What Granqvists Manufacturing does

Granqvists Manufacturing Sp. z o.o. is a Polish specialist glove manufacturer headquartered in Blękwit, near Złotów, operating from a production facility built on the foundations of the liquidated Gloves Factory (Fabryka Rękawiczek) in Miastko. Founded in 1991 through a partnership between Rek-Pol and Swedish cross-country skier-turned-entrepreneur Lasse Granqvist, the company operates under Swedish capital via its parent Granqvists AB and rebranded from Rek-Swed to its current name in August 2020. It produces under two registered brands: Granqvists® for uniformed-service gloves (firefighting, rescue, military, police) and lill-Sport® for cross-country skiing gloves, with a catalog of more than 100–200 models and monthly production capacity of 12,000–20,000 pairs.

Core products include firefighting gloves (BA 0901 Fire Grip, BA 0915 Gold Grip, BA 0909 Dexterity Grip, BA 0910 Nordic Elk, BA 0912 Tex Grip, BA 0914 Basic Grip), technical rescue gloves (BA 2010, BA 2012 Command & Rescue), military gloves (M8010), police gloves, uniform gloves (M1001/M1002), and the BA 3013 carcinogen-protection liner. Gloves are built from high-performance materials (Kevlar, Nomex, PBI, Porelle membranes, PTFE, goatskin, elk leather, bovine leather) with proprietary features including the Gold Grip wet-grip technology, the Anti-Pullout liner system, and the Granqvists Care program for carcinogen reduction. Products are certified to EN 388/EN 420, CNBOP, Centexbel, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and NATO AQAP 2110:2016.

The business model is direct B2B sales to government and military institutions, supplemented by a smaller e-commerce channel for individual and small-organization buyers. Unit prices range from 90 PLN (BA 3013 liner) to 497 PLN (BA 0915 Gold Grip), with fulfillment roughly 14 days and UPS courier shipping. Anchor customers include NATO armies, Scandinavian and Western European fire brigades, European (particularly Scandinavian) police forces, and the Indian Army; domestically it serves Polish PSP and OSP units. The company employs approximately 300 people and is led by General Director Lasse Granqvist and Managing Director Ryszard Wrona, with Granqvists AB as the Swedish parent entity.

Name

Granqvists Manufacturing

Legal name

Granqvists Manufacturing Sp. z o.o.

Website

https://granqvistsmanufacturing.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Granqvists Manufacturing is a Polish specialist glove producer (since 1991) serving fire brigades, police, and NATO militaries under the Granqvists® brand, with the lill-Sport® brand for cross-country skiing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Protective Gloves Manufacturing

NAICS

Cut and Sew Apparel Contractors (315210), Apparel Manufacturing (315)

akta.pro primary industry

Gloves & Mittens Manufacturing (IMAOAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protective & Work Accessories Manufacturing (Safety Gloves/Hi-Vis Accessories) (IMAOAFAH), Sports & Outdoor Accessories Manufacturing (Performance Gloves/Headwear) (IMAOAFAI)

Keywords

• Firefighting gloves
• Military protective gloves
• Rescue gloves
• Police gloves
• Specialty glove manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Blękwit

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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. Specialized Glove Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling specialized gloves for uniformed services including firefighting, rescue, military, and police applications. Products sold under Granqvists brand for professional use and lill-Sport brand for sports applications. One-time product purchases with repeat orders from established government and institutional customers.
2. E-commerce Direct Sales: Online store sales to individual buyers and organizations with approximately 14-day order fulfillment. Net prices for end users, with 14-day payment terms for commercial entities and PSP/OSP units.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Granqvists Manufacturing is a specialized glove manufacturer producing high-performance protective gloves for uniformed services, including fire brigades, police forces, military (including NATO armies), and rescue services under the Granqvists brand, plus cross-country skiing gloves under the lill-Sport brand. The company operates a manufacturing facility in Błękwit (near Złotów), Poland, producing 12,000-20,000 pairs of gloves monthly across more than 200 models using materials such as Kevlar, Nomex, PBI, and specialty membranes.

