History
Western Products celebrating
75 years in business!
LOOK BACK AT OUR HISTORY
- 1950: Douglas Seaman purchased Western Welding & Manufacturing, a small machine shop in Milwaukee founded in 1943. At the time, the primary business was small, one-off welding jobs for large manufacturers.
- 1952: Western Welding introduced its first snowplow. This coincided with a shift in the U.S. population towards suburban areas, increasing the market for light trucks and snowplows.
- 1956: Over 82% of snowplows manufactured were mounted on Jeeps.
- 1960: Debuted first hand-held control, allowing the operator to raise and lower the plow from the comfort of the cab.
- 1966: Acquired nearly twenty acres of city-owned land on Milwaukee’s North Side, still home for Western Products headquarters today.
- 1966: Started manufacturing hydraulics in-house to improve supply chain control, reliability, and quality.
- 1966: Patented the truck-mounted snow blower.
- 1976: Started focusing solely on snowplow manufacturing and sold the construction equipment side of the business.
- 1977: Patented the Multiple Circuit Control, enabling operators to independently control various hydraulic functions simultaneously.
- 1977: Patented the hydraulic system for vehicle mounted snowplows.
- 1977: Douglas Seaman incorporated Douglas Dynamics as the parent company of Western Products.
- 1980: Released lightweight straight blades to accommodate half-ton trucks as their popularity increased.
- 1980: The SnowKing™ was introduced for two-wheeled drive trucks and was the “Official Snowplow of the 1980 Olympic Winter Games”.
- 1991: The UniMount launched, a revolutionary concept that allowed you to quickly attach and detach your plow at any time.
- 1995: Introduced the first stainless tailgate spreader (PRO-FLO 2).
- 1999: MVP launched, marking WESTERNs entrance into the v-plow segment.
- 2001: Released UltraMount™ Attachment system
- 2006: 1st generation Tornado™ Hopper Spreader was released in 1.25 cu yd with a standard poly lid. This gained popularity among consumers for the built-in material protection and durability. It was later redesigned in 2009.
- 2007: The original WIDE-OUT was introduced as the first winged blade for WESTERN. It was redesigned in 2018 and added a bigger WIDE-OUT XL model.
- 2010: Western Products becomes publicly traded.
- 2011: The ULTRAFINISH™ baked on powder coat process was improved, providing outstanding protection against wear and rust.
- 2012: FLEET FLEX Electrical System was released, designed to provide true fleet interchangeability.
- 2012: Western’s Founder, Douglas Seaman, Passes away at age 91 in Hobe Sound, FL. Obituary.
- 2013: Attachment system was upgraded to the UltraMount 2, a WESTERN advantage still used to this day. This made mounting and dismounting the plow faster, more intuitive, and better suited for evolving vehicle technology.
- 2013: Skid-steer attachments were introduced for the PRO PLUS and PRODIGY, marking the first non-truck mounted snowplow designed by Western Products.
- 2015: The Striker™ product line was unveiled, solidifying WESTERN in the hopper spreader market.
- 2016: The first UTV plow was launched (IMPACT Heavy-Duty v-plow). The straight blade was launched a year later.
- 2019: NIGHTHAWK™ LED plow headlights were introduced for improved visibility while plowing at night.
- 2019: Purchased former car dealership next to main headquarters and expanded campus for additional manufacturing and office space.
- 2022: WESTERN began manufacturing their own pusher plows in-house and redesigned the PILE DRIVER fixed wing model to include TRACE, a terrain response advanced cutting edge.
- 2024: Introduced PILE DRIVER™ XL (TRACE), an award-winning hydraulic pusher with independently controlled wings.
MILWAUKEE IS HOME TO WESTERN PRODUCTS
Milwaukee, WI 53213
Western Products’ original manufacturing plant in 1950 was located near the Milwaukee Brewers stadium. It has since been torn down and replaced with new condominiums.
Milwaukee, WI 53223
In 1977, Western Products acquired its current headquarters on Milwaukee’s Northwest Side.
(7777 N. 73rd St.)
In 2019, Western Products purchased a former car dealership and converted it for additional office and manufacturing space.
HISTORIC PHOTO GALLERY
Do you have a plow or spreader that has a special story? Share any photos or clips you have from 1950-2025 for a chance to win a special WESTERN gift package. Every entry will get a commemorative 75th sticker (please include your address if you’d like to receive one)
GET YOUR
ANNIVERSARY EDITION
8’6″ MVP 3™ V-PLOW
Get a special, commemorative anniversary decal. Only available this year, the anniversary edition v-plow is available in both stainless steel and mild steel. This allows full support of the anniversary edition blade with accessories and service parts throughout the life of the blade.
