EMPORIA, KS – Hopkins Manufacturing Corporation celebrates its 70th year in business today. Founded in 1953 in Emporia, Kansas by E. L. (Bud) and R. E. (Gene) Hopkins, the brothers developed various body shop tools, including an effective tool to aim vehicle headlights. The “Hoppy Headlight Aimer” became an icon in the body shop industry.

The founders looked to the emerging plastics technology in the 1960s to continue to improve their products. This new direction led to using plastics to make ice scrapers and Hopkins entered the consumer products market in 1975. This was a turning point for Hopkins and established a new path for growth. Over the next 22 years, the Hopkins brothers expanded the company into Plug-In-Simple^® vehicle and trailer wiring connectors and other products.

Since 1997 when the founders phased out, the company has expanded significantly, through both acquisition and internal organic growth, in additional towing electrical and lighting products, winter snow and ice tools, automotive organizers and interior accessories, oil and fluid change tools, vehicle cleaning products, electronic vehicle safety products, tire repair and safety products and air fresheners. In addition to the corporate headquarters in Emporia, the company has marketing, manufacturing and distribution facilities in nine other locations around the world.

“Today, we honor the excellent work of all of those that came before us,” said Bradley T. Kraft, president & CEO. He added, “Their passion for exceeding expectations set the foundation for Hopkins’ success, and has become our guiding principle in all that we do.”

Today the company looks toward a bright future with a continued focus on delivering meaningful innovation, performance and value to consumers for years to come.

About Hopkins
Headquartered in Emporia, Kansas, Hopkins is a leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of quality, innovative specialized towing products and functional accessories for the automotive and recreational vehicle aftermarkets. Hopkins markets its products under a number of well-recognized brand names, including: FloTool^® and Lumax^® Fluid Management Products; Hopkins Towing Solutions^® Trailer Wiring, Lighting & Brake Control Products; Detailer’s Choice, AutoSpa™, Tanner’s Select^® and Pacific Coast™ Vehicle Cleaning Products; Mallory^® squeegees; Bell^®, Genuine Victor™, Monkey Grip™, RoadSport^® and Go Gear^® Vehicle Accessories; SubZero^® and Mallory^® Snow & Ice Tools; Brake Buddy^® RV tow brakes; Blazer^® auxiliary lighting; nVISION^® Vehicle Safety Products; and ARM & HAMMER™ Automotive Air Fresheners. Founded in 1953, the company has been guided by the philosophy that its products will deliver meaningful innovation, performance and value to the consumer. Hopkins has North American manufacturing and distribution in the US, (i.e., Kansas and Oklahoma); in Canada in Blenheim, Ontario and in Mexico in Juarez, Chihuahua. ONCAP invested in Hopkins in June 2011. For more information on Hopkins, visit its website at www.HopkinsMfg.com.

For more information:
Brandon Dexter
Director of Creative Services
(620) 340-8496
brandon.dexter@hopkinsmfg.com