Tune in to Tow Professional's Podcast featuring Jeff Bimson, CEO of Warrior Winches, and Lauren Colon, Executive Director of the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum. Find out more about Warrior Winches, it’s family focused business model and it’s commitment to the Survivor Fund which provides vital assistance to the Towing Community.
Listen by clicking the video below:
Or you can read the transcript below:
Welcome one and all to Tow Professional Podcast. Remember, this is your podcast. It's for the pros that have a need to know that are on the go, their true voice of the towing and recovery industry.
I'm DJ Harrington, better known as the Tow Doctor, and the real co-host of this program is the president and publisher of Tow Professional Magazine, a good friend of the industry, and a dear friend of mine, Darren Weaver. Darren, how are you to this day? And we got a great one scheduled for today. Man, DJ, I tell you, we just keep coming in hot.
It's a fantastic day. Over here in bipolar Alabama, we've had shorts weather and long pants weather in two days. So that's what we're getting this week.
But man, you've got it. This is going to be a great one. We've got the president and CEO of Warrior Winch on today, Jeff Bimson.
And also, in addition to that, if that wasn't good enough, we've also got the executive director of the International Hall of Fame Museum, Lauren Colon on. So, man, you couldn't ask for a better lineup. I mean, what else can we do here? No, this is a fantastic lineup, and our listeners are going to love this episode.
So why don't you go ahead and introduce Jeff and let all of our dear friends meet a great guy from across the seas. Yes, without a doubt, listeners, this is one, if you've ever looked at that winch and said, Hey, what goes into that? Listen to this one, man, because they've got some of the finest products offered out here and we've got it coming right from the CEO, from Jeff Bimson. So let me ask him, Jeff, to start off.
First question I got to ask is just tell us a little bit about yourself and about Bimson Power and Warrior Winch.
Hi, everybody. Great to be on board. Good to meet you guys.
So, Warrior Winch, the original company name was Winch Solutions, and that was formed in 2004, so 20 years ago now.
Not long before the Survivor Support Fund was started, I think it was 2005. So, we started it and we determined that there was a gap in the market in the UK market for a well-priced, high-performing winch. Back in the day in the UK, most of the winches were imported from the USA.
Pretty good product, but very, very expensive. So we engineered our own range of winches back in 2004 and marketed them under the Warrior brand. In the early days, we sort of concentrated on the consumer market, so ATV, 4x4, that kind of sector.
And then over the last 20 years, we've evolved our product, our technology, and our performance in our products now to support any sector, including towing, including trailer industries, military. So, from those humble beginnings in 2004, we have basically constantly evolved the product. I think that's what gives the Warrior product its performance to this day.
Basically, it's 20 years of evolution from those beginnings in 2004 till the present time. So we take our product performance very, very seriously. So we're constantly trying to make it better, trying to understand what the market wants.
And that's a never-ending journey. And that journey has now brought us to the home of winches, the USA, where we feel that we've got a product strong enough to offer and support the US market in all sectors, and of course, the towing industry. To that point, we established our own subsidiary in the USA.
So we're effectively a US corporation now. We operate from our warehouse in Texas, and we will be expanding that distribution base over the next few months. So that's kind of the journey to the USA from 20 years ago.
Man, that is fantastic. Let me tell you, Jeff, I had the winches at one of my shows I did in the past, Southern Tow Expo. I saw some local towers here.
One of our big towers in the industry, Will Records Service, that bought the winches, tried them out, and they have done nothing but brag on the product. And from what I've seen, didn't repeat buyers of the product. So I see when people buy the product, it sells itself.
Once they've bought it, I see the repeat business comes back to you, which speaks for the brand.
Yeah, the product has been very well received, but we understand we're relatively new. And so people, a big part of us is about getting the message out.
Things like this help. We're present at most of the industry shows, the majority of the tow shows, because we're just aware we're new. People don't know enough about us.
So the big part for us is just to get the message out. Once people have seen and tried the product, it's a pretty easy conversion. But it's just getting them to basically understand who we are, what we stand for, and getting that wider exposure to the US market, which we understand that takes time.
