A garage in Wales, Wisconsin
Robert Kern, an engineer who had built engine generators for railway cars at Waukesha Motor Company, started his own company in 1959 with his wife, Patricia, and five employees in a rented garage in Wales, Wisconsin. His lightweight portable generator cut both weight and cost.
Sources: Wisconsin Historical Society: Robert and Patricia Kern, 2008 History Makers Business Insurance: Generator manufacturer grows to meet demand University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering Hall of Fame: Robert D. Kern
Sold at Sears
Many of those early generators were sold through Sears, Roebuck and Co., which drove demand through the 1960s. In 1965 Generac opened a plant in Waukesha. When a fire badly damaged it two years later, the team shipped generators within six days and rebuilt in under two months.
Sources: University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering Hall of Fame: Robert D. Kern Business Insurance: Generator manufacturer grows to meet demand
Home standby
Generac says that in 1989 it launched the first automatic home standby generator, a permanently installed unit that starts on its own when the power goes out.
Source: Generac news release: Generac celebrates 60 years of growth and innovation (Jan. 16, 2019)
After the Kerns
In September 2006 a private equity firm bought Generac from Robert Kern and other shareholders. The company is still based in Waukesha.
Source: Business Insurance: Generator manufacturer grows to meet demand
This is a history, not an endorsement. IES isn’t affiliated with Generac, and its name and product names are trademarks of their owners. We use plain text, not logos.