The History of Rigid Industries

Rigid Industries is currently regarded as the brand that makes the best lights on the planet for the off-roading community. Whether you are a Truck, Jeep, SUV or ATV owner, chances are that Rigid makes a few products that could make your traveling a whole lot easier during the nighttime hours. For years, the company has been innovating the different ways to light up the off-road, but they didn’t appear out of thin air. In fact, the company started, oddly enough, from a major league baseball player.

Jason Christiansen, a retired left-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh, Pirates and Los Angeles Angels, has always had an interest in off-roading. In fact, it took him just three years after putting up his jersey from the MLB to get a start with his own company, which focused on creating supplies for the UTV and ATV crowd.

According to their website, Jason and two partners, Taylor and Seth Anderson, purchased the LED light bar company outright and began JST Performance, Inc. (named after their first initials). Jason Christiansen, Taylor and Seth Anderson were all friends who shared a lust for the off-road and enjoyed their new business, but the start of JST was just the beginning. It molded itself and the name changed to Rigid Industries. Then the trio then made it their mission to make Rigid Industries a household name. In the early days you would see each of them building, packaging, selling and shipping the LED light bars. In fact, the group can still be found working at their facilities to ensure that their products are made to the highest standard.

As the company grew, the group focused on manufacturing, distribution, and sales. To help accomplish these goals, they brought on a new employee, Dave Davis, who helped take Rigid Industries to a whole new level in the sales and assisted in delivering their products to off-roader all around the world.

Just last year, Rigid Industries added a second, much larger manufacturing plant in Gilbert, AZ and now has a family of more than 250 employees. Recognizing their success, Inc. Magazine named Rigid Industries as the 150th Fastest Growing Private Company in the United States for 2013 and 1st in LED lighting manufacturing.

This success is due largely to the response from the off-roading community. Enthusiasts from all over the world have had great reviews of their products.

I've been using Rigid's A-Series accessory lights in the wheel wells of my Jeep for rock lights. What an amazing difference that makes,” says Jeff D., Jeep owner. “They remove virtually all guesswork and will pay for themselves by saving my tires. I'll never go back."

How many times have you been excited about a product, only for it to come in the mail and burn out, break or fall apart within a few weeks of use? At Rigid Industries, that sort of durability is unacceptable. Their lights are built to last. All of their LED products, which have an amazing brightness, a guaranteed to last more than 50,000 hours, which is 10 times more than Halogen or Xenon lights.

Recently, we pulled some of Rigid’s LED Lights off the shelves at 4WheelOnline to see how they performed. Check them out below:

LED Flashlights: Just because you left the comforts of your truck doesn’t mean you need to be blind. The LED Flashlights from Rigid can be charged in your vehicle or from an 110V wall outlet. The Halo 800 Raw Lumen Flashlight utilizes five LEDs for ultimate beam pattern, plus it’s easy to bring anywhere. Additionally, the light has five modes including SOS and Strobe if you get in trouble in the wild.

D Series HD Lights: Any off-roader can appreciate the D-Series Lights, which were made for hard riding and risky explorations. With a 50,000 hour light span, you can keep these on throughout the night without having to worry about burnt bulbs, plus the custom designed heat sink bolsters keep temperatures down, which is much better than burning your fingers on an old halogen bulb. Plus, the sweet price of these lights makes them affordable for any enthusiast.

Q Series LED Lights: There is no denying that the Q Series Lights are a considerable investment because of their price tags, but they really are the best lights we have ever seen. The Q Series were designed to specifically to work in brutal conditions like mining, construction and agricultural surroundings, so you know they were built tough. These are the ultimate in LED lights. An incredible beam distance of 260 meters from the 80-Watt bulb is amazing, plus they won’t go anywhere because it’s installed on a TIG welded 304 stainless steel bracket with vibration insulation.

In less than a decade, Rigid has made a name for itself by making the top LED Lights on the market for truck, Jeep and SUV owners. Never before has a company solely dedicated their operation to making lights and light accessories for the off-roading crowd. At Rigid, it seems like they know that truck enthusiasts need a different kind of light for a different kind of driving. So, when it’s time to light up the trails, you’ll know where to turn.

If you’re still unsure about which Rigid LED Lights, be sure to ask the off-roading at 4WheelOnline.com by calling 813-769-2451. The gearheads are more than happy to answer any questions about any of the light kits that we carry in our catalogue.