FABRICATING
Ken Kipe, vice president of Hitch Things.
Hitch Things hits big with transport attachments for trailer hitch receivers – and in OEM subcontracting, too.
34
Express Vol.3/07
They’re a hit! (With a hitch.) Opportunity didn’t just knock. It broke down the door. Six years ago, Brian Wise was looking for a way to haul his ATV without having to use a trailer. While developing a product to meet his hauling needs, he realized he had stumbled upon an exploding market – a perfect storm of convergence between the fast growth of the SUV and pickup truck markets along with those of motorcycles and all terrain vehicles (ATVs). With approximately 12.5 million ATVs and motorcycles in the United States (according to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America), the burgeoning ATV and motorcycle accessories market inspired Brian to start an entirely new business dedicated to products for easy transport of anything that needed to be “hauled” – Hitch Things in Chambersburg, PA. This inspiration would quickly prove to be a profitable endeavor for the former trailer manufacturer. In fact, Brian’s new company was so successful that after just one year of operation more manufacturing space was needed to keep up with demands and the company moved to its current location with 36,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Hitch Things produces and directly sells a range of easy-to-load platforms and pickup truck bed ramps for ATVs and motorcycles. These