Howards Cams
Howards Cams is a US-based manufacturer of camshafts and valve train components for performance automotive, racing, marine, tractor, and work truck applications, selling exclusively through authorized dealers from its Oshkosh, Wisconsin facility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersOshkosh, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Howards Cams does
Howards Cams (legal entity: Howards Cams & Racing Components) is a privately held US manufacturer of camshafts and related valve train components for the performance automotive aftermarket, founded in 1945 and headquartered at 280 W 35th Ave, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The company manufactures hydraulic flat tappet, hydraulic roller, mechanical flat tappet, and mechanical roller camshafts, along with hydraulic and mechanical lifters, connecting rods, crankshaft main caps, piston wrist pins, rocker arms, ignition components, specialty lubricants (including Z.P.M. Max break-in lube), installation tools, and branded apparel/collectibles. Its core quality-control differentiator is that all hydraulic and mechanical flat tappet camshafts and lifters are 100% Rockwell hardness tested and parkerized at the Oshkosh facility, with a Max Certified 5-year warranty offered on premium cam and lifter sets.
The company sells exclusively through an authorized dealer network across the United States, with no direct-to-consumer e-commerce; customers locate dealers via a Dealer Locator tool on the company website and can contact Howards Cams directly by phone (920.233.5228) for product inquiries. Pricing is purely unit-based and hardware-sales driven, ranging from roughly $9.85 for branded t-shirts to over $1,042 for Ultimate Duty I-beam connecting rods for Chevrolet 396-502 engines, with camshaft and lifter kits priced between approximately $244 and $976 depending on specification. The product catalog spans over 501 pages covering American performance engines (Chevrolet, Ford, Chrysler, Pontiac, Buick, American Motors) and select foreign applications (Holden, Volkswagen), targeted at automotive performance enthusiasts, engine builders and machine shops, and amateur and professional racing teams across street, drag, oval, mud, marine, tractor, and work truck applications. A rule-based online camshaft recommendation tool (Camrec) collects detailed vehicle and usage parameters to suggest appropriate products, supporting dealer-channel demand without direct online sales.
Howards Cams firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Howards Cams
- Legal name
- Howards Cams & Racing Components
- Website
- https://howardscams.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Howards Cams is a US-based manufacturer of camshafts and valve train components for performance automotive, racing, marine, tractor, and work truck applications, selling exclusively through authorized dealers from its Oshkosh, Wisconsin facility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Howards Cams is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oshkosh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Howards Cams business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Camshaft and Valve Train Components Sales: Primary revenue stream from manufacturing and selling camshafts, cam and lifter sets, hydraulic and mechanical lifters. Products are sold as one-time purchases through the dealer network.
- Engine Components Sales: Revenue from connecting rods, crankshaft main caps, piston wrist pins, and other engine building components. Sold as individual parts through dealers.
- Collectibles and Apparel: Secondary revenue from branded merchandise including t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, and promotional signs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Camshaft and Lifter Kits |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Connecting Rods |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Engine Components |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Collectibles and Apparel |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Howards Cams product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Howards Cams manufactures high-performance camshafts, valve train components, and engine building parts—including camshafts, lifters, connecting rods, rocker arms, and related accessories—for automotive, truck, boat, and racing applications. The company operates a manufacturing plant in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where all hydraulic/mechanical flat tappet camshafts are 100% Rockwell checked and parkerized, and sells its products exclusively through an authorized dealer network in the United States.
Product overview
Howards Cams is a manufacturer of camshafts and racing components with a manufacturing plant in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The company offers a comprehensive product portfolio centered on camshafts and valvetrain components, including Camshafts and Cam & Lifter Sets (featuring Max Certified Camshaft & Lifter Kits with 5-year warranties), Engine Components (Ultimate Duty and Sport Rods connecting rods), Lifters & Accessories, Rocker Arms & Accessories, Ignition and Electrical, Oils & Lubricants (including Z.P.M. Max break-in lube), Tools, and Collectables & Apparel. The company specializes in hydraulic flat tappet, hydraulic roller, mechanical flat tappet, and mechanical roller camshaft technologies for American performance vehicles including Chevrolet, Ford, Chrysler, Pontiac, Buick, and American Motors applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Max Certified: Premium warranty-backed camshaft and lifter kit product line with 5-year warranty coverage
- Boost
- Rattler
- Ultimate Duty
- Sport Rods
- Extreme Billet
Products and services
- Camshafts and Cam & Lifter Sets Core product line including camshafts and complete cam and lifter sets for various vehicle applications, including hydraulic flat tappet, hydraulic roller, mechanical flat tappet, and mechanical roller types, for Chevrolet, Ford, Chrysler, Pontiac, Buick, and American Motors engines.
