A Legacy Built on Innovation

Founded in Winona, Minnesota by Royal G. Thern and his wife Lucille in 1948, Thern Inc. began manufacturing a handful of basic winches and other miscellaneous tools. Early products included a corn sheller, lever-operated chain hoist, cordwood saw frame, and a differential chain hoist. These innovative products were the foundation for the lifting, pulling, and positioning solutions the company currently manufactures in the U.S.A. With over 70 years of varied experience, continuous research, development, and testing, Thern winches and cranes have established a worldwide reputation for toughness, versatility, and reliability.

As a wholly owned division of Thern, Inc., Thern Stage Equipment brings Thern’s long-standing reputation of manufacturing excellence and customer satisfaction to the theater and entertainment market. Backed by a team of talented and experienced engineers, Thern began developing products for stage rigging applications starting in 1965 through 1990. In the late 1990s, the company started to devote more attention to producing theater equipment, and in 2002, the original clew winch was released, initiating other product launches down the road.