor for KAWE products, serving as the contact point for German market customers seeking agricultural clutch solutions.
- IHR GroupcoreMultiple regional distributors handling Central and Eastern Europe markets including Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadzhikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kawe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hema Endüstri: Hema Endüstri is a Turkish aftermarket clutch-manufacturer serving passenger cars, commercial vehicles and tractors across more than 70 countries — closely matching KAWE's global distributor-led go-to-market and product scope.
- Aisin: Aisin is one of the world's largest manufacturers of transmission and drivetrain components including clutches, with strong Japanese and global OEM and aftermarket presence, making it a direct comparable on clutch kits and related parts.
- FTE Automotive: FTE Automotive is a German manufacturer of clutch actuation systems (master/slave cylinders), hydraulics, and brake parts; its portfolio and European aftermarket channel strongly overlap with KAWE's clutch and brake-parts offering.
- Valeo: Valeo is a major Tier-1 supplier of clutches, transmission components and friction systems to European OEMs, with a sizeable aftermarket clutch offering that competes head-on with KAWE on passenger-car and LCV references.
- Brembo: Brembo is a global premium brake-disc and brake-system manufacturer; KAWE explicitly uses Brembo as a reference platform for its custom perforated sports brake discs and competes in the European passenger-car aftermarket brake-disc market.
- Schaeffler (LuK): Schaeffler Group's LuK brand is the global reference in clutches and drivetrain components for passenger cars, LCVs, and commercial vehicles; it is the dominant direct competitor to KAWE in aftermarket clutch kits and has far broader reference coverage.
- ZF Friedrichshafen (Sachs): ZF's Sachs brand is a long-established clutch and powertrain supplier to European OEMs and the aftermarket, with deep truck and bus coverage that directly overlaps KAWE's heavy-duty core segment.
- Exedy: Exedy is a Japanese clutch specialist serving passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and motorsport globally; its aftermarket and OEM clutch kits overlap KAWE's product range, particularly for Japanese and Korean vehicle coverage.
- PETERS (Autodistribution): PETERS is a Dutch-based aftermarket clutch-parts specialist with deep Benelux distribution, directly comparable to KAWE in its home market and on truck/clutch aftermarket SKUs.
- Eaton: Eaton's Vehicle Group manufactures heavy-duty clutches and transmission components for commercial trucks and buses, directly competing with KAWE's core claim of being the only independent European aftermarket maker with in-house truck-clutch production.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kawe social profiles
Digital presenceKawe compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Kawe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kawe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Kawe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kawe 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 Kawe
What does Kawe do?
KAWE develops, produces, and distributes clutch and brake parts for passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, and agricultural and industrial vehicles. The company offers more than 5,000 clutch references across its product range and serves customers in over 70 countries through dedicated market segments for Cars/LCV, Truck/Bus, and Agri/Industry, supplemented by high-performance and classic clutch lines.
Is Kawe a public or private company?
Kawe is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Kawe founded?
Kawe was founded in 1970. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Kawe based?
Kawe is headquartered in Raalte, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Kawe make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Clutch Parts Sales are the primary driver. The others are brake Parts Sales and high Performance Custom Parts.
Who are Kawe's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hema Endüstri, Aisin, FTE Automotive, Valeo, Brembo, Schaeffler (LuK), ZF Friedrichshafen (Sachs), Exedy, PETERS (Autodistribution) and Eaton.
Does Kawe have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kawe.
What industry is Kawe in?
Kawe's product category is Automotive Parts Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAHAI, Clutch, Torque Converter & Flywheel Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMACAIAC, Service & Parking Brake Systems (Mechanical/Electronic Parking Brake). Its NAICS code is 3363 and its SIC code is 3714.