SHIFTING GEARS: New ENERGY Behind BRADEN, CARCO and Gearmatic

The changes taking place with the transition in ownership of the BRADEN, CARCO and Gearmatic brands are creating the best kind of chatter. Arrowhead Winch is quickly defining new paths to success with their customers and within its manufacturing facilities as they look forward to continuing the legacy of industryleading quality and innovation its brands have been building over the last 100 years.

The executive management team remains in place to continue to drive the growth of the company. But with the new ownership comes a fresh energy focused on proactive customer collaboration and maximizing efficiencies. It’s a chance to rewrite the rules and to challenge old conventions.

According to Mark Pickett, partner at Black Phoenix Group (BPG), “We’re investing heavily in agility. As an independent entity, we can now move faster to adapt to market needs. Our focus as business owners remains on delivering the ‘time-tested, industry-trusted” quality our customers depend on.’”

Quality Investments

Chief Executive Office Mike Rogers states quite simply, “Strategic vision focused solely on the winch market directing our investments is where we are going to be able to make the biggest change to accelerate and satisfy our customers and industry requirements.” BPG is confident he is correct, with Pickett echoing they are “leveraging their resources to ensure continuity and innovation, so partners can trust us with their most demanding projects for another 100 years.”

As a result, capital investment is flowing back into the Arrowhead Winch plants and facilities allowing for significant production improvements that continue to elevate manufacturing quality and efficiency.

For example, incorporating a new technology such as skiving to the manufacturing process has allowed for improved efficiency and a better quality gear. According to Chief Operations Officer Donna Deyo, “Skiving results in better, quieter and more efficient geartrains, and the machining is incredibly fast—it’s a win for both us and our customers.”

In addition, the company is focused on building and maintaining strong vendor and supply chain relationships. Critical consideration is being placed on inventory and production planning to ensure ontime delivery of orders. “It is always our goal to deliver the units and parts you need when you need them,” says Paul Hiltenbeitel, Director of Sales. “That’s what BRADEN, CARCO and Gearmatic are known for.”

Customer-Led Innovation

Through more direct lines of communication between engineering teams, Arrowhead Winch is already making an impact by working with customers earlier and shortening lead times on new product development.

Consistent ongoing dialogue allows for enhanced levels of technical support, product innovations and evolution of new ideas. According to Chief Engineer Chris Etemadi, “Our engineering teams are actively interfacing with our customers to gain feedback and use it to make sure we are delivering the product functionality and performance they need.”

Another key to success is being able to bring products to market more quickly. Arrowhead Winch is structuring their engineering approach for greater adaptability and responsiveness to meet customer timeline requirements.

The latest innovations from Arrowhead Winch range from product line extensions to applications of new technologies, including:

• Additional BRADEN TR Series hydraulic planetary winch model sizes for trailer and recovery applications

• Expanded CARCO dozer and skidder winch products

• New Gearmatic GM Series hydraulic planetary hoists

• CAN Bus encoder data for OEMs to use in advanced load management systems

There is much to continue to explore on the technology front: IoT, digital transformation, and electrification, just to name a few possibilities in play. “We know customers will desire to have more data from various sources from the winch or hoist communicated to the end unit,” says Etemadi. “We intend to be ready to respond by making sure our products are able to work in the new architecture our customers are developing.”

“Our world is dependent on understanding and anticipating our customers’ needs. Our product is part of what makes their equipment work—the way they make money. We are focused on bringing something new to the market that meets a need not currently served.” —Mike Rogers, Chief Executive Officer

Broad Scope Partnerships

At Arrowhead Winch, the customer is clearly the focus of the business. However, product needs are just one part of the equation. The company is committed to being the best business partner in the industry.

As Hiltenbeitel states, “We want to work with our customers to win more business. We are also making it easier for our customers to do business with us by listening to their needs and being open to looking at things differently.”

This philosophy has led to establishing new options for financing, as well as developing long-term agreements with top customers. By providing pricing visibility over a multi-year period, the team can facilitate long-term planning conversations and mitigate risks on both sides. It is all part of a larger goal of removing barriers to doing business, looking for ways to provide solutions beyond just products.

There are plans to expand training and technical support at the customer level, building on the industry-leading programs the company has created for the offshore crane market. From OEM engineering teams to utility fleets and distributor sales and service teams, Arrowhead Winch is exploring ways to deliver value through education.

Investments have already been made in technology to allow unparalleled access to sales and service publications. Introduced last year, the new Publications Portal makes current and historical parts and service manuals for virtually all BRADEN, CARCO and Gearmatic products available online. The app, which can be used on both desktop and mobile devices, also serves as a library for service bulletins, technical documents and sales literature.

Improvements are also being made to the NetServices customer portal. Available only to direct customers of Arrowhead Winch, the portal enables visibility to pricing, order status and technical product information.

Geared for Change

When looking at where the company will continue to grow, Pickett and Rogers are pointed in the same direction. As Rogers says, “We’re not just maintaining standards, we’re raising them.”

“I’m excited to work with this management team,” said Pickett. “This is a rare opportunity to steward a trusted industrial brand through its next phase of evolution.”

“It symbolizes BPG’s core philosophy: preserving a strong industrial heritage while unlocking modern value,” he continued. “But you better believe we’re going to be shaking things up, in the best way possible.”

“Everything we bring to the market— from the highest quality products to the best training programs, even our warranty, payment options, order placement and tracking systems— everything is being looked at with our customers in mind. How can we deliver the highest overall value?” —Paul Hiltenbeitel, Director of Sales

Black Phoenix Group purchased BRADEN, CARCO and Gearmatic from PACCAR Inc. on October 31, 2024. The parent company for the brands was renamed Arrowhead Winch by a vote of employees as a tribute to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where they have called home since the 1940s. BRADEN was founded in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1924 during the oil boom. BRADEN offers a wide range of hydraulic winches, hoists and drives engineered for applications in the utility, oil and gas, construction, and trailer and towing markets, just to name a few. CARCO started in 1932 with winches to serve the logging industry in the Pacific Northwest. CARCO winches are designed primarily for the yellow iron equipment market, including forestry, pipeline and construction. Gearmatic began in Canada in 1946 as a manufacturer of transmissions and was an early pioneer in planetary gear train designs. Gearmatic is primarily focused on mobile crane, pipelaying and marine applications.