Blue Ox_

today - baseplates, tow bars, braking systems, weight distribution hitches, and chassis perfor- mance products - everything for the RV enthusi- ast’s needs.” According to Kietzmann, Hesse was also an innovator who was very instrumental in design- ing the first motor home mount tow bar. “Up until 1994, every tow bar was mounted on the front of the car,” she explains. “He didn’t like all that junk on the front of a car; he knew it was hurting the alignment. So, he asked, ‘How come we can’t have this on the back of the motor home?’ So, we launched the first motor home mount tow bar in the industry. In 1997, we innovated and made the first lightweight tow bar – the Aladdin.” Over the next several years, Blue Ox continued to manufacture new products. It introduced an in- novative gooseneck hitch, designed for the beds of pickup trucks. “Just this year, we introduced a fifth wheel hitch,” says Kietzmann. “It’s called the Super Ride.” A “fifth-wheel” is another way in which trailers BLUE OX can be attached to pickups. “Fifth-wheel” refers to a type of travel trailer and to the hitch which connects the trailer to the bed of the pickup truck. Fifth wheel trailers are popular with full- time recreational vehicle enthusiasts who often live in them for several months in one place, using their pickup truck tow vehicle for local errands. A fifth wheel trailer tows more securely than a traditional travel trailer because the hitch weight sits directly over the pickup truck’s rear tires. Since part of a fifth wheel sits over the bed of the pickup, it also reduces the overall length of the vehicle/trailer package. Additionally, the hitch’s location in the pickup’s bed reduces the risk of jackknifing and allows for more maneuver- ability when backing up. Today, Blue Ox has 167 employees in two loca- tions: one in Pender, Nebraska and one in Lincoln. “Lincoln houses our logistics, marketing, and engineering; Pender is all manufacturing and our corporate office,” says Kietzmann. “We also have sales people and rally team personnel nation-