Our Story
One hundred years ago Ora “Orrie” Addison Coburn laid the foundation for what would become a multifaceted legacy by establishing The Coburn One-Wire Fence Company. Orrie had been engaged in a wide range of business interests for years, trading in real estate, cattle and automobiles, but his involvement developing an electric fence controller inspired him to organize his agriculture-related pursuits under one banner. His eldest son Deane Addison was studying at Northwestern University, eagerly anticipating his future role in the family business, and his younger son Ronald Ora was poised to follow suit as well.
But this story began in Vermont more than a hundred years earlier in 1824, when Orrie’s grandfather David Alvin Coburn was born. David Alvin moved to Cold Spring, Wisconsin in the mid-19th century, a Yankee immigrant seeking a fortune in wheat farming. Unfortunately the land was quickly farmed out and wheat dwindled in viability, leading him and his partners to turn their attention to the burgeoning dairy and cheese-making industries. In 1874, David, along with three other farmers, founded the Cold Spring Cheese Company, erecting a factory that would soon flourish. Their success sparked the construction of four additional cheese factories, and within a short time, they were producing over a million pounds of cheese annually. This transformation drew both Yankee and European immigrant farmers, heralding the birth of “America’s Dairyland.”
David’s son Addison Alvin, who was born in 1854, was also a man of great creativity and inventiveness. He held a patent for an improved feeding mechanism that enhanced the efficiency and safety of mechanical harvesters transitioning from wheat to corn, and he was one of the first people to venture into the realm of the newly-invented automobile. After inheriting the family farm from his father, Addison expanded the farm and constructed a beautiful new farmhouse in Cold Spring. According to family lore, Addison’s wife Alice Thayer meticulously inspected every board as it arrived at the construction site, and the house still stands today, likely in large part thanks to her efforts. During this era, Addison and Alice welcomed the birth of their son Orrie in 1881.
During Orrie’s childhood he witnessed firsthand his parents’ meticulous management of land and livestock, and this nurtured in him the entrepreneurial spirit that flowed through his family. In 1902, Orrie completed the dairy “Short Course” at the University of Wisconsin, which focused on farming theory, animal husbandry, sanitation, and breeding. Soon after, he took the reins of the family farm and expanded into real estate and cattle sales, as reflected in the 1922 Whitewater City Directory, where he was listed as a “Stock Dealer” in the thriving town.
Orrie’s reputation as a shrewd judge of land and cattle grew. Another favorite family story is when his herd manager wanted to buy half of Orrie’s dairy cows. Thinking he could fool Orrie, the industrious fellow cleaned and trimmed the inferior cows while allowing the better ones to remain dirty. Orrie saw right through the trick and chose the cows caked with manure, showcasing his keen eye for value beneath the surface. At the same time Orrie continued to cultivate the passion for automobiles ignited by his father. He and a partner established a machine shop and automobile garage in Whitewater, where they sold and serviced vehicles. Orrie grew to be a local legend, and his adventurous spirit was captured in local newspapers, particularly his months-long family road trips to California during the 1920s across the vast American landscape.
Orrie’s interest in electric fences began on one of these trips through the cattle country of the southwestern United States. Cattle were notorious for pushing through even the sturdiest barbed wire, leading to constant repairs across expansive pastures. Farmers began using batteries to electrify their fences, yet the lack of safe voltage control posed a significant danger. Recognizing another business opportunity, Orrie established the Coburn One-Wire Electric Fence Company in 1925. By the 1930s, Orrie’s sons Deane and Ronald joined him there, devoting themselves to marketing and selling this new technology. The Coburn One-Wire Fence Controller generated excitement, showcased at the Wisconsin State Fair and heavily marketed through radio and print media. The dawn of rural electrification provided a boon for various electrical devices, and soon, Coburn One-Wire Electric Fencers were shipping across the United States.
World War II temporarily interrupted the company’s growth, but post-war economic and technological advancements presented another unique opportunity for Ronald and Deane. As post-war demand for high quality milk soared and dairy farming reached its zenith, farmers began to seek products that improved sanitation and herd health. Knowing their extensive sales network would help them capitalize on this demand, Deane and Ronald renamed the company Coburn Manufacturing Company and branched out to selling milk can racks, tank heaters, strainers, and grooming tools. The first wholesale sales initiative came in the form of a flyer in the late 1940s, featuring an order form alongside an exclusive item—the Coburn Lime Spreader. Incidentally, a subsequent mailing in 1953 omitted the electric fence controller altogether, signaling a strategic shift toward wholesale distribution over manufacturing.