- Max Certified Camshaft & Lifter Kits Premium camshaft and lifter kits backed by the Max Certified 5-year warranty, available in hydraulic flat tappet, hydraulic roller, and mechanical roller configurations for street, strip, and racing applications.
- Engine Components Engine building components including connecting rods (Ultimate Duty and Sport Rods series), crankshaft main caps, and piston wrist pins for performance and racing applications.
- Lifters & Accessories Hydraulic and mechanical lifters for various camshaft applications, designed to work with flat tappet and roller camshafts.
- Rocker Arms & Accessories Rocker arms and related valve train accessories for performance engine building.
- Ultimate Duty Connecting Rods High-performance I-beam connecting rods made from 4340 steel with ARP rod bolts rated at 220,000 psi. Designed for Chevrolet 396-502 engines and clears stroker configurations.
- Sport Rods Connecting Rods Performance-oriented connecting rods for high-performance street and racing applications (e.g., Chevrolet 262-400).
- Ignition and Electrical Ignition and electrical system components for racing and performance applications.
- Oils & Lubricants Specialty oils and lubricants including Z.P.M. Max break-in lube (Part# 99000) required for flat tappet camshafts.
- Tools Engine building and installation tools for camshaft and valvetrain work.
- Collectables & Apparel Branded merchandise including t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, and decorative signs such as retro tin signs and rattler signs.
Quantifiable outcome
- Max Certified warranty covers camshaft and lifter sets for 5 years from original date of purchase
Companies that use Howards Cams
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Howards Cams technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Howards Cams partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Howards Cams competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- COMP Cams: Tennessee-based manufacturer of performance camshafts, valve train components, and related engine building parts. Closest direct competitor to Howards Cams, serving the same performance enthusiast and engine builder customer base through a similar dealer and racer channel model.
- Lunati: Manufacturer of performance camshafts, timing components, and valvetrain parts for street and racing applications. Direct peer to Howards in camshaft cores, lifter sets, and small-block/big-block engine fitments.
- Crower Camshafts: Specialist manufacturer of high-performance camshafts and valvetrain components targeting drag racing, oval track, and street strip enthusiasts. Comparable product scope and customer profile to Howards Cams.
- Isky Racing Cams: Long-established racing camshaft manufacturer offering camshafts, lifters, and valve train kits for performance and competition engines. Heritage competitor with overlapping product lines and enthusiast channels.
- Erson Cams: Manufacturer of performance camshafts and valvetrain products for street, strip, and marine applications. Direct peer in camshaft-only niche with comparable dealer-driven distribution.
- Milodon: Manufacturer of engine building components including oiling systems, lifter valley plates, and valvetrain accessories for performance V8s. Adjacent competitor serving the same engine builder customer base.
- Eagle Specialty Products: Manufacturer of forged connecting rods, crankshafts, and related rotating assembly components for performance street and race engines. Direct peer in the connecting rod category alongside Howards' Ultimate Duty and Sport Rods lines.
Regional players
- Trend Performance: UK-based manufacturer of performance camshafts, rockers, and timing components serving the European performance aftermarket. Comparable product category (camshafts and valve train kits) for a different geographic footprint than Howards.
Broad incumbents
- Edelbrock: Large-scale performance aftermarket manufacturer with broad portfolio across intake manifolds, cylinder heads, and valvetrain. Wider category breadth but overlapping engine building components and customer profile to Howards.
Emerging players
- JE Pistons: Manufacturer of high-performance forged pistons and related engine components for performance and racing applications. Comparable engine-building components for the same enthusiast customer, expanding into valvetrain sourcing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Howards Cams social profiles
Digital presenceHowards Cams financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Howards Cams leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Howards Cams funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Howards Cams M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Howards Cams
What does Howards Cams do?
Howards Cams manufactures high-performance camshafts, valve train components, and engine building parts—including camshafts, lifters, connecting rods, rocker arms, and related accessories—for automotive, truck, boat, and racing applications. The company operates a manufacturing plant in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where all hydraulic/mechanical flat tappet camshafts are 100% Rockwell checked and parkerized, and sells its products exclusively through an authorized dealer network in the United States.
Is Howards Cams a public or private company?
Howards Cams is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Howards Cams founded?
Howards Cams was founded in 1945. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Howards Cams based?
Howards Cams is headquartered in Oshkosh, United States, in the North America region.
How does Howards Cams make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Camshaft and Valve Train Components Sales are the primary driver. The others are engine Components Sales and collectibles and Apparel.
Who are Howards Cams's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are COMP Cams, Lunati, Crower Camshafts, Isky Racing Cams, Erson Cams, Milodon and Eagle Specialty Products. Trend Performance is listed as a regional player. Edelbrock is listed as a broad incumbent. JE Pistons is listed as an emerging player.
Does Howards Cams have an API?
No public API is recorded for Howards Cams.