WIX Filters will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2009, marking seven decades in the filters business.
      
“The heritage of WIX Filters runs deep, and we take great pride in the engineering leadership and product innovation that has become synonymous with our brand over the past 70 years,” said Keith Wilson, president of global filtration, Affinia Group Inc. “Since day one, our focus has been on providing better filtration solutions for our customers.”
      
WIX Filters was founded in Gastonia, N.C., in 1939 when John Doanne “Jack” Wicks and his business partner Paul Crenshaw saw a need for filter replacements that would simplify the filter changing process. Less than two decades later WIX turned the filter market upside down with the invention of a spin-on oil filter design that quickly became the industry standard.
      
WIX soon moved into the racing arena, and today can claim 40 years of testing and developing new filtration engineering techniques with NASCAR champions from Richard Petty to Joe Gibbs Racing. WIX takes every bit of knowledge and experience gained at the track and applies it to its premium filtration products.
      
“Affinia Group is committed to providing our customers with the best products in the marketplace, and we are pleased to celebrate seven decades of offering them innovative filtration solutions through WIX Filters,” said Terry McCormack, chief executive officer of Affinia Group Inc., whose brands include WIX Filters, Raybestos brake and chassis and other leading on- and off-highway replacement part brands. “The success of WIX Filters through the years is a tribute to the dedication of the people who serve our customers. That pioneering spirit of service and innovation has been with our people since the beginning and will drive the company’s growth in the future.”
    
To commemorate the milestone, a specially-designed WIX Filters 70th Anniversary logo will be featured on many of WIX’s 2009 promotions and sales materials.