Utah Valley: Heart of Utah

LITTLE GIANT
LADDER SYSTEMS
✧
Above: Hal Wing, founder of Little Giant
Ladder Systems.
Below: The Little Giant Ladder System ® ,
known as the strongest, safest, most
versatile ladder anywhere, is professional
grade and can be set up in twenty-four
different positions.
Since 1972, Hal Wing and his sons, Art
and Doug, along with their world-class team,
have worked to prevent injuries and save
lives with Little Giant’s innovative climbing
equipment. The company’s foundation is built
on the guiding principle that every rung,
every rivet, and every weld matters because
every person who uses a Little Giant ladder
matters. This principle is the guiding force
that drives Little Giant to innovate and
improve climbing equipment today. This
family business began in Springville, Utah,
and has become the global leader in ladder
safety and innovation as it conducts business
in more than fifty countries around the world.
Although Little Giant Ladder Systems are
now found worldwide, it was not an easy
road. Hal’s family and friends at Little Giant
remember one story from the first year when
he spent months on the road selling his
new ladders toe-to-toe at state fairs and home
and garden shows. One particular event close
to home in Utah was not going well. Hal was
having a hard time getting people to listen
to his demonstration. The next morning, Hal,
a great lover of German culture, donned his
lederhosen, climbed to the top of his ladder,
and started yodeling. A crowd immediately
gathered to stare at the yodeling “Ladder
Man.” Hal climbed down from his perch and
started his demonstration. By the end of the
show, he had sold all the ladders he had on
hand, and his company was off and running.
Even from their humble beginning, however,
Hal and his team had a vision that Little
Giant would spread throughout the world.
Over time, Art, now president and chairman
of the board, created partnerships and satellite
offices on six of the world’s continents. Art
explains, “The power of the Little Giant brand
transcends borders and cultures. Worldwide,
we find that people want a better experience
with the ladders they use and with the people
who represent them.”
Little Giant Ladder Systems has climbed
north to Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada; south to Mexico City, Mexico, and
on down to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Their global
office is located in Shanghai, China and
has expanded to satellites in Osaka, Japan,
Singapore, and Seoul, Korea. Little Giant
Ladder Systems has spread across Europe
UTAH VALLEY: HEART
250
of UTAH