Hitch Your Ride
Gen-Y Hitch Products Keep Customers Hooked Up
Writer / Angela Cornell
Photography Provided
Carl Borkholder, a Nappanee native, knew he wanted to have his own business when he was a teenager.
It was in my head that someday I would make my own product and sell it to the world, Borkholder says.
Little did he know at that time that his product would be a world-class hitch for all hauling needs.
We have dealers all over the world selling products, he says. Thats always been my dream, and its a reality now.
Borkholders first business offered tree care service that was large enough to require five crews and just as many trucks. As successful as the business was, they had a recurring problem.
We were constantly buying new hitches because they got lost or were on a different truck, he explains.
Borkholder, an engineer at heart and a welder by trade, developed and created a hitch that can connect any truck to any trailer in a fleet. Once he locked a hitch onto each of the trucks, his headache was over.
It didnt take long for others to start noticing that his solution was one that they wanted as well.
A ton of people asked me to build them some, he says. My friends were like, There are a bunch of people out there with the same issue that you had. You should try to sell these.
In 2011 Borkholder decided to sell his tree service business and start up a new business in his garage called Gen-Y Hitch. It only took a couple of years for the companys popularity to surge.
We dont necessarily build something that already exists, he says. We pride ourselves on new innovation, and different ideas of how a hitch can be used.
By 2019 Borkholder and his co-owners, Dan Miller, Scott Tuttle and Reuben Borkholder, opened a local warehouse as a sister company to Gen-Y Hitch in Bremen, called NexGen Industryz. Both of these act as divisions under the parent company of C.D. Corp. NexGens purpose was to manufacture all of their products, making it a 100% Hoosier-made operation.
As Gen-Y Hitchs popularity surged, they developed other designs, all of which are hefty, built to last, and come with a lifetime warranty.
The most popular product line has been Torsion-Flex, a product line that has a towing capacity of 5,000 to 32,000 pounds and, just like the other hitches from Gen-Y Hitch, can accommodate almost any trailer height.
There are several different kinds of Torsion-Flex hitches that can accommodate all types of recreational, hobbyist and professional hauling.
They can be used on a bumper-pulled trailer, on a fifth-wheel trailer or on any trailer, Borkholder says. Anyone who has a truck and pulls a trailer, we have a hitch for it.
What sets it apart is that it has unique suspension that enables a smooth ride.
The Torsion-Flex really makes a difference when youre towing a trailer, Borkholder says. It takes out all the bumps and the jars you feel from the trailer and the truck. It makes total isolation between the truck and the trailer. It separates both based on a suspension. Therefore, your ride is much smoother. You hit a bridge or something and you glide right over it.
Specifically, the Torsion-Flex line was created for fleet companies.
Because its a multi-use, multi-purpose kit, they can literally hook up to any trailer they have in their lot, and they dont have to switch out hitches, Borkholder says.
RV enthusiasts also appreciate the Torsion-Flex. Not only is the smooth ride one way to make getting to a campground easy, but fitting is also fairly intuitive thanks to a pre-drilled bolt pattern. Gen-Y Hitch offers installation services at their storefront for those who choose to pick-up their hitch in person. Customers are encouraged to call ahead so all services and products are available.
Stop by Gen-Y Hitch at 1952 West Market Street in Nappanee any time between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, to view available Torsion-Flex hitches. Discover more about all their products at genyhitch.com. Gen-Y Hitch is looking to hire more welders and machinists. Reach out to them by calling 574-218-6363.
