What Peterson Manufacturing makes

Peterson Manufacturing designs, engineers, and builds vehicle safety lighting and wiring harness systems for on-road and off-highway vehicles and trailers. The lighting side spans LED and incandescent stop, turn, and tail lights, marker and clearance lamps, warning and strobe lights, work lights, reflectors, and mounting accessories. The harness side runs from standard trailer wiring to sealed custom assemblies, including the Maxi-Seal line built to resist moisture intrusion and the Defender harness, which the company backs with a 10-year corrosion warranty.

Two product families show where the company is pushing. The Genesis truck and trailer light, introduced at Work Truck Week 2026, uses a redundant, fail-safe design the company describes as a light that redistributes power to keep working after a fault. PetersonPULSE is an open-source whole-trailer telematics system for real-time fleet monitoring. Both sit alongside a broad catalog aimed at heavy-duty trailers, tankers, work and utility trucks, light and medium duty trailers, intermodal chassis, agriculture, towing and road service, refuse hauling, buses and RVs, and marine. As a supplier of safety-critical OEM and aftermarket components, Peterson competes on durability and compliance as much as on price.

Ownership and history

Peterson Manufacturing is a private, family-owned company headquartered in Grandview, Missouri, in the greater Kansas City area. It opened in 1945 and marked its 80th anniversary in 2025. The Armacost family acquired the business in 1956, and then-president Don Armacost, Sr. set a course the company still cites, honest dealings with customers, suppliers, and employees. Don Armacost, Jr. serves as President and CEO today, with Al Anderson as Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Kristen Goodson as VP of Product Management.

The company operates from a 670,000-square-foot campus in Grandview, where it runs management, engineering, and manufacturing under one roof. That vertical integration, from injection molding and tooling through assembly, is central to how it supports custom work. Peterson is also the flagship of the Peterson Corporate Group, a family of specialized companies that includes Anderson Marine (marine lighting and harnesses), Mission Plastics (precision injection molding, two locations), Transworld Products (international sourcing and component development), and Vector Tool & Engineering (injection molds and precision components).

Certifications and quality

Peterson states that it was the first ISO 9001/QS-9000-certified U.S. lighting manufacturer, and its current quality system is described as ISO 9001:2015. The company says nearly 90% of its products are built in the United States and that its safety lights exceed applicable standards by at least 25%, framing durability and compliance as core to the brand. These are company statements; Peterson does not publish a dated certificate on its site, and PPAP and program-specific quality documentation would be handled at the customer level for OEM work.

Known customers

Peterson sells largely through a national network of distributors and retailers to fleets, trailer OEMs, and government agencies, so most end customers are not named publicly. The documented relationships and recognitions on record:

These confirm program partnerships and supplier recognition rather than a full customer roster, which is normal for a components manufacturer serving OEM and aftermarket channels.

Sourcing evidence

Peterson's US import footprint is small and points inward toward tooling, not finished goods: about 20 sea shipments on record, the most recent dated April 21, 2026. The named foreign suppliers are China-based tooling, mould, and printed-circuit shops, including Best Tooling Shenzhen, Golden Triangle PCB & Technologies, Hongfu Mould, and JA Future Mould Technology. That profile fits a domestic manufacturer importing tooling and electronic components to build product in Missouri, with international component sourcing run through its corporate sister company Transworld Products rather than by Peterson directly. Buyers weighing nearshoring and tariff exposure should read the import record as a tooling and components trail, not a measure of where finished lights and harnesses are made.

Coverage caveats: these are US ocean-freight bill-of-lading records only. Air, truck, and rail movements do not appear; some records name freight intermediaries rather than manufacturers; and product categories come from declared manifest codes, which are noisy. Absence of a record is not evidence of absence.

Frequently asked questions

What does Peterson Manufacturing make?

Peterson Manufacturing makes vehicle safety lighting and wiring harness systems for trucks, trailers, and off-highway vehicles. Products include LED and incandescent stop, turn, and tail lights, marker and warning lights, reflectors, and sealed custom wiring harnesses such as its Maxi-Seal and Defender lines, plus the Genesis fail-safe light and the PetersonPULSE trailer telematics system.

Who owns Peterson Manufacturing?

Peterson Manufacturing is a private, family-owned company. The Armacost family acquired it in 1956, and Don Armacost, Jr. is President and CEO. It is the flagship of the Peterson Corporate Group, which also includes Anderson Marine, Mission Plastics, Transworld Products, and Vector Tool & Engineering.

Where is Peterson Manufacturing located?

Peterson Manufacturing is headquartered at 4200 E. 135th Street in Grandview, Missouri, in the greater Kansas City area. It designs, engineers, and manufactures from a single 670,000-square-foot campus.

How big is Peterson Manufacturing?

Peterson employs roughly 650 people at its 670,000-square-foot Grandview campus. It is privately held and does not publish audited revenue; third-party estimates place annual revenue in the $100 million range, which should be treated as an estimate rather than a reported figure.

Who are Peterson Manufacturing's customers?

Peterson sells mostly through distributors and retailers to fleets, trailer OEMs, and government agencies, so most end customers are not named. Documented relationships include the Mighty Auto Parts Mighty Heavy Duty Program (2026) and a 2025 IANA Platinum Partnership; Caterpillar recognized Peterson with Silver supplier certification for 2012.

What certifications does Peterson Manufacturing hold?

Peterson describes its quality system as ISO 9001:2015 and states it was the first ISO 9001/QS-9000-certified U.S. lighting manufacturer. It also says nearly 90% of its products are built in the United States and that its safety lights exceed applicable standards by at least 25%. These are company statements; a dated certificate is not published on its site.

Last verified September 28, 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.