Product overview

Granqvists Manufacturing is a specialist glove manufacturer producing high-quality gloves under two main brands: Granqvists® for uniformed services (firefighting, military, police) and lill-Sport® for cross-country skiing sports. The product portfolio includes firefighting gloves (BA 0901 Fire Grip, BA 0915 Gold Grip, BA 0909 Dexterity Grip, BA 0910 Nordic Elk, BA 0912 Tex Grip, BA 0914 Basic Grip), rescue gloves (BA 2012, BA 2010), military gloves (M8010), police gloves, uniform gloves (M1001/M1002), and liner accessories (BA 3013). Products are certified to meet EN standards, CNBOP, Centexbel, ISO standards, and NATO AQAP requirements, with distribution to Scandinavian countries, NATO armies, and global markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Granqvists: Specialist gloves brand for uniformed services including fire brigades, army, and police.
• lill-Sport

Products and services

• BA 0901 Fire Grip

Quantifiable outcome

• Gold Grip 3.0 certified for 25 wash cycles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Granqvists AB (Sweden)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1991Swedish parent company and brand owner. Lasse Granqvist, main shareholder, established the partnership with Polish company Rek-Pol in 1991. Granqvists AB is well-known in Western markets and represents Swedish capital in the Polish manufacturing operation. The partnership combines Swedish business skills with Polish manufacturing capabilities and workforce expertise.
• Rek-Pol Sp. z o.o.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolish company established in 1991 that merged with Lasse Granqvist's business to form Rek-Swed (later Granqvists Manufacturing). Rek-Pol had technological capabilities and experienced workforce from the liquidated Gloves Factory in Miastko that formed the foundation of the current manufacturing operation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Honeywell Safety Products: Honeywell's safety division offers a broad PPE portfolio including firefighter gloves (e.g., North/KCL brands). Comparable as a broader incumbent competing in the same government and military procurement channels Granqvists serves.
• MSA Safety: US-listed global safety equipment manufacturer serving fire service and military customers with turnout gear, helmets, and gloves. Comparable through bundled PPE offerings that compete with Granqvists' gloves in tender processes.
• 3M Personal Safety Division: Diversified global manufacturer with protective glove and PPE offerings serving first responders and defense. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose scale and brand pose competitive pressure in specialty channels.

Emerging players

• Mechanix Wear: US-based performance glove specialist with strong tactical, military, and motorsports positioning. Comparable as an emerging specialist pushing into military/law enforcement channels, with partial overlap in glove technology and target buyers.

Direct peers

• Hestra: Swedish premium glove manufacturer producing specialized gloves for skiing, military, police, and work applications. Closest direct comparable due to shared Swedish heritage, similar premium positioning, and overlapping customer base in Scandinavian uniformed services and winter sports.
• Petzl: French specialist in climbing, rescue, and tactical equipment including technical rescue gloves. Comparable as a European-based specialist serving the same fire/rescue and tactical user base with adjacent product depth.
• Rostaing: French specialist glove manufacturer focused on firefighting, rescue, and tactical applications. Closely comparable niche peer competing for the same European firefighter glove tenders with similar specialization depth.
• Ansell: Australian-listed global leader in protective gloves with explicit firefighter, military, and law enforcement product lines. Comparable through direct competition in professional protective glove tenders and similar cut-and-sew manufacturing model at larger scale.
• Showa Group: Japanese-headquartered specialist manufacturer of single-use and technical protective gloves. Comparable as a focused glove manufacturer serving industrial, emergency response, and tactical applications across Europe.
• Uvex Safety Group: German safety equipment manufacturer with a dedicated protective glove portfolio including firefighter and rescue gloves. Comparable as a European-based specialist serving first responders with certified PPE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GranqvistsManufacturing
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/granqvists-manufacturing

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Granqvists Manufacturing