BendPak Founder Don Henthorn Passes Away
At 85, he continued to oversee the brand after a successful succession plan in 2022...
BendPak founder Don Henthorn has passed away. The company sent this notice:
Don Henthorn, owner and founder of BendPak Inc., peacefully passed away at home Thursday, March 28, at the age of 85. Under his leadership, BendPak grew from a small machine shop to one of the world’s leading manufacturers of car lifts and automotive service equipment.
Management and operations of the privately owned company are unchanged.
Henthorn transitioned day-to-day management to the current leadership team in 2022 as part of an established succession plan. Serving as chairman emeritus, he continued to coach the team, coming to the office six days a week.
“Don’s leadership and dedication have been the cornerstone of BendPak’s success. His passion, wisdom, and guidance have left an indelible mark on all of us and the organization,” said Jeff Kritzer, BendPak president and CEO. “His legacy lives on through the values and principles he instilled in our company. He was not only a leader, but also a mentor, inspiring all of us to strive for excellence and to never settle for anything else.”
Henthorn was stationed at a Nike Ajax missile site in Connecticut. While there, he met Virginia Ann “Ginger” Eib, and they married two days after he was discharged in 1959. Three days after that, they moved to California, where he went to work in the aerospace industry. After learning all he could, he started Quality Machine & Associates (QMA) in Simi Valley, California. This premier shop specialized in precision machine work for aerospace and defense giants.
Not content with the “feast or famine” workload of a job shop, Henthorn developed and patented specialty tools QMA could market. The most successful of these included the 5ivePak, a portable combination coil spring compressor, U-joint press and gear-puller; a MacPherson strut spring-compressor; and a portable exhaust pipe expander.
By the 1970s, Henthorn was building equipment for the then-bustling muffler shop industry. In 1977, he oversaw construction of the company’s first new building, a 20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Moorpark, California. Two years later, QMA introduced a hydraulic tubing bender for muffler shops, and Henthorn was inspired to change the company name to match. “BendPak” was born. In 1983, responding to customer requests, Henthorn introduced BendPak’s first four-post lift and entered the vehicle lift market.
Today, the company has manufacturing and distribution facilities around the world and employs more than 275 people. Work is underway on the BendPak Industrial Complex, a huge light industrial space developed in Mobile County, Alabama.
Henthorn was a believer in hard work. Motivated by the fear of failure and the desire to expand his business, he pushed the company to continuously grow. For decades, he was the first person in the door every day, starting between 5 and 6 a.m., Monday through Saturday. When asked the secret to BendPak’s success, he would answer simply, “We outwork everybody.”
Henthorn took the safety of millions of mechanics around the world very seriously and was committed to ensuring that BendPak produced superior products.
“We wholeheartedly hold the philosophy that only going above and beyond on every product, for every customer, will keep us growing in this business,” he wrote in a letter to customers on BendPak.com. “When BendPak started, I was the sole name and voice attached to the company’s product development and operations. Today, BendPak exists beyond the control of a few sharp minds. The hundreds of employees we hold dear are appreciated on a daily basis, which is why people continue to want to work here, and it’s why we’ll continue to thrive for generations to come.”
Henthorn could often be found out in the shop tinkering and inventing. He also enjoyed golfing and sharing memories with friends, family, and colleagues.
Henthorn is survived by his wife, Ginger, daughter, Susan, and grandchildren Annika, Reagan, Carson, and Kennedy. He was preceded in death by his son, Gary.
For a look back on his life, please visit the BendPak blog. The blog will be updated with service information when available.
