Like Many American Dream Stories, Ours Began in a Garage
It was 1987 in the Midwestern town of Humboldt, Kansas. Roger Baker was experiencing declining demand for his skills as a classic car restorer, and Joe Works had endured several tough years on the family farm. To provide for their families, they began applying their skills in a new way—building custom truck beds under the name B&W.
They quickly recognized a way to remove the inconvenience of a gooseneck ball permanently welded in the bed of a truck. They designed a gooseneck hitch with the mounting hardware underneath the bed and a ball that turned over and stowed in place. The Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch was born. They didn’t know it would revolutionize the industry the way it did, but today nearly every gooseneck manufacturer uses this type of ball storage and mounting system.
We Didn’t Invent the Trailer Hitch, But We Made Everyone Else Reinvent Theirs
A few years later, they applied the same concepts to fifth-wheel hitches. Using the same under-bed mounting hardware and hole in the bed, they designed a Companion with a single point attachment that was removable when not towing. They also designed the Companion to provide a quiet and smooth ride for the user.
From there, they kept solving problems other hitch manufacturers weren’t, always thinking of the customer’s towing experience. They set the bar high and built a company that continues to raise it.
Our product line now includes all types of innovative towing products manufactured in our nearly 500,000-square-foot facility. In 2007, Joe began transferring ownership of the company to us, the now 390 employee-owners.