Balcrank began in 1906 in the heart of Cincinnati, Ohio's "Machine Tool Colony" as the Cincinnati Ball Crank Company. The first products produced by Balcrank were handwheels and cranks used by the machine tool industry. That same year Balcrank became the first mass producer of starting cranks for automobiles. In 1908 Balcrank entered the automotive industry with the manufacturing of steering drag links. The steering drag links were an immediate hit. Almost every car manufacturer adopted these Balcrank drag links and for the first time, steering a car became an easy task, instead of a laborious chore. To follow its drag links were ball-sockets for spark and throttle control. Next was the famous Balcrank "bumpers." From that time on, Balcrank's place in the automotive picture was set.