H. Koch & Sons Logo H. Koch & Sons
Products
Company
Services
News
Contact Us

About H. Koch & Sons

Company History

The story of the beginning of the H. Koch & Sons Company is a prime example of a truly American success story very common from the first decade of the last century. The company was established in San Francisco in 1909 by German immigrant leatherworker Herman Koch. The original business was rooted in the design and manufacturing of luggage.

From 1909 until 1945 Koch manufactured quality leather goods, wooden and fiber suitcases, steamer trunks and carrying cases. In the late 1940’s Koch was again recognized as a pioneer company in the fiberglass technology area and acclaimed to have produced “the strongest suitcase in the world” by the American Luggage Manufacturers Association. That acknowledgement gained the company marketable credibility with the US government and lead to entry into being a supplier for the military in instrumentation cases used in nuclear tests at Eniwetok and Johnston Islands in the Pacific. In 1951, after outgrowing the San Francisco facility Koch moved to Corte Madera in Marin County and was recognized at that time for having the largest manufacturing operation in California north of San Francisco.

[top]

In the 1950’s H. Koch & Sons, now under the leadership of Herman’s sons Murray and William, transitioned the company’s knowledge of strong, lightweight container products into designing and manufacturing military aeronautical life support equipment. All three military services and many foreign forces adopted this new line of equipment in the form of rugged ejection seat survival kits and vacuum packaging of emergency sleeping bags and life rafts. In the late 50’s and early 60’s the Koch company carried on that successful momentum as a DoD design and manufacturing entity into producing patented life support system components. These products included high precision and high strength mechanical parachute canopy releases--still commonly referred to by both users in the US Air Force and Navy as “Koch fittings”.

After relocating company operations to Anaheim, California in the early 70’s Koch developed an automatically inflated life preserver unit for the US Air Force and Navy. Koch also developed and produced the first vacuum-sealed life rafts, sleeping bags, and Arctic clothing for use in ejection seat survival kits. From the early 1980’s up to the present that initial line of quality products has been expanded, updated and improved significantly to now include electronic crash impact and water activated sensors and signal transmission systems and, air, space, water and land vehicle emergency egress, navigation and task lighting systems. Also core to Koch’s current portfolio of recently introduced products are crash- resistant crew and passenger restraint devices for fixed wing and helicopter aircraft seating, and tactical aircraft ejection seat equipped crew restraint systems.

The Koch family sold their interests in the company in 1969. However, the “Koch” brand was so widely known and respected internationally that subsequent owners have consistently kept the original company identity intact.

[top]

Today…..


Koch... is a thriving and innovative company producing new products and technology applications to protect and sustain military personnel from operational threats and adverse environmental conditions.

Koch... Started by Herman Koch almost 100 years ago; grown by his sons into specialized areas of military safety equipment design, and carried further in success by the diverse talents of its staff, quality suppliers, and our pro-active approach to customer satisfaction teamwork.

Koch... A name that represents a proud tradition of excellence and dedication toward life support equipment quality and innovation.

Koch... A company staff culture maintaining a deep commitment for producing highly reliable systems to ensure the protection and survival of military and law enforcement personnel worldwide.

Company Profile

H. Koch & Sons, Co. is a privately owned company incorporated in the State of Delaware. The company’s business operations are populated by:

  • Strong internal team of research and development focused design engineering, prototyping and test talent,
  • 72,000 square foot multi-line manufacturing facility supporting product machining, molding, sewing, plating and electronics assembly activities and operating under a DoD-approved quality management system, and
  • Broad customer service field network located in all regions of the US, plus Canada, Europe and the Pacific Rim.

[top]

Company Core Product Lines

  • Parachute Canopy Releases
  • Restraint Systems and Components
  • Emergency Lighting Systems- Aircraft and Vehicle
  • Sensors and Signaling Systems
  • Survival & Personnel Protective Systems

Koch is an Approved Supplier to:

Government

United States Department of Defense
Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps
Defense Logistics Agency

US Department of Transportation
Coast Guard
NASA

US Department of the Interior
Customs Service
Forest Service

Commercial

Boeing
Lockheed-Martin
Sikorsky Aircraft
General Dynamics Land Systems
Bell Helicopters
Martin-Baker Aircraft
Simula Inc.
C.R. Daniels
Skyline


[top]