Thern

What Thern does

Thern is a family-owned industrial manufacturer of winches and cranes for lifting, pulling, and positioning heavy loads. Founded in Winona, Minnesota in the post-World War II era (1945) by Royal G. Thern and his wife Lucille, the company operates from a US headquarters in Winona and a European headquarters in Hoofddorp, Netherlands. Its product portfolio centers on six electric winch series with capacities from 1,500 lb to 100,000 lb (WS, HS, HWF, HPF, BP, and HBP families using distinct gearing technologies), supplemented by portable electric, hand, air (pneumatic), and hydraulic winches; portable and stationary davit cranes (Ensign, First Mate, Commander, Captain, Admiral, and Rescue-Rated series); electric control systems; and ropes and rigging accessories. The company maintains ISO 9001:2015 certification, manufactures in the USA, and backs products with a two-year limited warranty. Over 40% of Thern's business involves custom engineering handled by an in-house engineering team, and a Thern Stage sub-brand targets theater and entertainment rigging.

Thern sells exclusively through a global distributor network, with rental options also available through those distributors. Its go-to-market is multi-channel: a seven-language corporate website, YouTube product and educational content (ThernStage), email newsletter, SEO-optimized product pages, and Google reviews for social proof. Customer segments span water/wastewater, bulk material handling, construction, aerospace and defense, oil and gas, mining, theater, baggage handling and logistics, OEM, and general manufacturing. Notable reference projects include NASA Shuttle Pad, One World Trade Center, the Las Vegas Linq Ferris Wheel, the Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop, BC Place Stadium, the Audubon Bridge, and Ivanpah Solar. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with engineered-to-order industrial equipment.

Thern is privately held with no institutional investors, public listing, or disclosed funding rounds. The company is led by a founding family that has retained ownership across its 75+ year history. Products are sold under federally registered trademarks including Thern, Liberty, Ensign, First Mate, Commander, Captain, and Admiral, and the company holds no subsidiaries, has no parent company, and has not reported any mergers, acquisitions, or restructurings.

Name

Thern

Legal name

Thern, Inc.

Website

https://thern.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Thern is a family-owned US manufacturer of industrial winches and davit cranes for lifting, pulling, and positioning loads up to 100,000 lb, serving construction, mining, oil and gas, aerospace, water/wastewater, and theater customers through a global distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial winches and cranes

NAICS

Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Winches & Capstans (IMAHAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cranes, Hoists & Overhead Material Handling (Industrial) (IMAHABAE), Deck Machinery & Mooring Systems (Winches, Windlasses, Capstans) (IMAJAIAA)

Keywords

• Industrial winches
• Davit cranes
• Lifting equipment
• Rigging accessories
• Material handling equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Winona

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Winch Sales: Sale of industrial winches including electric, portable electric, hand, air, and hydraulic models with various capacity ranges up to 100,000 lbs
2. Crane Sales: Sale of davit cranes including portable and stationary models with various capacity ranges
3. Custom Engineering Services: Custom design and engineering services; over 40% of business involves custom engineering solutions
4. Equipment Rentals: Short- and long-term rental of winches and cranes through global distributor network
5. Ropes & Rigging: Wire rope assemblies, hooks, sheaves, headache balls, vertical lead blocks and other lifting equipment accessories

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Thern designs and manufactures industrial winches (electric, portable electric, hand, air, and hydraulic) and davit cranes (portable and stationary) used for lifting, pulling, hoisting, and positioning heavy loads. The product line is complemented by ropes and rigging accessories, electric control systems, custom engineering services, and equipment rentals.

Product overview

Thern is an industrial winch and crane manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of lifting, pulling, and positioning equipment. The product lineup centers on multiple winch categories (electric, portable electric, hand, air, and hydraulic winches) and crane products (portable and stationary davit cranes), all available with custom engineering options. Key winch series include WS/HS/HWF/HPF/BP/HBP electric winches (1,500-100,000 lb capacity), Liberty/Atlas/Dura-Hoist portable electric winches, Spur/Worm Gear hand winches, and C/Mini/Big Red air winches. Crane offerings span Ensign/First Mate/Commander/Rescue-Rated portable davit cranes and Captain/Admiral stationary davit cranes. Products are complemented by electric control systems, ropes & rigging accessories, equipment rentals, and extensive custom engineering services. The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified and ships most standard products within two days.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Winches

Quantifiable outcome

• Standard products ship within two days of order placement
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Global Distributor NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThern sells through a global network of distributors specializing in providing quality lifting, lowering and positioning solutions. Distributors serve various geographic regions and offer both product sales and rentals. Interested parties can apply to become distributors through the company's contact form.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ThernStage

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thern