History
In 1937, John H. Westerbeke Sr. founded the Westerbeke Corporation as a company dedicated to the development of diesel engines and generators for a variety of uses. By 1938, Westerbeke was already pioneering use of the Detroit Diesel 6-71 for marine applications.
In 1959, the company started customizing Perkins engine blocks for marine applications, creating a market for small marine diesels among sail boaters seeking reliable and practical auxiliary power. The same engines were also used in marine diesel generators. In the 1980’s the company revolutionized the marine diesel market by introducing a new line of quiet, compact, lightweight and dependable generators that were the smallest available. In 2005, Westerbeke offered the first reduced carbon monoxide EFI gasoline generator for the marine market.
Currently, Westerbeke uses engines from several leading manufacturers to create marine-proven diesel and gasoline engines ranging from 12 to 38 horsepower, and generators ranging from 3.5 to 29.0 kilowatts. We also manufacture Universal diesel engines from 20 to 26 horsepower, and Rotary Aire marine climate control systems that offer self-contained efficiency in 10,000 BTU and 17,000 BTU models.
Westerbeke has also designed and built engines and generators for highly-specialized non-marine applications where performance failure is not an option. In 2008, Westerbeke industrial generators were selected for use by the U.S. Navy to provide power for a floating loading dock. While radiator-cooled product was required, the units were also required to meet specifications for use in a corrosive salt water environment many industrial generators do not meet. We designed and built an eight hundred kilowatt standby diesel generator for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Lottery Commission. We also developed a mobile generator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that powers air-quality measuring equipment in the Adirondack Mountains. Our leading-edge accomplishments in harsh-environment engine design has also lead to our receiving a U.S. patent for a LubeCell device that injects oil into diesel engine cylinders to improve cold weather startup.
Today, we are committed to maintaining our status as an industry and technology leader. Our goal is to be a company that people choose to do business with because:
- We genuinely care about—and support—our customers with superior service worldwide.
- Our products provide superior value, quality and performance.