Who Owns Werner And Where Are Its Ladders Made?

A good step ladder is one of the must-have home improvement items everyone should own, largely due to safety. And one of the dominant names in the ladder industry is WernerCo, which according to Report Prime, has almost 32% of the ladder market share. Beyond step ladders, WernerCo also offers multi-position, extension ladders, and telescoping ladders, to name a few. The company has introduced technology like automatic leveling systems, assisted-lift mechanisms, and more robust rung joints. 

WernerCo is owned by investment funds advised by the private equity firm Triton. In 2024, it was announced that WernerCo would now be called ProDriven Global Brands, which also owns several others like Knaack, Weather Guard, and ClimbTech. This change doesn't affect what you'll see in major hardware outlets, as the ladders still retain the Werner name customers are familiar with. ProDriven Global Brands is headquartered in Itasca, IL, and the company also has four U.S. warehouses, with three located in Texas and one in Illinois. There is also an international presence in Australia and Europe, among other regions, broadening the company's reach well beyond the original U.S.-based WernerCo.  

In terms of manufacturing, today, U.S. customers are getting ladders built in multiple locations, including Mexico and China. There was a plant in Louisville, Kentucky, producing WernerCo ladders but it was shuttered in 2019. According to plant manager, Lori Bremick, the reason for the move was explained in two words: "business pressures," per WDRB. 

The company was founded in the U.S. by R.D. Werner in 1922, and wasn't initially associated with ladders, but instead focused on flooring. However, once the company decided to make ladders, the subsequent decades led to innovations in the industry, such as designs that offered enhanced stability and the introduction of fiberglass ladders. 

The company operated under the Werner family for three generations. According to Bruce Werner, a third-generation member of WernerCo, who spoke with Successful Generations, there were three rules you had to abide by in order to work for the family business: It couldn't be your first job, you had to begin at the entry-level, and you couldn't work directly under a parent. 

However, the company announced a major change in the late 1990s, with the third generation of the Werner family finally selling the business for $400 million to Investcorp. The next decade was apparently a rocky one for the company, as it filed for bankruptcy in 2006, selling off its assets to various investors. Werner was then restructured, with new management focused on lowering operating costs and reducing debt. Then in 2017, WernerCo was acquired by Triton Partners, a European private equity firm. ProDriven Global Brands remains part of Triton Partners' portfolio. Today, you can still find many Werner products for sale at major hardware retailers. The Werner 360 Step Ladder, for instance, is one of the best budget-friendly tools worth buying from Lowe's.