In 1936 J.A. Baldwin was one of the first to recognize the importance of improving mobile filtration. He designed a better lube filter and began production in Wisconsin. The company moved to the nation’s heartland in 1953 to take advantage of the central location, eventually building on 42 acres of the former Kearney, Nebraska World War II Air Base. From 1963 to 1981, the Baldwin Filters plant expanded many times to accommodate the company’s rapid growth.

In early 1981, Baldwin Filters was purchased by J.L. Clark Manufacturing Company. The group later became known as Clarcor. Baldwin Filters continued its steady growth. In Nebraska, manufacturing capacity was expanded and a multi-million dollar technical center was added for research and testing. New facilities were also opened in Europe, Mexico, Australia, China, South Africa and Morocco.

In 1995, Baldwin Filters purchased Hastings Premium Filters, which included the addition of a third U.S. manufacturing site and facilitated the company’s expansion into the lucrative automotive filtration market. By 2016, the company was known worldwide as not only a vertically integrated manufacturer with unsurpassed product quality, but also a world-class distribution company encompassing nearly 1 million square feet in the Kearney, NE plant alone.

On February 28, 2017, Clarcor became part of the Parker Hannifin Corporation Filtration Group, which includes other strong filtration brands such as Parker Racor. For 100 years Parker has engineered the success of its customers in a wide range of diversified industrial and aerospace markets. This highly complementary combination establishes Parker among the top filtration companies in the world and the supplier of the most comprehensive offering of filtration solutions and services.

Parker Hannifin is a Fortune 250 global leader in motion and control technologies

Baldwin’s teams of engineers continually determine methods to improve product and production. Working from the basic filtration design and using the latest technology like 3-D CAD modeling and stereo lithographic prototyping, the product engineering group leads the way with innovative, patented designs such as EnduraPanel™ air filters, self-venting drain valves for fuel/water separators and filters utilizing HELM™ (Highly Engineered Layered Media).

Baldwin Filters is not just a filter assembler like many large companies. A vertically integrated manufacturing process allows Baldwin to provide maximum control and consistency by not only producing filters, but also by manufacturing filter components.

The practice of building a filter from the base up allows quality and cost control, giving Baldwin Filters an advantage over the competition. To back up its commitment to quality, Baldwin Filters has achieved and maintains quality certifications in its facilities.