About Bloom Manufacturing
Providing Quality Winches for Over a Century
Bloom Manufacturing’s forward-thinking approach to winch manufacturing is built on over a century of experience. In 1901, a patent for a corn crushing and cutting machine was granted to J.S. Bloom of Winthrop, IA. It would become the founder’s flagship machine at J.S. Bloom Manufacturing Company, which was founded in 1910 and specialized in wooden grain moving elevators and other labor-saving agricultural technology.
Four decades of growth followed. In 1942, leadership passed to the hands of Bloom’s daughter, Madge, and her husband, Egbert Cole. Harold E. Smith purchased the company in 1954. Smith, Grant L. Sundquist, and Marlin Smith ushered the booming company into an Iowa Corporation named Bloom Inc. in 1963. The following year, the “Engine Positioner and Shaft Straightener” patent joined the corporation’s ranks. The patent brought popular ‘Jiffy’ Lawn Mower Repair Tools to Bloom’s manufacturing line.
The 1960s marked a period of new growth for Bloom Manufacturing, as it began producing additional products including hydraulic winches, speed reducers, gooseneck trailers, and a variety of grain augers.
Business boomed in the 1970s thanks to Dorotha and husband Grant Sundquist, who grew the company to 18 employees. To keep up with demand, a new manufacturing plant was constructed west of Independence in 1974, where Bloom Manufacturing still operates today.
In 1976, Mark J. H. Collett came to work at Bloom Mfg. as the Sales and Marketing Manager. Mark ushered in the use of CNC machine tools and the design of many new custom products. By 1991, he was named General Manager.
Grant and Dorotha Sundquist sold the company in 2000. Long-time employee Mark J. H. Collett became Bloom’s new President, and his wife, Deborah L. Collett, assumed the role of Vice President.
The turn of the millennium marked a new chapter for Bloom Manufacturing under the leadership of current owner Mark J. H. Collett. With a focus on designing and manufacturing industrial and mobile hydraulic winches and speed reducers, marketed under the BLOOM™ Winches and LIFT-SAFE® Winches trademarks, Bloom employs a crew of over 20 members strong. Together, they support the local economy of Independence, Iowa, while being a leading innovator in the field of winch manufacturing worldwide.