But we feel that we've got a product and a customer service and a support of our customers that will ultimately keep progressing and develop the brand across all of the USA.
Fantastic. Well, that brings us to the next question.
I did want to ask you about what you're doing in conjunction with the International Towing Hall of Fame Museum now. So tell me about your choice to support the towing museum and what you're doing with that, what that means.
Well, so as a company, we always try to support the local areas and the international areas that we operate in.
So we're a truly international company, obviously founded in the UK, so we support local causes in the UK. We also have a European arm to our business, and we support causes in Europe. And then we felt that to truly be integrated into the US market, then we had a responsibility to support some causes in the USA, because we believe we have a US organization and we basically want to be part of the USA culture.
And then when we came across the Survivor Fund, that is actually, of all the things that we support, it's the actual closest to us and our product. Because these guys who unfortunately, you know, in the worst cases, losing their lives are operating the same equipment that we sell. So the connection is really, really close.
You know, these vehicles, in the most cases, have got a winch on of some brand. So we felt there's a really, really close connection there. And we just felt we had a responsibility really to support it in some way.
It also aligns very closely to our company values. I'm fortunate enough to have been around the block a bit. I'm 20 years into running business, and the company is fairly well established.
So I can look at things other than just making money, just being driven by profit. And for me and my leadership team, we feel that there's more fulfillment in running a business if you can contribute to the world in general and try and make some kind of positive impact. You know, one day I'll retire, and that for me is a greater legacy to leave than how much money we made.
So, and with the Survivor Fund being very much around supporting families who, you know, in tragic circumstances, my whole business values are based on, we call them family values. So, you know, some of our values are about trust and understanding. And I just felt there was almost like a synergy that we, this was just there for us.
It's a family, a company based on family values, supporting families. You know, we're not, let's not make any mistake in a really small way compared to, you know, the tragedy that's happening. But if we can help in any way, for me, that is a positive influence of our company on those families and society in general.
And for me, that is the greatest motivation to run a business.
And I love it, Jeff. That's the same reason, you know, when I came into the market and saw the Tow Museum and what they were doing for those family members with a Survivor Fund, I was very new to the market and was like, I've got to help in some way.
We started doing that with a two-page spread just to push the Survivor Fund, to be able to help push that funding to it. I'm just like you. I believe if you're going to be in an industry and dip out of it, it's always good to pour back into it because it helps feed back into the livelihood and help those that you're dipping out of.
You've always got to enhance. Well, it's not often you have such a close connection because in reality, some of these people who are impacted by, you know, these tragic events, I could have met them at a tow show. I might not know it, but I could have met them.
So it's very rare that you get such a close, you know, a close synergy between a cause and your actual business. As I said, in the UK, we support various charities, but say it's a children's charity, you know, we've got kids, but it's not closely connected. But the fact that these guys, you know, we could see them, they come to our shows, they use the equipment that we sell.
I just felt that you couldn't get a closer connection and we just felt compelled to support in some small way.
We certainly appreciate your heart for that. And what we're going to do right now, listeners, is we're going to step away for a quick break.
And when we come back, we're going to hear from Lauren Colon of the International Towing Hall of Fame Museum and let her expand on what it means to them, the support that's coming from Warrior Winches.
So stay tuned.
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Of course, you are listening to Tow Professional on the go podcast. Every week, we do our best to bring you new informative information, like this one with Jeff Bimson. I want you all to listen up.
We're available on Spotify, iTunes, Pandora, Stitcher, iHeartMedia, Amazon, or wherever you get your podcasts. And without further ado, I know our listeners want to know more about Warrior Winches, but I know you are going to ask Lauren a little bit about the Hall of Fame. So let me turn it over to you.
Go ahead, Darren.
Thank you so much, DJ. Well, Lauren Collin, so happy to have you on here today.
And I wanted to give you an opportunity to talk a little bit about the International Towing Hall of Fame, the Survivor Fund, and what this partnership means to you and those at the museum with the conjunction working with Warrior Winches.
Absolutely. Thank you so much for having us on today, too.
And first and foremost, I just want to thank Tow Professional for your ongoing support of the Towing Museum. We really support from you guys, and companies like Warrior Winches really is what keeps us going. The industry is what fuels us, what moves us, and what continues to progress us.
