The brands that comprise PACCAR Winch Division include Braden, Carco, and Gearmatic.

Braden's history began in 1924 with the Braden Steel Corporation located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Braden originally supplied equipment for the oil fields that included drive heads for popping shallow wells. Glenn Braden's close involvement with oil production and the automobile entering the American industrial age coincided in 1927 where he introduced the first Braden truck mounted winch designed for unloading and positioning loads in the oil fields.

In 1930 Glenn Braden passed away and his estate along with Braden Steel Corporation was placed in the care of Colonial trust. Three years later with a total capital of $1,100, TJ Schuetz entered an agreement with Colonial Trust and formed Braden Winch Service Company. In 1936 the company was changed to Braden Winch. Our current facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma was erected in 1946 to facilitate Braden's rapid growth during and after the war effort.

Meanwhile in Seattle, Carco had been supplying freight cars and rail cars to the nations growing railway system. The pacific northwest was a corridor for timber operations and railheads heading north. Carco began manufacturing job specific equipment for the timber industry in 1932 with introduction of their first yarding winch. As the rail industry faded in the post war years, Carco's focus was supplying the timber operators with winches and hauling tackle. Carco winch products were developed alongside the world's first track driven dozer's in the great northwest forests.

Gearmatic began as a manufacturer of power transmissions in late 1946 Vancouver, B.C. Planetary geartrain designs have been a central feature since first pioneered by Gearmatic. Over years of service Gearmatic units have always been the "swiss watch" of winches.

In 1983 PACCAR brought these three companies together, locating all three to Braden's main manufacturing facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The move created the industries most dynamic and flexible manufacturer. Consolidating three companies to one division by PACCAR created a synergy of knowledge and experience that has lead to the highest quality, highest value winch, hoist, and drive systems in the world.