The Blue Ox Factory Tour

It's a short walk from Blue Ox's Campground to the Factory Office for our Tour.

Connor, our Tour Guide, introduces himself & hands  Tour Attendees Safety Glasses.

There is no photography in the Factory.

About the Company's History:  Automatic Curry and Dipping Machine was founded in Pender in 1926 to make Farm Equipment.  The name was changed to Automatic Equipment Manufacturing Co.  Farming and Farm Equipment manufacturing started to decline in the 1980s.  

Blue Ox was acquired in 1991 and produces:

 Tow Bars for towing four wheels down.  This is the one we are buying.

Base Plates that are put on the front of cars towed with all four wheels down 

 Flat Towing Braking Systems and accessories for safe

four-wheel down towing.  

Weight Distributing Hitches that are used on Trailers for safer towing.

Blue Ox continues to look at ways to increase its aftermarket product offerings.  It acquired Mad Ramps in 2020 to expand into the Recreational Ramp and Towing Market with:

Flatbed Truck Bed Extenders for transport of UTVs, etc. 

Loading Ramps UTVs, Golf Carts, and Snowmobiles.

Blue Ox continues to make a few pieces of specialized Farm Equipment.

The Company has been automating for the past five years or so.  Employees were retrained to set up the new machines and automated systems for parts production.  The output of finished products has risen and the Company continues to innovate with upgrades to its Towing Systems.

When Covid hit, furloughs occurred.  The steep rise in RV Sales in 2020 brought employees back to work to make Towing Systems and Braking Systems for newly manufactured Motorhomes and Trailers.  The increase in demand is being met and Blue Ox sees sales expanding into the next year.  Currently, a 70,000 square foot Factory expansion is being planned.  

The most important question from the Tour:  What are the Tow Bar servicing options? There are four opportunities for Tow Bar Servicing:

- Blue Ox goes to FMCA Rallies and services Tow Bars for attendees.  (Eric and I had our Tow Bar serviced at an FMCA Rally and two Winnebago Grand National Rallies.)  

- Check the Blue Ox Website under About Us.  The Events Tab lists upcoming Rallies, with dates.  Service Techs are available to assist Customers at these Events.                                                            

- Our Service Tech told Eric and me that Blue Ox attends The Big Tent RV and Sports Show at Quartzsite in January. The Events Tab will be updated to include upcoming Quartzsite dates as January 2022 approaches.

- Customers can have their Tow Bars shipped to Blue Ox for servicing.  Blue Ox pays for the cost, both ways for this type of Service Access.   

Our Factory Tour Group thanked Connor for the Tour.  We learned a lot about Blue Ox and the RV Towing, Braking, Ramp Systems, and Flatbed Truck Extensions.  

It's time to return to the Campground and wait for our new Blue Ox Tow Bar to arrive and be installed.