J.W. Speaker Corporation, founded in July of 1935 by John W. Speaker, began as a manufacturer of automotive repair parts; including, radiator fronts, car mirrors, repair kits and automotive lighting.
In the early 1940’s, J.W. Speaker developed the Heatab miniature portable stove and the “P38” GI can opener. Both were widely used during World War II and for several decades after by the U.S. military.
In 1960, under the leadership of John’s son, Jack, J.W. Speaker Corporation shifted its focus to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vehicular lighting, expanding the product offering to include vehicular lighting for lawn and garden and golf and turf tractors. Since then, J.W. Speaker has evolved into a major lighting manufacturer specializing in quality lighting products for OEMs and aftermarket customers around the world.
Today, J.W. Speaker Corporation is still a family-run business and is led by John’s grandsons, Tim and Jamie Speaker. The company now serves a variety of industries including agriculture, construction, on-road commercial, material handling, mining, motorcycle, recreation and aviation markets. Their success is derived from putting the customers’ need first, focusing on new and emerging technologies alongside quality production.
"As we celebrate 80 years, it's exciting to think about how far the business has come. J.W. Speaker has progressed from a small parts automotive manufacturer into a global manufacturer of cutting edge lighting technology," said Tim Speaker, J.W. Speaker's co-president and co-owner.
J.W. Speaker serves both OEM and aftermarket customers, taking pride in meeting the unique needs of both large manufacturers and end users, by providing innovative and high quality lighting products. Jamie Speaker, J.W. Speaker's other co-president and co-owner, added “We are committed to continually evolving to meet the needs of our customers, just as we’ve done for the past 80 years.”
