AGOURA HILLS, Calif. — Don Henthorn, owner and founder of vehicle service equipment and specialty consumer products manufacturer BendPak Inc., died March 28. He was 85.
He helped to grow BendPak from a small machine shop to a global manufacturers of car lifts and other automotive service equipment.
The company said management and operations of the privately-owned company will remain the same.
In 2022, Henthorn transitioned management to the current leadership team as part of a succession plan. Since then, he served as chairman emeritus, coaching the team and coming to the office six days a week, according to the company.
Jeff Kritzer, BendPak president and CEO, called Henthorn's "visionary leadership and unwavering dedication ... the cornerstone of BendPak's success. His passion, wisdom, and guidance have left an indelible mark on all of us and the organization."
Henthorn met his wife, Virginia Ann "Ginger" Eib, while serving the U.S. Army at a Nike Ajax missile site in Connecticut. They were married in 1959, and three days later, they moved to California, where worked in the aerospace industry.
In 1965, he started Quality Machine & Associates (QMA) in Simi Valley, Calif., a shop specializing in precision machine work for aerospace and defense companies. He soon developed 5ivePak, a portable combination coil spring compressor, U-joint press and gear-puller; a MacPherson strut spring-compressor; and a portable exhaust pipe expander.
In the 1970s, Henthorn focused on building equipment for muffler shops. In 1979, QMA introduced a hydraulic tubing bender, and Henthorn changed the company name to match: BendPak.
In 1983, Henthorn introduced BendPak's first four-post lift and entered the vehicle lift market. Today, the company has manufacturing and distribution facilities around the world and employs more than 275.
In 2023, BendPak moved its global headquarters to Agoura Hills. Work has begun on the BendPak Industrial Complex, a light industrial space being developed in Mobile County, Ala., near the company's recently expanded East Coast campus.
Kritzer said Henthorn's "legacy lives on through the values and principles he instilled in our company. He was not only a leader, but also a mentor, inspiring all of us to strive for excellence and to never settle for anything else."
The company said Henthorn took his responsibility for the safety of mechanics seriously.
"We at BendPak wholeheartedly hold the philosophy that only going above and beyond on every product, for every customer, will keep us growing in this business," he wrote in a letter sent to customers on BendPak.com.
"The hundreds of employees we hold dear are heard from and appreciated on a daily basis, which is why people continue to want to work here, and it's why we'll continue to thrive for generations to come," he wrote.
Henthorn is survived by his wife Ginger, daughter Susan and grandchildren Annika, Reagan, Carson and Kennedy. He was preceded in death by his son Gary.
