The Club

What The Club does

The Club is a product brand owned by Winner International Inc., a privately held Pennsylvania corporation founded in 1986 by James E. Winner Jr. and headquartered in Sharon, PA. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes a portfolio of physical security and anti-theft hardware across six verticals: automotive (steering wheel locks, brake pedal locks, wheel/tire locks, warning devices), household (door security, padlocks, cable locks, utility locks, pepper spray), outdoor recreation (bicycle, ATV/UTV, golf cart, motorcycle, and aviation locks), travel (luggage locks, portable vaults, rental-vehicle anti-theft), commercial (equipment, trailer, and toolbox security), and personal safety (personal safes, firearm locks). Its core technology is the original patented steering wheel lock — a mechanical device that clamps to the steering wheel and prevents rotation, marketed under the principle "If you can't steer it, you can't steal it."

The business model is one-time hardware sales through three primary channels: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront (store.winner-intl.com), retail distribution through mass merchants and automotive stores, and a phone-based Direct Marketing Department handling keyed-alike and bulk orders. A separate distribution channel — Auto Theft Task Force programs — places a dedicated yellow vinyl steering wheel lock (Model #504) with law enforcement agencies across 20+ U.S. states and Canada, plus court-ordered immobilization contracts with the Florida Vehicle Immobilization Agency. Revenue mechanics are unit-volume based; pricing is not publicly disclosed, but an insurance deductible guarantee program (excluded in NY, TX, WI, HI) acts as a customer-facing value reinforcement rather than a recurring revenue component. There is no subscription, SaaS, software, or app component to the business.

The customer base is long-tail individual vehicle and property owners, supplemented by household security, recreational, and commercial/contractor buyers, plus institutional law enforcement program demand. The company competes in mature physical-security categories where brand recognition — 95% national awareness for the core product, a National Fraternal Order of Police endorsement, Women's Choice Award recognition, and Advertising Age "hottest brand" status — is the principal commercial asset. Winner International has remained privately held since incorporation with no disclosed external investors, and no M&A, leadership changes, or capital raises appear in the available record.

Name

The Club

Legal name

Winner International Inc.

Website

https://winner-intl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Club (Winner International Inc.) designs, manufactures, and distributes mechanical anti-theft and personal security hardware — led by the original patented steering wheel lock — across automotive, household, recreation, travel, commercial, and personal-safety verticals for U.S. and Canadian consumers and law enforcement agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sharon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Security Product Sales: One-time hardware sales of physical anti-theft security products including steering wheel locks, brake locks, wheel locks, personal safes, home security devices, and recreational security products. Products are sold through e-commerce, retail stores, and direct marketing channels.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Club, operated by Winner International Inc., manufactures and sells anti-theft vehicle security devices, including steering wheel locks, brake pedal locks, tire anti-theft products, vehicle DNA etching systems, personal vaults, door security devices, cable locks, padlocks, pepper spray, firearm safety products, and trailer and motorcycle anti-theft solutions. The company distributes these products through major national retailers, online channels, automotive dealerships, and a dedicated law enforcement program (Auto Theft Task Force Program).

Product overview

The Club is a single-product brand that expanded into a diversified security product portfolio. The core product is The Club Original steering wheel lock (the original patented vehicle steering wheel lock), with variations including The Club Basic, The Club LX Series, and The SUV/Truck Club models. The broader portfolio includes related vehicle anti-theft products (brake pedal locks, wheel locks, trailer locks, motorcycle locks, warning devices), home security products (The Door Club, padlocks, cable locks, utility locks), personal safety products (The Club Personal Vault, pepper spray, firearm safety locks), commercial equipment protection, and travel security accessories. The products share a unified security/deterrence theme and are sold through automotive, household, and commercial retail channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Club Personal Vault: Personal security product for protecting valuables including money, keys, guns, phones, cameras, and jewelry.
• The Door Club
• The CLUB DNA Vehicle Etching System

