Symtec, Inc. celebrates 25th anniversary

Symtec, Inc., the leader in flexible heaters and controllers, is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2014.

The Minneapolis-based company was founded in 1989 as a basement operation. Symtec’s initial sales were a flexible thumbwarmer to snowmobile dealers who were looking to solve the “cold thumb” issue when operating a snowmobile. Throughout the years, Symtec has expanded its product offering to more than 200 products, including heated grips and seat heaters. Many of these products incorporate the numerous company-held patents.

“Over the past 25 years, we have expanded from a single product into a full line of heated grips, seat heaters, and other accessories for motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles,” said Riley Harlan, president of Symtec brand Heat Demon.

This growth has allowed Symtec to diversify into medical and other industries. While continually looking for ways to modify and improve their Heat Demon branded products, there is also an increase in new OEM customers outside of the powersports industry.

“Flexible heaters are used in many applications across many industries, including medical, agricultural and industrial,” said Harlan. “Symtec will have a significant presence in those industries over the next 25 years.”

While Symtec has expanded its products into different industries, the office and manufacturing have also expanded into a 12,500-square-foot warehouse to accommodate the growth. Growth of customers and products has also brought a need for more employees.

“Our success is driven by our team,” Harlan said. “In the last few years, we emphasized hiring people who are totally in sync with our core values. That shift has really allowed us to accelerate our growth, and solidify our position as the leader in heated solutions for powersports.”