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Four branches and three generations of the Douty family have owned Wilson Manufacturing in Pipestone. Jeff and Kristie Douty became the owners earlier this year. Photo by Kyle Kuphal
Earlier this year, Jeff and Kristie Douty became the fourth branch of the Douty family to own Wilson Manufacturing in Pipestone after purchasing the business from Alison Douty.
Jeff had spent 28 years working for Interstate Engineering in North Dakota. After his brother and Alison’s husband, Joe Douty, unexpectedly passed away in 2023, Jeff returned to Pipestone to help run Wilson Manufacturing.
“It was a fairly easy decision based on support from Kristie and the family at the time,” Jeff said. “They felt it was the right thing to do.”
Jeff said his father, Bob Douty, mentored him from late 2023 to early 2024 and he managed the business from early 2024 to the end of the year. He said he enjoyed working with the family business and started to build relationships with the employees during that time. Last summer, he proposed that he purchase the business from Alison, and the purchase took effect Jan. 1.
“My intention was to keep it in the family after Joe died just because it was a long standing family business,” Alison said.
She said Joe was proud of the fact that the business had been in the family for three generations and she thinks he would have been pleased to see it continue on in the family. Jeff said it felt good to keep it in the family and that it seemed like a natural fit for him.
Jeff Douty and his wife Kristie became the owners of Wilson Manufacturing earlier this year. They are the fourth branch of the Douty family to own the Pipestone-based business. Photo by Kyle Kuphal
Wilson Manufacturing was named after its founder, Gail Wilson, who started the company in his garage in Pipestone in 1952. Jeff’s grandfather, Howard Douty, purchased the company from Wilson in 1969 and moved the business to his garage. Then, in 1975, Howard moved the business to its present site. In in 1990, Bob and Mieko Douty purchased the business from Howard and Perdita Douty. They then sold it to Joe and Alison in 2017.
The company manufactures hitch pins and related products. Jeff and Bob said the products are used for tractors and trailers, agricultural equipment, heavy equipment, medical equipment and more. They are typically custom made and sold in bulk orders. Jeff said the company ships items all over the world, but most of its business is in the U.S. He said the company has 15 full-time and three part-time employees. It also has a knowledgeable consultant in Bob.
Jeff said his future goals for Wilson Manufacturing include investing in more advanced technology that will increase production and efficiency, and potentially open up other lines of work.
With the transition to another member of the family, Bob said he was hopeful that the business might one day move on to a fourth generation of the Douty family.
More information about Wilson Manufacturing can be found at wilsonmfgco.com.