Products and services

• The Club (Original Steering Wheel Lock)
• The Club Basic
• The Club LX
• The Club for SUV/Truck
• Wheel Club Tire Claw XL
• Lock Down Brake Pedal Lock
• The Club DNA Vehicle Etching System
• The Club Personal Vault
• The Door Club
• Cable Locks
• Padlocks
• Pepper Spray
• Firearm Safety Products
• Trailer Anti-Theft Products
• Motorcycle Anti-Theft Products
• Secure Storage Boxes
• Travel Locks
• Tool Box Security Products
• Auto Theft Task Force Program (ATTP)

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Arizona Law Enforcement AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Multiple Arizona police departments participate in Auto Theft Task Force programs distributing The Club products for community awareness including Phoenix PD, Tucson PD, Mesa PD, Scottsdale PD, and others.
• California Law Enforcement AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000California law enforcement agencies including Los Angeles PD, San Diego PD, San Jose PD, Sacramento PD, and Oakland PD participate in community auto theft prevention programs with The Club.
• Washington State Law Enforcement AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Multiple Washington state police departments including Seattle PD, Tacoma PD, Bellevue PD, and Spokane PD participate in community auto theft prevention programs.
• Florida Vehicle Immobilization AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Florida court ordered vehicle immobilizations in Dade, Broward, and Hillsborough Counties using The Club for court ordered vehicle immobilizations and parking enforcement.
• Canadian Law Enforcement AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Canadian programs including Alberta Motor Association/Edmonton Alberta, Ottawa Police Service, University of Regina, and Winnipeg Tax Center participate in community auto theft prevention programs.
• Colorado Dept. of Public SafetycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Colorado Department of Public Safety and Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority partner in community auto theft prevention programs.
• Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council and Prince Georges County PD participate in community auto theft prevention initiatives.
• National Fraternal Order of PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Fraternal Order of Police, representing more than 235,000 police officers nationwide, endorsed The Club product. Winner International worked closely with law enforcement autotheft squads in developing the steering wheel lock product.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ABUS: ABUS is a large European lock and security-hardware manufacturer spanning bike, motorcycle, padlock, and home — overlapping with The Club's recreation, household, and personal lines as a broader incumbent in consumer mechanical security.
• Brinks Home Security: Brinks is an incumbent in home security (monitoring, hardware, smart locks) — overlapping with The Club's Door Club and home-security category as a much larger, broader competitor in the same consumer do-it-yourself security purchase.

Emerging players

• LoJack (Spireon): LoJack (now part of Spireon) provides GPS-based stolen-vehicle recovery and fleet tracking — an electronic anti-theft alternative to The Club's steering-wheel lock for vehicle owners, appealing to the same buyer with a different mechanism.
• CURT Manufacturing: CURT is a leading automotive aftermarket manufacturer of hitches, wiring, and towing accessories sold through the same automotive-retail and mass-merchant channels as The Club's trailer anti-theft products.

Direct peers

• Kryptonite: Kryptonite makes bicycle, motorcycle, and powersport locks (U-locks, chains, disc-locks) under the same mechanical anti-theft playbook as The Club's recreation segment, sharing retailers, channels, and a similar consumer buyer.
• OnGuard: OnGuard manufactures bike and powersport U-locks, chains, and cables competing head-to-head with The Club's recreation segment at the same mass-market and sporting-goods retailers.
• Viper (Directed Electronics): Viper is a leading car-alarm and remote-start brand sold through automotive aftermarket retailers — directly comparable to The Club for vehicle anti-theft mindshare at the same shelf, with an electronic (rather than mechanical) approach.
• Master Lock: Master Lock is a leading manufacturer of padlocks, combination locks, and consumer security hardware sold through mass merchants and home-improvement channels — directly comparable to The Club's padlock and home-security line.
• SentrySafe: SentrySafe is a personal and home safe manufacturer sold through office and mass-retail channels — the closest direct comp to The Club Personal Vault in product, channel, and end-consumer.
• Defender Security: Defender Security makes consumer and contractor-grade security hardware (door reinforcement, padlocks, vehicle locks) sold through hardware and automotive retailers — overlapping The Club's door-security and commercial/contractor SKUs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usetheclub
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDLDhTayOKQa4Jm_hQaTKcA
• Facebookfacebook.com/UseTheClub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Club