In 1954, Brooks Stevens, the founder, popularized the term "planned obsolescence" as a cornerstone to product evolution.

The phrase was not intended to refer to building things that deteriorate easily, but to "instilling in the buyer the desire to own something a little newer, a little better, a little sooner.

[1] The firm has designed products from toasters to automobiles and heavy equipment, including the 1949 Twin Cities Hiawatha and Olympian Hiawatha trains with "Skytop Lounge" cars.

[2] In 2007, the founder's son, Kipp Stevens, retired and sold Brooks Stevens to Ingenium Product Development, expanding the company's product coverage and engineering capabilities.

[3] Today, Brooks Stevens designs and engineers both consumer and heavy industrial products.