History Of Winco

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History of Winco

      The year was 1927. Rural America was without electricity. Rural homes were being lighted using oil or Kerosene lamps. The radio, powered by storage batteries was the only electrical convenience available to most people who did not live in town. The radio was the only window to the world for the people, but the batteries kept going dead. It was a real inconvenience to get the batteries recharged.

      In Cherokee, Iowa, two brothers, John and Gerhard Albers, developed a wind generator to recharge a six-volt storage battery. They called their invention "The Wincharger." It worked so well that friends and neighbors were soon asking the Albers brothers to build Winchargers for them. Their business grew and in 1935, Wincharger was incorporated as a business and manufacturing was moved to Sioux City, Iowa.

      Zenith Corporation purchased a controlling interest in Wincharger in late 1935. The six-volt Wincharger sold for $10 to purchasers of Zenith radios who wanted the power unit. In 1937, Zenith Radio Corporation purchased the remaining shares of Wincharger stock. To provide additional lighting capacity, 12-volt, 32-volt, and 110-volt generators were developed. Soon the company was known all over the world for the unfailing dependability of the Wincharger.

      During World War II, the Dynamotor was developed and used in military aircraft and ships. After the war, the Dynamotor became the basis for the two bearing generator know today as the 2FS which is still sold in large quantities for pressure washers and man lift applications. Wincharger continued to expand its product line by initiating new designs of Dynamotors, inverters, alternators, Winchargers, engine-driven generators, transistorized converters, ground electrical support equipment and radio receiving sets.

      In 1950, the Winco line of Power Take Off (PTO) generators was born. This line of generators was designed to run off of the power takeoff drive of a tractor. A complete line of portable engine-driven generators was introduced for commercial and industrial applications in 1952. Research and development continued to produce important innovations. In 1955, the company introduced the first automatic idle control (conserver) for portable generators. Extended engine life, fuel conservation and reduced noise were all-important benefits to be derived from this invention which has set an industry standard for portable generators.

      The Maxi-Watt and Full-Power generator designs were introduced in 1964. These designs vastly improved performance in heavy-duty motor starting applications and provided usable full capacity output at 120 volts, 240 volts, or both simultaneously. In 1970, the company introduced the Winco Automatic Power Systems - a complete line of packaged standby generators. Key to the success of the packaged standby generator was the Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS). The ATS made it possible to automatically start the standby generator when normal electrical power was interrupted.

      By the mid seventies, Winco had become a major supplier of generators to the rental and construction markets. In 1978, Winco began producing water-cooled generators. In the same year, Winco developed the first switchable voltage Mobile Power System to supply temporary and emergency power needs in the construction, industrial and government markets.

      The Dynamaxx generator line was developed in 1982. Dynamaxx generators included a Quick-Link voltage reconnection board and advanced technology microprocessor controls designed to efficiently provide standby and prime power for industrial and commercial needs. 1987 saw the introduction of the Dyna Pro series, the Pro-X series, and Tri-Fuel portable generators for the consumer/homeowner market.

      1990 was the year of the portables. A new line of consumer-oriented portable generators under the Dyna brand name was introduced. Additionally, a full line of Honda powered portable generators for the construction market was developed. Throughout the 1990's a number of new products were developed while other products were redesigned. New innovative light towers were introduced and a new Mobile Diesel line of generators was developed for quieter operation and remote start applications. The eight-kilowatt Packaged Standby System (PSS) was redesigned to use a Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engine. A full line of PSS generators was developed from a range of 8,000 watts to 65,000 watts.

      In 2000, a number of new Packaged Standby Systems were developed as well as some redesigns of existing models. In this new decade, Winco is looking forward to a number of new products and innovations.

      In 2003, Winco customers continue to benefit from our 75 years of generator experience. Recent additions to our line-up include our new 10 & 12 KW Honda powered Home Standby systems, a rugged and powerful 12 KW portable model for the Construction and Roofing Market and a new 6KW Tri-Fuel portable for Home Standby that runs on gasoline, LP or natural gas. Across the board we are incorporating new technology to provide the cleanest and most reliable power in the industry. Winco generators are built with pride and our primary mission is quality.

We stand behind our products and we want to work for you. Call GeneratorJoe® and order the Winco generator you need. Generators with experience.

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