So thank you so much for having us, and thank you for your ongoing support. As far as this partnership with Warrior Winches, we are so happy to engage with them on this level. At this point, they've committed 1% of total web sales to come back to the Survivor Fund, and that is significant for us.
As you know, some are familiar with the Survivor Fund, some aren't familiar with the Survivor Fund, so we still have some people that aren't aware of what all the museum's doing over here. And we're multifaceted. You know, there's the museum component that is dedicated to preserving the history of our industry, creating awareness for the general public of what our industry does and how important and crucial we really are.
We have the Hall of Fame, which highlights some of our outstanding leaders, innovators in our industry. And then we also have the Wall of the Fallen outside, which is honoring those that we lost in the line of service. And you know, I don't need to tell our industry this, but at this point in time, we're losing a tow-up on the side of the road about every six days.
And that number is just staggering. It's staggering. And like I said, I don't need to preach to our industry, but our job, a part of what our job is over at the museum is to get that word out to the general motoring public, to hopefully create some more awareness and then just consciousness of what's going on.
Because these guys and gals are literally out there just doing their job day to day. And they deserve every bit of support that not only our industry can give, but outside of the industry. So as far as partnership with Warrior Winches, these partnerships are incredibly important to us.
And they're what helps us raise our Survivor Fund benefits. So currently, the Survivor Fund was established in 2006. So we've been doing this for a little while now, but getting the word out has taken a little bit longer.
At this point in time, with these partnerships and with the support that we've gotten ongoing, our Survivor Fund benefit is $15,000. And of course, that's in a God forbid situation, worst case scenario, but your entire company is covered with that benefit. So our membership starts at about $250 a year.
And this is a true benefit. It's not an insurance policy. The museum holds these funds.
So we're ready to dispense these funds in about 72 hours, honestly, after it goes through the voting committee. So we're truly trying to gain more for those funds. And these partnerships absolutely help with that.
And not to say that non-members are excluded. It's $7,500 for non-members.
That's awesome.
There's a benefit even if you aren't a member of the Towing Museum. Of course, I'm going to encourage everybody to be a member of the Towing Museum. I just believe it's important to support our industry as we try to support them back.
But yes, these partnerships, I mean, there's just not even a way to put into words how valuable they are, because they truly help us support our industry in turn.
Yeah, I appreciate that 100%, Lauren. I can tell you from seeing the family members there, from seeing what the museum does, stepping in, putting an arm around those folks, letting them know, hey, your loved one will be remembered.
Your husband, your wife, your mother, your sister, your father, your brother, they will be remembered. Their name will not only be put here, but we also have something to help your family. And folks, let me tell you, when you're hit with a sudden death like that, something that happens out of circumstance, that's the worst thing to have to deal with, is where are those finances coming from? So that's a tremendous step that the museum has done to help fill this need.
And I can't thank you enough for it. That's why we're behind it 100%. And I can't thank the vendors in the industry, like Warrior Winches, enough for stepping in and saying, hey, listen, we want to be a part of this.
Because again, it does show the character of the companies out there, and it shows where their heart's at. Just like Jeff said, we're all out here. We all want to make some dollars.
But when you pin it down to, let's care about the industry first, and let's give back and help along with that. That's where you see the biggest return. And those paybacks are priceless.
They might not help the bottom line, but they help everybody in the industry more than anybody knows. So we appreciate you for that.
DJ, would you have a question for us for Jeff?
Well, I want to ask Jeff, because the Florida Tow Show is coming up, and we have a lot of listeners that are getting their bags packed for the end of April to be in beautiful, sunny Orlando, Florida.
So ask Jeff where he's going to be, if he knows what booth number. And maybe there's a way to say, come on by the booth, just like with us.
If they come by Tow Professionals booth and say they saw the podcast with Lauren and Jeff, they get a free book about how money works.
So all they have to do is say they saw Lauren and Jeff on the podcast, they get a free book.
Yeah, let's ask Jeff, where's he going to be in Florida?
DJ, you put me on the spot a little bit. Yes, we will 100% be at Florida, but the booth number just has left me for a minute.
