About Us
INNOVATION AS A HERITAGE
Our engineers have always looked for ways to use the latest technology to build efficient trucks that provide transportation solutions to our customers, and that tradition continues today.
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HISTORY
1923: THE BEGINNING
In 1923 the company becomes Kenworth after the two principal stakeholders, Harry Kent and Edgar Worthinton. Headquarters are established in Seattle.
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HISTORY
1924-1926
In 1924 the company sells 80 trucks. The next year production nears two trucks per week. Customization becomes the Kenworth hallmark.
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HISTORY
1927-1929
Harry Kent becomes President and steady growth leads to opening of a new factory in Seattle.
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HISTORY
1944
Pacific Car and Foundry buys Kenworth. Paul Pigott strikes a deal with the owners and Kenworth becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Pacific Car and Foundry.
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HISTORY
1945-1950
Kenworth is still producing military as well as commercial vehicles. Sugar plantations in Hawaii become large customers. In 1946 a new Seattle factory is opened and by 1950 foreign sales account for 40 percent of sales.
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HISTORY
1951-1955
Kenworth produces the 853 for work in the oil fields of the Middle East and the 801 for earth moving in America. In 1955 the radical cab-beside-engine design is launched and becomes an instant hit.
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HISTORY
1956
The 900 series is introduced and a fleet successfully transports 3,000 tons of equipment and supplies to the northern Yukon for oil exploration.
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HISTORY
1961-1965
Two new models are introduced. The W900 conventional provides larger cabs and a redesigned instrument panel, the K100 cabover maximizes cargo within state length restrictions. The Kansas City plant opens. The popularity of new models requires production expansion. By the end of the year the company produces a record 2,037 trucks.
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HISTORY
1973
50th birthday sales hit the five digit mark for the first time in 1972. In 1974 the Chillicothe. Ohio plant opens.
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HISTORY
1976
Kenworth introduces another industry first with the raised-roof AERODYNE sleeper. The new design quickly sets a new standard for driver comfort.
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HISTORY
1985
The new T600 improves aerodynamics by 40 percent and changed the industry forever. The radical slope-nosed design saves customers up to 22 percent on fuel compared to traditional conventionals.
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HISTORY
1993
On June 4th, 1993 a new facility in Renton, Washington opens to join those in Seattle. Chillicothe, Canada and Mexico. One month afterward, the AeroCab integrated cab/sleeper is unveiled.
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HISTORY
1994
Kenworth introduces its first ever medium-duty conventional— the T300. Design is based on the T600.
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HISTORY
1996
The exciting new T2000 is introduced, setting new standards for performance, comfort and style.
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HISTORY
2007
Kenworth introduces the T660, further refining the art of designing aerodynamic highway trucks.
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HISTORY
2010
Kenworth begins production of the T700, the most aerodynamic and spacious Kenworth ever built.
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HISTORY
2012
Kenworth has designed an outstanding truck that takes the company's long tradition of superior aerodynamics to a new level of achievement. The T680 is designed to smoothly slice through the air, setting an industry standard for aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.
