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Hopkins Manufacturing history
Hopkins Manufacturing company history timeline
Hopkins® was founded in Emporia, Kansas by E. L. (“Bud”) and R. E. (“Gene”) Hopkins in 1953 with auto body repair tools, beginning with the Dial-Pick, an adjustable pneumatic pick hammer; this was followed by an invention that forever changed the way automotive headlights were installed.
In 1965 Warren Buffett took majority control of the textile manufacturer Berkshire Hathaway Inc., turning it into his primary investment vehicle.
In 1985, Hopkins acquired Olathe Wiring, creating another category at retail for DIY’ers that prior to this was only available from an installer and a business that has since grown into the #1 vehicle-to-trailer towing electrical solutions company in North America.
In 1997, the Hopkins family decided to retire and Hopkins began a transition from the family business to a more dynamic company whose growth was driven by organic growth and acquisitions that complement the business and the company’s competencies.
Joined Hopkins in 2000 as the first non-Hopkins family member to lead the company.
In 2005, Hopkins purchased Carrand Companies, Inc., the leader in car care tools selling products under the Carrand® and AutoSpa™ brands.
Also in 2005, Hopkins added electronic safety products from Design Tech, Inc. which formed the basis for the company’s award winning back up camera technology.
In June 2006 Warren Buffett announced that he would donate more than 80 percent of his wealth to charitable foundations.
During the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007–08, Buffett made a number of deals that, though questioned at the time, proved highly profitable.
In September 2008 he invested $5 billion in the United States-based bank holding company Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., and the following month Berkshire Hathaway purchased $3 billion in General Electric Company (GE) preferred stock.
In 2008, Hopkins established an Innovation Design Center (IDC) in Los Angeles to focus on developing new product categories.
In November 2009 Buffett announced that Berkshire was buying the railroad company Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation for about $26 billion; the investment group already owned approximately 23 percent of the railroad.
In 2010 Buffett and the Gateses created the Giving Pledge, an invitation to other wealthy individuals to donate the majority of their fortune to charities.
In 2011 Buffett was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2011, the company acquired Mr.
Joined Hopkins as VP of Finance and CFO in 2012.
In 2012, Hopkins acquired F3 Brands, whose oil drains, ramps and funnels complemented the FloTool offering, establishing FloTool as a one-stop shop for all fluid management accessory products.
Joined Hopkins in 2013 as Vice President of Corporate and Business Development.
In 2013, the company acquired Mallory, Inc., the #1 winter tools brand in Canada, that was complementary to our market leading SubZero® snow tools brand in the US. Mallory also maintains the leading position for gas station island squeegees across North America.
Joined Hopkins in 2014 as Vice President of Sales.
In 2015, Hopkins purchased Bell Automotive Products, Inc., which includes safety, protection and convenience products sold under the recognizable Bell® brand, along with Genuine Victor™ and Monkey Grip™ tire repair brands.
The marketing office continues to be located in Scottsdale, AZ. In 2017, the company acquired Air Power America, whose oil extractors expanded the FloTool reach to the marine market and positioned FloTool in the emerging automotive oil extraction trend.
Joined Hopkins in 2018 as Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer.
Joined Hopkins in 2020 as Senior Vice President of Operations.
Joined Hopkins in 2021 as Vice President of Information Technology.
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Hopkins Manufacturing competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brill | 1928 | $61.0M | 1,000 | - |
| ILLUME | 1994 | $19.0M | 3 | 10 |
| TPI | 1950 | $210.0M | 750 | 177 |
| Accuform | 1976 | $2.8M | 6 | 2 |
| W.C. Bradley Co. | 1885 | $60.0M | 175 | - |
| Marine Products | 1965 | $236.6M | 823 | 1 |
| Prime-Line Products | 1978 | $1.0M | 25 | - |
| DecoArt | 1985 | $39.3M | 50 | 4 |
| Tech Lighting | 1988 | $32.0M | 750 | - |
| VEI | 1972 | $35.0M | 200 | 3 |
Hopkins Manufacturing history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Hopkins Manufacturing, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Hopkins Manufacturing. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Hopkins Manufacturing. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Hopkins Manufacturing. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Hopkins Manufacturing and its employees or that of Zippia.
Hopkins Manufacturing may also be known as or be related to Hopkins, Hopkins Manufacturing, Hopkins Manufacturing Corp. and Hopkins Manufacturing Corporation.