Our History.
Nearly a Century of Healing Heat.
From a borrowed typewriter in a Battle Creek basement to the nation's most trusted moist heat therapy brand — the story of Thermophore spans 95 years, two founding friends, and an unbroken commitment to drug-free pain relief.
In 1927, Wendell E. Doty and his friend Harry Babcock recognized a business opportunity in selling the equipment of the Battle Creek Sanitarium — the legendary health institution founded by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg in the 1880s. With just $120 and a borrowed typewriter, working out of Babcock's basement and Doty's garage, they founded Battle Creek Equipment Company — the company behind every Thermophore heating pad made today.
With $120 and a borrowed typewriter, two friends built a company that would become the most trusted name in moist heat therapy — and keep Americans out of pain for nearly a century.
— Battle Creek Equipment Company, est. 1927
The Doty Family Legacy
Wendell E. Doty co-founded Battle Creek Equipment Company in 1927 with Harry Babcock. After Babcock's retirement in 1957, Wendell became sole owner and remained actively interested in the business until his death at age 96.
His son John, involved in the family business since childhood, became President in 1974 and continues as Chairman — carrying the founding family's vision across two generations and nearly a century of American manufacturing.
Continuity of Purpose
From Wendell Doty's basement in 1927 to the Fremont, Indiana facility today, one thing has never changed: the commitment to building the most effective therapeutic heat products available — without drugs, without gimmicks.
That commitment is what earns Thermophore the trust of physical therapists, chiropractors, and orthopedists across the country — decade after decade.
The Team Carrying the Mission Forward
As President of Battle Creek Equipment Company, David Underhill leads the organization that produces every Thermophore heating pad sold today — overseeing operations, strategy, and the brand's continued growth while honoring nearly 100 years of therapeutic manufacturing tradition.
Current PresidentMary Brown leads the sales function, driving Thermophore's presence across retail, medical, and direct-to-consumer channels — connecting decades of brand credibility with new customers who need drug-free pain relief.
VP of SalesJohn Coakes oversees operations including the Fremont, Indiana assembly facility — ensuring that every Liberty Collection Thermophore leaving the factory meets the quality standards the brand has maintained since 1987.
VP of OperationsA direct line from Dr. Kellogg's 1880s Sanitarium to your living room — nearly 140 years of therapeutic heat, refined into a single pad.
— Battle Creek Equipment Company · Fremont, Indiana
Questions? Sales: 1-800-403-8285
· Warranty: 1-800-253-0854
Thermophore.com is managed by HRM USA Inc, 49 Richard Rd, Warminster PA 18974.
Owned by Battle Creek Equipment Company, est. 1931.
