INDEPENDENTLY OWNED. ASSOCIATE LED.

From the early days in owner and founder Danny Giovale’s family workshop to a growing team of over 20 associates, some things at Kahtoola have remained the same. We’ve stayed true to who we are as an independently owned company, resisting pressures to sell and merge. Not only does this allow us to focus on a bottom line that’s defined as much as by positive impacts to people and communities as it is by financial success, it also allows us to operate with our unique associate model.

Across all areas of the business, Kahtoola associates function within a flat, lattice structure instead of a hierarchy of managers and supervisors, with an emphasis on collaboration and building consensus. While the process sometimes takes longer, the result is that more voices are heard and more ways of thinking are acknowledged, giving each associate a seat at the table. By empowering associates first, we build a foundation that enables us to empower others.