So maybe we can put a link in after the podcast to the booth number. [Booth 122] And I think Lauren's going to be with us as well, Lauren. Lauren's got a little bit of space on our booth to help promote the Tow Museum and the Survivors Fund.
So you get kind of two for one if you want to come and see us. And as I said, we'll give the booth number out after the podcast.
You're very welcome, you can meet me, we can have a chat and you can see the products.
You can understand a little bit more about our company and our products. And yeah, we're really looking forward to it. As you said, DJ, looking forward to that Florida sunshine and also meeting more and more people from the towing industry who are all a good bunch.
We have a lot of fun when we meet these guys and girls for that matter.
Hey, Jeff, it is the largest international show that we have here in the States. And all these people from Greece, South Africa, Germany, Italy, they're all in Florida.
So they definitely come by and visit with you.
Yeah, it'd be great. Like I said, everybody's welcome.
I think we've got some merchandise we're giving out as well. So there's some bits and pieces to be had. I'll just come along and have a chat and all the products will be on display.
So you'll be able to see what the fuss is about around Warrior Winches because they look even better in the flesh.
Well, I look forward to seeing you there. And I will bring over one of the How Money Works books to you.
And you keep the people at your booth and keep them all entertained and let them introduce you to Lauren. Then she can explain all about the International Hall of Fame and the museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
DJ, I got a quick question for you.
Let's take a quick break. And when we come back, I want to talk to Jeff about some of the different applications of the product and the questions that our attendees for Florida might want to bring by and ask him as far as their applications. So let's take a quick break.
Listeners, don't run away. We'll have more from our great guest here, Jeff Bimson of Bimson Power, Warrior Winches and also Lauren Colon of the International Towing Hall of Fame and Museum. Hang in there.
We'll be right back.
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Letting your brothers and sisters know that this is information for the towing recovery industry, and we love it. If you want to hear another industry expert, like a Jeff Bimson or a Lauren from the museum, by all means, we have a hotline number right here in the podcast center, 706-409-5603. Let Darren know, this is who you'd like to hear on the podcast, and we will do our best.
Even if they have a funny accent like Jeff Bimson, we will get them on the podcast, and we will do our best to have an industry pro for you.
All right, well, I'll send it back over to you, Darren.
All right, well, Jeff, my next question, I've seen some of this, like I said, we were talking off mic a while ago, and I was just bragging on the Samurai Series winch, the 12,500 pound I've got on my 22 Bronco, that I believe if I hooked it to the top of the mountain, instead of pulling me up the mountain, I'd pull the mountain down to me.
This thing is a beast and a workhorse. But I want you to tell us about some of the applications that you're filling with winches for our side of the market, for the towing industry.
Well, in terms of general applications, Darren, I mean, in the requirement for pulling, we've got a winch for pretty much every application.
Of course, we were heavily involved in the towing and recovery industry, and within that, we've got a whole range of winches going from like 10,000 lbs up to 100,000 lbs in capacity, both electric and hydraulic. So pretty much for towing and recovery, we've got a winch for every job.
And then outside of that, we've got, and our winch is effectively split into two sort of categories, industrial and what we call consumer.
So consumer would be 4x4, power sports, you know, ATV, small UTVs. So we have a whole range of winches for that, one of which is the Samurai, which you've got. And we just actually released a brand new product this week, actually, called the Gladiator.
I'm afraid, Darren, when you see that one, you're going to want that one. You're going to want to sell your Samurai to someone else. We believe it's the most sophisticated winch in the 4x4 market at an unbelievable price point.
And we're happy to match that against any of the so-called big brands. So you can get the details of all our winches on our US website, warriorwinches.com. So that's where you'd see it.
But then in terms of industrial, again, everything, towing, towing and recovery, obviously really important to us, trailer industry, work trucks, forestry, mining, marine, fire and emergency services, armored vehicles, both, you know, to support the military and other applications.
We're in everything. One of the things that separates us in many ways from the sort of the other suppliers out there is we're very, we're more than able and also accommodating to custom-made product. So say a guy's got a truck and he needs it to fit in a certain space, then we can typically make some adjustments and make a custom-made design for a particular application.
