PINE BROOK, N.J. Feb. 14 is a special day for a lot of people, but for WEXCO Industries, it’s about much more than Cupid and valentines.
On that date this year, WEXCO Industries marked the company’s 20th anniversary of supplying windshield wiper systems and components to the heavy duty and automotive markets.
Founded by Steve Schwartz and Paula Lombard, the company once known as Wipers Express, has grown into a multi-national supplier of private label wiper programs to several automotive entities and engineered wiper systems to the agriculture, construction, bus and trucking sectors.
Beginning as an automotive aftermarket distributor with a warehouse in Cedar Grove, N.J., the company quickly gained a foothold in the market with high-quality blades and custom service.
WEXCO’s growth initially mirrored the growth of the quick lube industry, as oil change locations offered wiper blade changes as one of their services. It was in this market, through a close association with the Jiffy Lube chain, that WEXCO developed and distributed the Rain-x wiper blade through its first years.
Now, heading into its third decade, the company says it continues to grow from its base in Pine Brook, N.J. On the OE side, looking to raise its own internal quality standards, WEXCO is pursuing certification to the ISO14000 and TS16949 standards. On the aftermarket side, the AutoTex PINK line is expanding through a network of distributors, while new private label programs are being added at a regular pace.