Wright Manufacturing History
It began with the dream of an eight-year-old boy. After reading the biography of Henry Ford, Bill Wright, president and CEO of Wright Manufacturing, dreamed of one day being a manufacturer producing a machine that people could ride. The realization of that dream is the backdrop to the story of Wright Manufacturing, Inc.
In 1981, the lawn maintenance company that started it all was founded. The successful business, originally called “Lawn-Wright,” was plagued by a nagging problem: the grass catchers kept falling apart. The company needed a durable catcher that could perform well and hold up over time. To meet this need, Bill designed an all-steel catcher. Its success prompted the company to manufacture a few to use on its own machines. When a local dealer saw them, he recognized their wider potential and offered to sell them in his shop. Wright’s company began producing the catchers in greater numbers, continuing to provide lawn maintenance in-season and manufacturing the catchers in the off-season. The emerging popularity of these catchers in the years that followed testifies to their strength, durability, and functionality in the field. It was the birth of the Grass Gobbler™.
As the manufacturing aspect of the company grew, so did the maintenance side. The homegrown business had outgrown its simple routing system, and Mr. Wright worked to develop a new computerized routing program that could handle the increased volume. Over time, the project developed into the Computerized Lawn Industry Program (CLIP™) and became the third leg of the flourishing business.
In 1988, Jim Velke, one of the lawn maintenance mechanics, began working on a device that would enable the operator of a walk-behind mower to ride instead of walk. As a result, the first single-wheel stand-on sulky, the Velke™, was introduced in 1989. In 1996, it was joined by its two-wheel counterpart, the Velke™ X2.
Although the company continued to prosper in each of its three divisions (software, maintenance, and manufacturing), Bill Wright decided that manufacturing should be the focus of his time and energy. As a result in 1993, he sold the software and lawn maintenance divisions of his company and began to concentrate solely on manufacturing lawn equipment.
Soon after, the corporate team began to form. Several key individuals in the areas of plant operations, sales, purchasing, and finance formed the backbone of the company’s operations and became the nucleus of the current administrative team at Wright Manufacturing.
As the current structure of Wright Manufacturing took shape in 1993, Jim Velke and Bill Wright began developing a new type of riding lawnmower that would allow the operator to stand up while mowing. In 1997, the first Wright Stander® rolled off the assembly line. It has since set a precedent for a revolutionary new type of lawn mowing. The Wright Stander® continues to amaze landscapers with its easy handling, compact size, and quality cut. In 2000, Wright introduced the Sentar™, a mower on which the operator has the choice to stand or sit!
From the vision of an eight-year-old ... from lawn maintenance to power equipment manufacturing ... Wright Manufacturing, Inc. has developed into what it is today ... a symbol of quality and efficiency and an innovative leader in lawn maintenance technology.
It began with the dream of an eight-year-old boy. After reading the biography of Henry Ford, Bill Wright, president and CEO of Wright Manufacturing, dreamed of one day being a manufacturer producing a machine that people could ride. The realization of that dream is the backdrop to the story of Wright Manufacturing, Inc.
In 1981, the lawn maintenance company that started it all was founded. The successful business, originally called “Lawn-Wright,” was plagued by a nagging problem: the grass catchers kept falling apart. The company needed a durable catcher that could perform well and hold up over time. To meet this need, Bill designed an all-steel catcher. Its success prompted the company to manufacture a few to use on its own machines. When a local dealer saw them, he recognized their wider potential and offered to sell them in his shop. Wright’s company began producing the catchers in greater numbers, continuing to provide lawn maintenance in-season and manufacturing the catchers in the off-season. The emerging popularity of these catchers in the years that followed testifies to their strength, durability, and functionality in the field. It was the birth of the Grass Gobbler™.
As the manufacturing aspect of the company grew, so did the maintenance side. The homegrown business had outgrown its simple routing system, and Mr. Wright worked to develop a new computerized routing program that could handle the increased volume. Over time, the project developed into the Computerized Lawn Industry Program (CLIP™) and became the third leg of the flourishing business.
In 1988, Jim Velke, one of the lawn maintenance mechanics, began working on a device that would enable the operator of a walk-behind mower to ride instead of walk. As a result, the first single-wheel stand-on sulky, the Velke™, was introduced in 1989. In 1996, it was joined by its two-wheel counterpart, the Velke™ X2.
Although the company continued to prosper in each of its three divisions (software, maintenance, and manufacturing), Bill Wright decided that manufacturing should be the focus of his time and energy. As a result in 1993, he sold the software and lawn maintenance divisions of his company and began to concentrate solely on manufacturing lawn equipment.
Soon after, the corporate team began to form. Several key individuals in the areas of plant operations, sales, purchasing, and finance formed the backbone of the company’s operations and became the nucleus of the current administrative team at Wright Manufacturing.
As the current structure of Wright Manufacturing took shape in 1993, Jim Velke and Bill Wright began developing a new type of riding lawnmower that would allow the operator to stand up while mowing. In 1997, the first Wright Stander® rolled off the assembly line. It has since set a precedent for a revolutionary new type of lawn mowing. The Wright Stander® continues to amaze landscapers with its easy handling, compact size, and quality cut. In 2000, Wright introduced the Sentar™, a mower on which the operator has the choice to stand or sit!
From the vision of an eight-year-old ... from lawn maintenance to power equipment manufacturing ... Wright Manufacturing, Inc. has developed into what it is today ... a symbol of quality and efficiency and an innovative leader in lawn maintenance technology.
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