And we can do it fairly quickly, where the majority of the other guys, they don't really want to, they don't want to be hassled by that. So that's where we're winning a lot of business where a guy says, well, I want this, but I need this size or this pulling capacity with a clutch on this side. So we're pretty good at customizing.
And I mean, we don't do that just for one offs, obviously that's a volume-based service, but that makes us pretty accommodating and pretty flexible. We found that there's, we have a kind of yes, we can attitude. We feel we're up against, you know, a lot of people with a no, we can't attitude.
So again, as I said earlier on, we're big enough to be able to compete and supply anybody of any size in the USA, but small enough to give that personal attention. So I'm fully aware of everything that's taking place in the USA as is, you know, our leadership team. And we monitor it very closely and we make sure that we look after the customers, which is really important to us.
I think that's the biggest key to it, Jeff, is the owner of the company having the hand in it and watching the product. Like you said, it's your baby, you're watching it, and you'll even be here in Florida shaking hands and kissing babies and meeting everybody at the show and listening to, you know, what their needs are. And let me tell you that the products are phenomenal.
And once you've used it, like you said, they have applications from whether you're on a just a simple rollback or you're on a rotator, there's an application with the Warrior Winch products for every one of those product lines. And you like it, you use it, and you know how big of a workhorse it is. Well, then you can turn around, you can put it on your truck, you put it on your trailer, you pull your race car on with, you can put it on your power sports, your ATV.
So they've got applications for everything, tractors, you name it. So whether it's agricultural, industrial, there's an application across the board. So we're proud to have you in the industry, in the market.
And I love that comment. We're big enough to handle everybody and small enough to still be personal. That's big.
And that's what I love about this industry is it's like a family. When you walk into it, you'll see they are unbelievable with this entire market. I've been in publishing for 30 years, and this is the favorite industry I've ever been in.
Because they're just like me. I'm a gearhead that likes classic cars, likes horsepower, likes shiny chrome. And this industry, they feel the same way.
They're just as passionate about their equipment, about their products, and about getting the job done, the men and women in this industry. So we love a product that goes right along with them.
Well, the other thing about this industry, and most of the industries that we're working with in North America, is that they're not big conglomerates.
They've not gone into, you know, it's still very personal. A lot of the stuff is basically over a handshake, maybe a beer, your words, your bond. And that part of business is still the most rewarding, really, when you can face-to-face meet a guy, he needs something, you've got something, you work on a deal, and then that becomes the start of a really nice partnership.
And a partnership, to me, means that both parties win. Some people's definition of a partnership is they get 95%, you get 5%. That's not a partnership.
A partnership is where all parties get some benefit. And that's how we try and operate. So as I said, yeah, it's this industry, the towing industry, is no different.
Even the bigger companies, you can still meet the guys face-to-face, and a handshake is worth something. Yeah, of course, there might be contracts down the line, but usually, it means something. And I think that is, in the modern world, it's still worth something.
It is. Yeah, in a world where that's going away, to see companies that still work that way is refreshing. Because that's how I was raised, by a grandfather, a man's word is his bond, and all he has is his word and his handshake.
And if you don't have that, what do you have? And there's been many businesses established on that thought, and they always go well. When you treat your customers that way, I've always said, under-promise and over-deliver, and it's unbelievable. You end up with happy clients.
It's hard when you do it the right way. But, well, before we leave, I want to give you, Lauren, one more time, a parting shot. Will you tell our listeners how they can be a sponsor, how they can get a membership and do other things and work with the, if they want to also do a partnership, just like Jeff is doing here, how can they be a part of that, and how can they be members as well?
Yeah, absolutely.
I encourage everybody to visit TowingMuseum.com. We've just relaunched our website this past October. It's a little bit more user-friendly, easier to access certain content. From there, you'll be able to, if you would like to make a Survivor Fund donation directly, a museum donation directly, or, as I was encouraging everyone, sign up to be a member of the museum.
Individual memberships start at $150. Company memberships start at $250. It's very affordable, and the benefits are well worth it.
