It all began in 1949, when Minnesota inventor Sterling Stageberg designed a unique mechanical variable speed transmission drive. Stageberg's design varied the output speed from a constant input from zero to maximum. Initially, it was used on automotive windshield wipers and became an instant success. The product filled an important industry need at the time, which helped launch the company. It also provided the idea for the Zero-Max brand, a name carried on all of today's Zero-Max products sold throughout the world.