The Monroe Chamber, City of Monroe and business owner Sally King had the pleasure of touring Werner Paddles on February 27th, 2020 a premier manufacturing company specializing in paddles for kayaks and stand up paddle boards. 

Bruce Furrer, owner of Werner Paddles explains "A love for paddling together turned the family garage into a work shop and started the journey." Werner Paddles is the premier paddle company in America, with top notch designs that lead the industry today setting the bar high for competitors. With a 8,000 square foot warehouse and pushing 70 employee's, Werner Paddles has come along way from the garage his Dad started in. In 1959 Werner, built his first ever kayak and in the same year frustrated with the large Klepper paddles, he built and fashioned a better fitting paddle by using a tree branch and some shingles he builds his first paddle. An early sign of things to come... Starting a business was never the plan. However as more and boater friends asked Jr. to build him paddles, these earliest sales made him realize, "hey people want our paddles!" So Werner set out to help create the first handwritten brochure and encouraged Jr. with business lessons. More sales helped fund his growing passion for slalom racing and like that, a business was born. Check it out, $17.00 for a "Werner Furrer Design" paddle! Starting out as Northwest Design Works in 1986, the company officially changes its name to Werner Paddles. The M upside down stands for Martha, Werner's wife who is also a adventure seeker. 

Fun Facts:

1. 80% of employee's are based in Snohomish County.
2. Werner Paddles has around 70 full time employee's.
3. Bruce Furrer owner of Werner Paddles has been in business for 33 years. 
4. They build a few hundred paddles a day.
5. Werner Paddles has been established in Monroe, Washington for two years.