So, yeah, and if you're in Chattanooga, I highly encourage everybody to stop by. I know there's still some people within our industry, I was surprised at Baltimore's show, that didn't know where we were located and why.
Well, Chattanooga is the birthplace of the tow truck, so we're right at home over here. So, I encourage everybody, you know, if you can't visit us, visit the website. If you have any questions or inquiries directly, just email me.
It's just Lauren, L-A-U-R-E-N, at TowingMuseum.com.
Awesome. Thank you so much, Lauren, and just remember, folks, if you've ever sat there and tried to hold back tears and you've watched the Wall of the Fallen ceremony and you say, how can I help? Well, guess what? If you're a member, you already have. That's all you've got to do just to start.
So, just a small start, one step forward. If everybody in this industry was a member, every family that lost somebody would be helped, and this is a tremendous thing. So, today, get there, InternationalTowingMuseum.org. Let me say it one more time.
InternationalTowingMuseum.org forward slash donate. It's one place you can find it, and like I said, they do a phenomenal job. So, I encourage everyone to step in, step up, and pour back into the community with the International Towing Hall of Fame.
Last shot here. I'm going to turn this over to you, Jeff. So, any parting shots for our listeners here that are getting ready to go to Florida, and what have you got to tell them?
As I said, guys, the link to our stand number, we'll give it after the podcast. [Booth 122] We'll be there. Lauren will be with us.
So, if you want to come over and chat about either Survivors Fund, Towing Museum, or you just want to learn about winches, or you just want to say hello and get a baseball cap, come and see us. I'll be there to work on this strange accent that DJ calls it, so maybe I can perfect it while I'm over in the USA. But yeah, everybody's welcome.
Come and see us, talk about Survivors Fund, talk about winches, or just come and get a baseball cap. Be good to see everybody.
DJ?
Yeah, my parting shot for Lauren and for Jeff, the last four letters of the word American is I-C-A-N, I CAN, the same attitude that Bimson has, America has.
So, we can't wait to see you in Florida. I'll come over, introduce myself personally to you. I already know, Lauren.
So, by all means, you come to the Florida Tow Show, folks. We have the I CAN attitude, and I love listening to Jeff Bimson.
I CAN.
I CAN be successful, and I CAN come visit the booth. I-C-A-N, the last four letters of the word American.
I'll turn it back over to you, Darren.
This has been a great one. This has been a fantastic one, and for our listeners on here, Tow Professional will be in booth 369. We will be doing podcasts from the show.
We'll be taping them there. We'll edit them before we put them out, but we'll be taping them there. So, if you haven't had an opportunity to do a podcast, make sure you drop by.
Get on the list so you can get on the podcast with us, and again, make sure you stop by and you see Lauren. You stop by, talk with Jeff, let him know you heard about him on the podcast, and let me tell you, just like they say in their advertising, they're a business powered by family values, driven by trust, respect, honesty, and understanding. You can't ask more than that, and that's, again, if y'all want to jump on, take a look at the products, WarriorWinches.com. Very informative site.
Covers everything from every application inside the market, videos, everything showing you the interaction of the products. It's a fantastic site. You get plenty of information.
Write your list. Make sure you put down a time to come by and see them at the show, and as always, folks, I want to end this with a quick prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for every one of our vendors and industry.
I thank you for their knowledge base. I thank you for the products they bring, and I ask you just to continue to increase their wisdom, their products, their ability to bring it, and bless them for bringing the products to the market that can promote safety for our loved ones, for our men and women that are serving in this industry.
And dear Heavenly Father, we ask you put a hedge of protection around our men and women of towing, that you protect them, You watch over them, you increase them with help, finances, knowledge, and lifelong blessings, Lord, for their heart of service.
We ask you keep them safe, and until next time, keep listening to Tow Professional, your resource for the towing and recovery industry, and we'll have more great guests on, like CEO Jeff Bimson of Bimson Power, Warrior Winches, and Lauren Collin of the International Towing Hall of Fame Museum.
Until next time, keep listening. Stop by and see us at the booth, and we'll have the booth number here for Warrior Winches. [Booth 122]
Stop by and check them out, guys. Thanks again, and have a great day. Thank you
