DESIGNED FOR ADVENTURE
Allowing customers to focus on what matters most – the thrill of the outdoors – Yakima Products Inc. has a proud history of providing trusted solutions that transform the way people travel and enjoy the open road
Writer: Lauren Kania | Project Manager: Kieron Harvey
Whether you are heading out camping, biking, hitting the water, or taking the family on a holiday road trip, Yakima Products Inc. (Yakima) believes that any adventure, regardless of the destination, creates shared experiences and memories between loved ones that last a lifetime.
Having begun as a passion project in 1973, Otto Lagervall, an avid inventor and paddlesports enthusiast, began creating handmade foot braces for canoes and kayaks in his family’s small machine shop, located in the company’s namesake city in Washington, embarking on a 50-year journey that would take Yakima across the globe.
Boasting a history of making bold moves in the name of new horizons, the company has worked hard, embraced challenges, and taken risks to continue to lead the niche market with the same enthusiasm and innovative mindset it was conceptualized with.
Yakima’s trusted solutions have transformed the way people travel. Indeed, the company is a trendsetter in its sector, packing heritage, safety, design sensibility, and street smarts into every product.
Together with its network of respected retailers, the business proudly provides its customers the freedom to wander, the right to be unruly, and the confidence to go rogue.
Traveling the winding road home, the memories and connections made with friends and family remain long after the trip ends. Yakima handles roof racks, LocknLoad systems, and roof boxes in order to keep its customers’ minds on the joy of the journey.
GEARING UP FOR TOUGHNESS
For over five decades, Yakima has placed a high emphasis on the design philosophy behind its many product offerings.
Its first consideration when formulating a new product is the
people using it. The company contemplates the possible challenges individuals may face when carrying their favorite gear and focuses on creating innovative solutions to solve these hurdles.
Due to this well-rounded approach, Yakima’s products are intuitive, longlasting, and easy to use by all.
When finding a perfectly fitted roof rack or box, the company’s dedicated in-house team is committed to fitting vehicles no matter the shape, make, or size to ensure rack solutions are available for nearly every car on the road.
Yakima even goes as far as to offer
Vehicle Finder, a customizable online tool that allows its users to visualize which product will work with their vehicles, making the perfect choice
YAKIMA’S PROMISE
Regardless of the destination or adventure, Yakima helps to get its customers, their friends, and all of their gear to the desired spot, allowing people to focus on what really matters – creating memories to last a lifetime.
easy and navigable.
While it is one thing to design a great rack, it’s quite another to build one.
That is why the company has highly skilled design engineers who pair years of mechanical experience with expert-level material knowledge to ensure that the best performance and longest lifespan can be guaranteed.
With the motto of tried, tested, and true, once Yakima has built a roof rack, the product goes through rigorous and merciless testing in order for the company to confidently say it will stand up to whatever a customer puts it through.
From snow-peaked mountain passes to rural dirt roads, the business has tested and fine-tuned every one of its products to last. That’s why Yakima can offer all of its bike racks, ski racks, roof boxes, and other products with a five-year limited warranty.
EMBRACING THE THRILL OF THE UNTAMED
Yakima offers a range of products and services to its wide customer base, including crossbars, LockNLoad roof racks, bike racks, winter sports racks, water sports racks, roof racks, accessories for camping, and 4x4 racks and accessories.
YAKIMA’S HISTORY
1973 – The company was founded by Otto and Jeanne Lagervall in Yakima, Washington. Otto’s first claim to fame was the invention of the foldable metal music stand. Yakima introduced its first national product, the Gold Rush Bar.
1979 – Steve Cole and Don Banducci purchased Yakima, envisioning a better future for hauling recreational sporting equipment. They moved Yakima to Arcata, California, and began fitting gear on cars.
1984 – Yakima’s brand promise held true when it built aerodynamic fairings for all race vehicles at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Yakima was also the official rack supplier for the 7-Eleven cycling team, who won nine gold medals.
1995 – Yakima’s first locking fork bike mount, SteelHead, was introduced.
2005 – The company moved its headquarters to Oregon and vowed to keep friends in cars and keep Portland weird.
2008 – HoldUp and SwingDaddy, two new hitch racks, were released to the public and received critical acclaim. Yakima engineers soared 62 feet to win Red Bull Flugtag in Portland, going down in history.
2010 – Kemflo Group purchased Yakima, Whisbar, and Prorack, with all three brands then selling in North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
2018 – Yakima US and Yakima Australia exist as sister companies. The former continues to produce cargo management systems products while the latter engineers off-road capabilities. The brand now sells in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the Middle East.
“OUR STORY IS MORE OF A JOURNEY, BECAUSE WE’VE NEVER BEEN GOOD AT SITTING STILL. AFTER ALL, WE DON’T HAVE WILD SIDES; WE HAVE WILD SOULS”
– YAKIMA PRODUCTS INC.
LockNLoad roof racks, in particular, are the strongest and quietest heavyduty roof rack systems on the market, with a load rating of 75 kilograms (kg) per bar and end caps featuring a tiedown point rated at 100kg each.
With an aerodynamic shape and rubber load-protector strip, the LockNLoad roof rack is designed in Australia with the idea being that if it can survive the harsh outback touring conditions Down Under, it can survive anywhere.
The result is a heavy-duty roof rack that can handle endless highways, gravel roads, rugged deserts, and steep mountains without breaking a sweat.
Most importantly, the LockNLoad roof rack features a built-in bottle opener, allowing customers to crack open a cold drink after a long drive.
Complementing the gamechanging innovation of the LockNLoad roof racks, Yakima offers
additional accessories for all kinds of camping trips.
The company provides roof boxes and racks to ensure customers don’t have to worry about getting their gear, friends, and family safely to the campsite, allowing them to truly enjoy all the outdoors has to offer.
The roof box allows experienced and novice campers alike to take all the equipment they need in a safe, secure, and efficient storage box that boasts a sleek, aerodynamic design and is compatible with nearly all car models.
For those who love to go off-road, reliable materials and products are a necessity. As such, the company’s roof racks and accessories are timetested and built not just to last, but to thrive.
From curving mountain roads to long stretches of isolated highways, Yakima products endure when the going gets tough.
Greenline Outdoor is a professional company specializing in designing and manufacturing outdoor products, such as rooftop tents, folding gazebos, camping products, etc.
Our company possesses an incredible team of professional designers, structure engineers, and samplers who have proudly been involved in this line of work for more than 20 years.
We are the first manufacturer in China to produce rooftop tent products since 2004 and have the most complete serials of soft top and rooftop tents, alongside newly developed models. Our vast experience allows us a strong ability to innovate all kinds of new outdoor products. Many professional clients for roof tents are OEMs due to our reliable quality and services.
Tel: +86 15558191380 | Whatsapp: +86 13606618436 | greenline@greenlineoutdoor.com | greenlineoutdoor.com
