HOTSTART Celebrates 75th Anniversary

Spokane, Wash. – Spokane Washington based company HOTSTART will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary throughout 2017. Over the last 75 years, HOTSTART has grown from a small, local start-up to a leading global supplier to some of the largest manufacturing companies in the world.

HOTSTART was established in 1942 as Kimberlin Manufacturing. The company was originally owned and managed by Wayne Kimberlin, a former school bus driver who developed a unique engine heater to help school buses start up on a cold, Spokane morning. A few years later, Kimberlin partnered with Stanley Power who began to promote the “Kim Hotstart” engine heater across the country. In 1944, Power purchased the business and changed the name to Kim Hotstart Manufacturing Company. In 2009, the company name was shortened to HOTSTART for easier brand recognition around the world.

Today, HOTSTART engine heaters are still found on school buses and many other applications including heavy duty trucks, forklifts, machinery, locomotives, ship engines, power plants, natural gas compressors, residential generators and industrial generators. In addition to expanding into new markets and developing new products, the company has also expanded geographically with offices in Katy, Texas, Siegburg, Germany and Tokyo, Japan to better serve customers in those regions.

“We are excited to celebrate our 75th anniversary. It is a big milestone.” said Terry Judge, Chief Executive Officer of HOTSTART. “This company has been very successful because of all the talented, dedicated employees who work together as a team and constantly improve. We also have had great support from our customers, suppliers and owners. We will spend some time in 2017 to thank these people. We also look forward to our exciting future together.”