Company

KONG's only manufacturing facility is located in Italy, in Monte Marenzo, in the province of Lecco. It is here that KONG products are designed, developed, manufactured, and inspected, following strict internal procedures and complying with the quality standards and regulations required by the various sectors of use. The choice to keep production in Italy is part of our corporate identity: it allows us to directly control manufacturing processes, material quality, workmanship, testing, and product traceability. The KONG USA, KONG Far East, and KONG Russia offices are not manufacturing sites; they were established to offer customers faster and more effective local support in their respective markets. These subsidiaries guarantee greater product availability in the region, thanks to dedicated warehouses, and provide commercial and technical assistance through local teams. The teams at overseas offices are in constant contact with the Italian headquarters to ensure consistency in information, service, and customer support. KONG manufactures in Italy, while the foreign branches perform commercial, logistical, and local support functions.

The birth of our brand is due to the intuition of Franco Bonaiti, brother of our President Marco Bonaiti. Since 1830, all family businesses had used the surname Bonaiti, but Marco Bonaiti realized the phonetic barriers this name posed, especially for foreign markets. In 1977, in search of a name with an international reach, and aided by the cinematic success of the famous gorilla, Kong was born along with the historic claim "The King of Carabiners", a name synonymous with strength and power. In the early 1980s, the opening of the global market led to the widespread presence of Asian products labeled "Made in Hong Kong" (then a British territory). Despite the strong risk of association and the temptation to change the name, the company chose to defend its identity. This proved to be a winning decision, guided by an already well-established international recognition that continues to this day.

KONG selects its suppliers based on criteria that combine quality, reliability, technical compliance, and operational sustainability. Therefore, the evaluation is not limited to price, but primarily considers the supplier's ability to meet the required specifications, ensure continuity of supply, maintain consistent quality, and guarantee on-time deliveries.
An important aspect is also logistical proximity: working with geographically close suppliers makes supply chain management more efficient, reduces response times, and improves coordination along the supply chain. With this in mind, KONG also values collaboration with local companies, promoting local businesses that demonstrate solidity, competence, and consistency with company standards.
Furthermore, the selection process includes elements related to the partner's professionalism, their ability to manage potential critical issues, traceability, and compliance with applicable regulations, as well as their alignment with the company's quality and organizational standards.
In summary, KONG chooses its suppliers by favoring reliable and qualified partners capable of ensuring quality and continuity, while also offering proximity, flexibility, and a concrete contribution to the enhancement of the local manufacturing network.

At KONG, the production process begins with the procurement of raw materials, which come mainly from Europe, and from Italy in particular. The materials used include metal bars, wire rods, sheets, plastic materials, and textiles, which are essential for making the various products.
Stainless steel 6-meter bars and wire rods are used to manufacture carabiner bodies. This process involves several stages: initially, bending, which gives the piece its basic shape, followed by cold forming (coining), which improves its strength and precision. This is followed by blanking and then mechanical processes such as drilling and milling to complete the component.
On the other hand, 3-meter bars of stainless steel, carbon steel, and aluminum are used to create carabiner gates using a Swiss-type lathe (sliding headstock lathe), which allows for highly precise machining.
Metal sheets are processed using laser cutting or waterjet cutting to obtain semi-finished products, such as pulley side plates. For large production volumes, slitting and blanking are utilized. Waterjet cutting is also used for plastic materials intended for rescue stretchers.
Once the semi-finished parts are obtained, they move on to the assembly stage. For carabiners, pin riveting is performed using robotic machinery, followed by 100% pre-tensile testing of the pieces, applying a load lower than the breaking strength to guarantee safety and reliability. The overall process also includes heat treatments, CNC machining, defect inspections, and destructive breaking tests, ensuring high quality standards.

CNC machining carried out in KONG departments focuses on the production of mechanical components for complex industrial equipment. The use of latest-generation computer numerical control machines guarantees the highest standards of precision, repeatability, and productivity. Thanks to these advanced precision engineering workshop technologies, it is possible to produce geometrically complex components with millesimal tolerances starting from a solid raw piece. The quality of the final product depends directly on human skills. For this reason, CNC technicians and operators possess high-level technical training. The specialized personnel combines deep ISO/CAM programming skills with vertical knowledge of chip removal processes and contract machining.