CUTCO is a bran of cutlery and kitchen accessories directly marketed to customers through in-home consultations with independent sales representatives who are almost exclusively college students. The products cannot be purchased in stores. Cutco is owned by Alcas and has been in business since 1949. All its knives are produced in Olean, New York in the United States, although a few products (such as the ice cream scoop and the metal heads of the flatware) are partially made outside the US. More than 100 kitchen cutlery products are sold under the Cutco name, as well as a variety of kitchen gadgets, utensils and flatware.