THE BIG ASS STORY
In 1999, the Big Ass Fan Company was born. Kind of. Then called the HVLS Fan Co. (that’s High Volume, Low Speed—catchy, right?), we first made our mark selling massive ceiling fans that spun slowly but moved astounding amounts of air. The fans kept large spaces that lacked air conditioning, such as factories and dairy barns, feeling cool and comfortable—and soon enough, plenty of other customers wanted in. Things moved fast after that (and kept moving). Only a few years later, we officially changed our name after customers kept calling and asking if we made “those big-ass fans.” When churches wanted to install fans to keep congregations comfortable, we developed the first silent fan motor to meet their needs.

We created a residential fan that blew away ENERGY STAR® ratings and won awards worldwide.

In 2014, we had the bright idea to create an LED fixture so tough you can drive a truck over it, launching a division appropriately called Big Ass Light™.Soon we automated personal comfort by adding SenseME® technology to our residential fans.

In 2016, we launched a new division — Haiku Home — to transform the home through cutting edge technology, iconic design and effortless conservation.And we’ve backed everything with serious research, intensive engineering, and an almost obsessive drive to innovate and improve. No matter what we’re doing, we go Big Ass every single day, and we’re not stopping.

2016
Haiku® Home residential division launches, confirming the company’s position as an industry leader in connected home technology. Products include fans, automated lights and efficient home heating and cooling systems.

2015
We expand our international reach into Canada by opening an office outside Toronto. The path to Big Ass domination now includes 800 employees in locations including Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Canada.

2014
Our expansion continues as we hire our 500th employee. Big Ass Light makes its debut with industrial-strength LED light fixtures for all applications, and the addition of SenseME technology to Haiku makes it the world’s first smart fan.

2013
We hire our 300th employee and open a new headquarters and another manufacturing facility in Lexington. This becomes the home of Haiku with SenseME, the only residential ceiling fan to boast the Made in USA label.

2012
Our Haiku residential fan debuts. Hand-balanced, wobble-free, guaranteed silent and undeniably gorgeous, it shoots to the top of ENERGY STAR efficiency rankings. Popular Science recognizes it as the “World’s Quietest Fan.”

2011
In a testament to our commitment to innovative applications, MASS Design Group installs Big Ass Fans in a new Rwandan health clinic. The seven fans circulate the clinic’s air over UV lights, killing airborne pathogens. Take that, germs.

2009
We open the world’s only R&D lab built specifically for testing big fans. The building is even LEED® Gold, showing we walk the walk and talk the talk on efficiency. Meanwhile, our AirGo® mobile fan brings Big Ass air movement to floors.

2008
Element, the first fan designed for quiet, air-conditioned spaces like churches and
auditoriums, makes its debut. Our path to worldwide domination begins as we say g’day to our first international office in Brisbane, Australia.

2007
Doubling in size in less than two years, we hire our 100th employee. Our growth gets noticed: Inc. names us to its inaugural Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. We’ve been on the list ever since.

2006
We hire our 50th employee and move into a new 98,000-sq-ft headquarters. The facility houses everything from manufacturing and customer service to sales and marketing, as well as an assortment of pool and shuffleboard tables.

2004
After years of research and development, blood, sweat and tears, the Powerfoil® industrial fan is born. Adding winglets increases the fan’s efficiency by more than 20 percent. We also sell our 5,000th fan. More celebrations ensue.

2003
The name change to Big Ass Fans is official! We paint a mural of Fanny over an existing liquor ad on our new headquarters. This wholesome choice pisses off a city council member but attracts plenty of amused sightseers.

2001
With products installed in barns, industrial facilities, warehouses and many more spaces, we celebrate the sale of our 1,000th fan. This is a Big Ass deal—and, even better, it’s just the beginning. Hundreds of thousands more will follow.

2000
Customers refer to the large fans as “big-ass fans,” and Big Ass executives spend several hours convincing a donkey dubbed Fanny to strike a now-famous pose. Postmasters in seven states refuse to deliver the resulting postcard.

1999
The HVLS Fan Company—what will become Big Ass Fans—is born in Lexington, KY. The big fans are perfect for dairy barns, but they’re not officially Big Ass (yet). We record our first sale on May 1 and sell 112 fans by the end of the year.