Whelen Engineering has a long history of supporting motorsports as a sponsor and as a provider of safety lighting for the track. Supporting first responders and their causes is an important part of Whelen’s company culture, and many employees are first responders. “Supporting first responders is central to everything we do and an important part of our company culture,” said Peter Tiezzi, General Manager of Motorsports at Whelen, and retired 35-year veteran of the Chester Hose Company in Chester, Connecticut.
Whelen is proud to provide the Official Warning Lights of NASCAR® and is a steadfast supporter of motorsports at many different levels including title sponsorship of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup, and sponsorship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Whelen’s mission is to protect those who protect and serve others by making reliable products people can depend on when lives are on the line. Whelen Engineering revolutionized emergency warning technology with the invention of the first rotating “anti-collision” beacon in 1952. Today, Whelen continues to push the boundaries of innovation with reliable and powerful warning lights, sirens, control systems, and software – all manufactured in America. Whelen encompasses two state-of-the-art facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire, with one million square feet of engineering and manufacturing space, and over 1,500 employees.
How Whelen became interested in supporting the NFFF
3 things the NFFF community should know about the Whelen Engineering Company
- Protecting first responders is central to the work we do every day, and we have a long history of supporting organizations whose values align with ours. “We share a mission with NFFF to remember America’s fallen firefighters and look for ways to pay tribute to these heroes,” said Whelen Engineering’s Director of Fire, EMS, and Amber Sales, Matt Kehoe. “Those are my brothers and sisters out there. So being able to make sure their safety and my safety is being kept at number one, it’s a pretty good feeling at the end of the day.” Colby Smith, Whelen manufacturing employee and Walpole, NH Firefighter.
- Whelen Motorsports reaches into all corners of the racing industry. In addition to the NASCAR sponsorships, Whelen Motorsports is involved with many other forms of racing including the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, ARCA Menards Series, American Flat Track, NHRA, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Whelen also supports many local racers in the community.
- Motorsports is important to Whelen overall because of the sport’s dedicated fan base, many of whom are also first responders. Keeping Whelen products in front of fans at the races allows us the opportunity to tie our mission of protecting those who protect and serve others with a sport that is near and dear to the hearts of many first responders who use our products every day, including tow truck drivers, firefighters, police officers, and EMTs.
