Forney Industries history

1936: Forney invents and produces the first successful 110-volt/125 amp and 110-volt/150 amp welders.

1937: The Forney nationwide sales staff grows and product literature boasts, “There’s a Forney product in every town across the USA.”

1945: Rural Electric Associations (REA) begins delivery of 230 volt service to farms and ranches.

1950: A Forney central residential vacuum system and portable vacuum cleaner was soon introduced, as was the “Fornaire,” an easy-to-fly 2-seat airplane designed for the consumer market.

In 1955 J.D.'s wife Rae and son Jack, decided that J.D. needed a diversion from business and secretly conspired to locate a Kissel Kar similar to the one he owned in high school.

The collection grew and grew, so in 1961, it was incorporated and became the Forney Museum, a non-profit charitable organization [501(c)(3)].

1963: Forney adds metalworking supplies to its line of welders.

1986: Sadly, J.D. Forney passes away after 54 years in the business he created.

In October of 1998, under his direction, the Museum sold the Platte Street building to sporting goods retailer REI. It ran them around $40 million to restore the old building to a level the Museum could never have achieved.

With the help of many volunteers and the loan of needed equipment, most of the collection was moved to the new building by the spring of 1999.

In January of 2001 the Museum opened to the public in this spacious 140,000 square foot facility.

Amy C. Neuman joined the museum as Director in 2007.

2009: Forney welders were relaunched and the line was rebranded to green.