BWC History - Bishop Wisecarver

Bishop-Wisecarver History

If you've ever purchased a loaf of bread, slept on a mattress, or bought fertilizer for your garden, you have likely benefited from the ingenuity of Bud Wisecarver and the Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation.

For almost 80 years, Bud Wisecarver's life has been ruled by two main themes - motion and innovation. Many businesses have benefited from his company's products, which have been designed with one question in mind: How can this industry work more efficiently?

The following timeline outlines Bud's history of innovating products that help businesses run more smoothly. You can read Bud's story on his Ask Bud blog.

1950s

In Fall of 1950, Bud started W.R. Wisecarver & Company, manufacturing truck accessories. While there, he was approached by Levelor to rebuild their plant to bring it up to modern standards. After three years, the project was complete. Efficiency had doubled, the linear footage produced was considerably increased, and the plant was running 24 hours a day with the same number of employees originally running 6 hours a day. And Bud was out of a job.

Wisecarver meets Bishop: Bud then began manufacturing screw machine parts. It was this endeavor that attracted a new client, Ray Bishop, a bread tray salesman. Ray asked Bud to help him design an improved product to secure bread trays during transport. The result was Saf-T-Sta, a cargo bar that streamlined the loading and unloading of delivery trucks. He later built a specialized bread tray for Ray, known as the Flo-Carri.

1960s

1962: A patent is issued for Saf-T-Sta. Later that year, Bud moves W.R. Wisecarver & Company from Cowell, CA to Pittsburg, CA.

1967: Bud Wisecarver and Ray Bishop merge their companies, and Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation is born.

1968: Bishop-Wisecarver purchases property in Pittsburg, where the company is still located today. Out of frustration with current technologies, Bud begins toying with Vee wheels. He designs DualVee guide wheels, which remains the company's signature product, while watching an Oakland Raiders football game. Bud also designs and builds the Radius Machine for box spring manufacturers during 1968.

1969: Bishop-Wisecarver constructs the office building in Pittsburg, and purchases Madewell Manufacturing Company, a producer of insecticide sprayers.

1970s

1972: A patent is issued for DualVee, and Bud Wisecarver designs and produces the Dari Tray, a product to simplify the transport of dairy products.

1977 and 1978: Bishop-Wisecarver manufactures the Saf-T-Sta Strap Master and Saf-T-Sta Flap Master, respectively.

1979: Bishop-Wisecarver outgrows its original facility, and constructs its first manufacturing building on the Martin Way property.

1980s

1981: Bishop-Wisecarver introduces another addition to the Saf-T-Sta line, the Saf-T-Sta Pallet Puller.

1984: The company embarks on a business relationship with HepcoMotion, a European company specializing in linear motion technology.

1985: Bishop-Wisecarver begins manufacturing the Saf-T-Sta Econo line.

1987: The Thrif-T-Lok, a more economical version of Saf-T-Sta, is introduced.

1989: The company builds its second manufacturing building

1990s

1993: The Saf-T-Sta Snap Lock, a product designed to prevent theft of the Saf-T-Sta, is introduced.

1994: The company manufactures LoPro linear motion systems, pre-engineered units consisting of an antifriction slide way, based on DualVee Motion Technology (DMT).

1997: Bud Wisecarver designs a specialized trailer hitch (not yet marketed).

1998: Bud Wisecarver designs a folding electric handicap scooter (not yet marketed).

2000s

2000: The company loses one of its manufacturing buildings to a freeway-widening project. A new building is created next to the first manufacturing building. The project lasts 3-1/2 years.

2001: UtiliTrak is introduced.

2005: QuickTrak and MinVee are introduced.

2006: DualVee patent pending integral wheels are introduced, as are MadeWell crown rollers and U profile. The patent pending Food and Beverage Wheel, a DualVee style guide designed for applications subject to harsh wash down environments, is introduced.