Until 1952, Coburn Manufacturing had been in the carriage house behind Orrie’s home in Whitewater, but that year the company relocated to a larger space in downtown Whitewater that had formerly housed the Winchester & Partridge Wagon Factory. The catalog quickly grew, with 1954’s 18-page edition featuring Coburn Cattle Neck tags for the first time. This durable and straightforward product, which is still sold today, marked another milestone in the growth of the business.
Deane and Ronald’s unique strengths complemented one another. They worked together to lead the company through many years of steady growth, eventually incorporating The Coburn Company in November 1968. As Deane began contemplating retirement in 1969, his son James Addison stepped into the fold. Jim, alongside his wife Ginny, ushered in The Coburn Company’s next era, characterized by sustained growth, sound management, and dedicated community service.
In 1975 Orrie passed away at the age of 94. Although he had long retired, he knew the company he was leaving behind was thriving and being capably guided by his grandson, Jim.
Just a year later, on Christmas Eve 1976, Jim and his family heard sirens and soon discovered the roof of the company engulfed in flames due to a fire that had erupted in the business next door. The damage was minimal, yet Jim decided to move the company to a larger building the following year. After acquiring the new warehouse on Whitewater’s east side, a second fire destroyed the downtown location. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, and most of the inventory had already been transferred to the east side building, but many business and family records were lost.
Despite these challenges, the company thrived and quickly expanded, adding new warehouse space and loading docks. Jim had successfully laid the foundation for a decade of significant expansion. In 1980, he bought Chicago Tape & Label Company, which manufactured weigh tapes and labels for the bedding industry. This entry into a completely new sector of business added several major clients and introduced new suppliers for ink, paper, and printing.
In March 1983, Deane passed away after several years of poor health, leaving his brother Ronald and son Jim to continue the legacy of The Coburn Company.
In 1986, the company fully stepped into dairy equipment distribution with the purchase of HANRO, a division of Germania Dairy Equipment. This acquisition added several brands of high-quality dairy equipment to The Coburn Company’s offering, as well as the expertise to maintain sales and support of that equipment.
The catalog swelled to 98 pages by 1990, featuring hundreds of new items, and the physical plant expanded with 8,000 more square feet for office space and a print room. And like many other companies of the time, The Coburn Company ushered in a new era of efficiency by implementing computerized inventory management and business operations.
In January 1991, Ronald passed away after a brief illness. Although he was largely retired by that point, he maintained a desk at the company and shared advice and wisdom with his nephew Jim and other co-workers up to the very end.
In 1996, the company acquired Maes Inflations of Holland, MI, a manufacturer of dairy inflations. Around this same time, Jim’s sons Thayer Addison and Joseph Ora joined the company, extending the Coburn legacy for another generation. Three years later, the company acquired Seaforth Industries of St. Louis, MO, known for its popular Mr. Sticky™ fly control product. With no more space to expand at the east side location, the company added a second location in Whitewater’s Industrial Park to produce Mr. Sticky.
In 2000, The Coburn Company celebrated its 75th anniversary, inviting friends and associates on a nostalgic train ride that harkened back to Orrie’s early ventures in dairy. That year’s Coburn Dealer Catalog showcased 163 pages of agricultural products and farm supplies.
In the years to follow, Jim handed day-to-day management responsibilities to Joe and Thayer while always maintaining a watchful eye over the company he had led through decades of unprecedented growth. Joe and Thayer quickly ushered the company into the internet age, cultivating more responsive relationships with customers and vendors and searching far and wide for new top-quality equipment to sell to customers all around the world. They oversaw the addition of an even larger second location in the Industrial Park, and in 2016 relocated the entire operation to a single, spacious building in Whitewater’s Industrial Park. The company was excited to again operate under one roof, as it heralded a new era of convenience and service for our customers.
Jim passed away suddenly in February 2018. He was working at his desk the day before he died, so this shocking loss was felt by not just his family but also the entire company and the Whitewater community.
Today Joe and Thayer continue to uphold the values of The Coburn Company. Like Orrie, Deane, Ronald and Jim before them, they carry on the lessons instilled in them by their forefathers and are dedicated to ensuring the company continues to thrive. The dairy industry, just like the rest of the world, has undergone radical transformations since Orrie Coburn first began his journey in 1925. Despite the changes in dairying and distribution, The Coburn Company remains a steadfast beacon of quality and service, continuing the small-town values that have defined it since its founding.