Big Ass Fans

Carey Smith incorporated the Delta T. Corporation in 1994 Lexington, Kentucky, to manufacture and install cooling systems for industrial spaces and warehouses.{{cite news|last=Dooley|first=Karla|title=Business is a Breeze|newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader|date=August 13, 2002}} In 1999, Smith signed an exclusive distribution agreement with a California manufacturer of "high-volume, low-speed" (HVLS) ceiling fans, which were sold to farmers for cooling cattle.{{cite web|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2014/04/making-it-america|title=The Economist, April 1, 2014: Big Asspirations|work=economist.com|accessdate=February 12, 2015}} The company's focus shifted almost exclusively to fan sales, and the company started doing business under the name HVLS Fan Company.

In 2000, the company initiated a marketing campaign with mailers depicting their fans with a picture of the rear of a donkey and the caption "Big Ass Fan".{{cite news|last=Jordan|first=Jim|title=Postmasters Butt in Over Fan Firm's Cards|newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader|date=July 10, 2000}} The campaign was successful enough that the company started doing business under the name Big Ass Fans. Fanny, the donkey used in the ad campaign, became the company's logo, and Smith changed his job title to "Chief Big Ass".

In 2006, the company moved its headquarters to a larger facility on Merchant Street in Lexington.{{cite news|last=Sloan|first=Scott|title=Local fan maker's campus to double in size|newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader|date=October 26, 2007}} By 2010, the company re-occupied its Winchester Road location, in addition to both the Merchant Street location and the research and development facility on Lexington's Jaggie Fox Way, in order to accommodate its continued growth.{{cite news|last=Sloan|first=Scott|title=Too Big for its Niches|newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader|date=August 12, 2010}}

In 2014, the company opened a new division called Big Ass Light to sell LED fixtures, and started doing business under the name Big Ass Solutions.{{cite press release |title=Garage, workshop lighting goes Big Ass with Garage Light |url=https://www.bigassfans.com/press-releases/garage-workshop-lighting-goes-big-ass/ |access-date=4 November 2021 |work=Big Ass Fans |date=18 November 2014}}

In 2017, the company shut down its facility on Winchester Road,{{cite web|last=Truman|first=Cheryl|url=http://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article183876441.html|title=The Big Ass mural on Winchester Road was once the talk of the town. But that's changing | Lexington Herald Leader|publisher=Kentucky.com|date=2017-11-10|accessdate=2018-03-29}} and Smith sold the company to private equity firm Lindsay Goldberg. The company was re-incorporated in Delaware as Big Ass Fans, LLC.{{cite web |title=FILE NUMBER 6539625 ENTITY NAME BIG ASS FANS LLC |url=https://icis.corp.delaware.gov/Ecorp/EntitySearch/NameSearch.aspx |website=Division of Corporations |publisher=State of Delaware}}

In February 2018, Lennie Rhoades, a senior vice president at JELD-WEN, became CEO.{{cite web|url=https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Big-Ass-Solutions-EI_IE229715.11,28.htm|title=Working at Big Ass Fans|website=Glassdoor|language=en|access-date=2018-03-15}} In July 2021, Big Ass Fans was acquired by Madison Industries.{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Ben |date=July 27, 2021 |title=Madison Industries buys Kentucky fan maker Big Ass Fans |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2021/07/27/madison-industries-buys-kentucky-fan-maker-big-ass.html |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=www.bizjournals.com}} In May 2022, Ken Walma, a former executive at Cooper Lighting, among other companies, took over as the company's current CEO.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

Big Ass Fans was ranked number one in Fortune magazine's 2022 ranking of 100 Best Medium Workplaces and 100 Best Small and Medium Workplaces for Millennials.{{Cite web |title=Big Ass Fans {{!}} 2022 Best Medium Workplaces |url=https://fortune.com/best-medium-workplaces/2022/big-ass-fans/ |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=Fortune |language=en}}

When the company began their "Big Ass Fan" marketing campaign, some postmasters in Georgia, Mississippi, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, California and Louisville returned the cards to HVLS as inappropriate. When the company relocated to Lexington's Winchester Road, residents staged protests of a {{convert|40|ft|m|0|adj=on}} wide mural depicting the company's name and mascot on the side of its building.{{cite web|url=http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/2275/big-ass-fans-company-moves-into-new-facility|title=Reliable Plant, April 20, 2014: Big Ass Fans Moves Into New Facility|work=reliableplant.com|accessdate=February 11, 2015}} Because of the name, Lexington's Blue Grass Airport declined to display advertising from the company in its baggage claim area.{{cite web|url=http://www.kentucky.com/2010/01/18/1100947_big-ass-fans-comes-to-airport.html|title=Lexington Herald-Leader, January 18, 2010: Big Ass Fans Comes to Airport|work=kentucky.com|accessdate=February 11, 2015}} The airport later relented and hung a Big Ass Fan and a plaque near the security checkpoint. The Big Ass Fans Facebook page includes a gallery of letters complaining about the company's name, and in 2012, it began a YouTube channel featuring customer voicemail complaints styled as music videos.{{cite news|last=Truman|first=Cheryl|title=Fanny mail: Complaints find way into video|newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader|date=September 5, 2012}} For schools and religious institutions, however, the company maintains an advertising package that does not include the company name alongside the donkey logo.

The company's web site sells promotional merchandise with the company name and logo.{{cite news|last=Jordan|first=Jim|title=Fun with Fans|newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader|date=November 27, 2006}}

As of August 12, 2023, television ads have been seen without "ass" being printed or spoken. The voice over says "BIG FANS" and the branding has "BIG FANS" with the rear end of the donkey interloped between "BIG" and "FANS". Reference: FOX Saratoga Saturday, Aug 12, 2023, during the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The company's first products included several iterations of high-volume low-speed fans for industrial and agricultural use. These fans use airfoils instead of flat blades and feature onboard variable-frequency drives. Big Ass Fans has expanded its product line to include directional, oscillating and mobile fans. The company has developed a line of fans for air-conditioned commercial and residential spaces, LED light fixtures and controls.{{cite web|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248915|title=How This Fan Company Is Proving It Has More Than Just a Good Name|last=Pullen|first=John Patrick|date=August 19, 2015|publisher=Entrepreneur|accessdate=August 4, 2016}}

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• {{Official website|http://www.bigasssolutions.com/}}

Category:Manufacturing companies based in Kentucky

Category:Companies based in Lexington, Kentucky

Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1999

Category:1999 establishments in Kentucky