Blue Star Generators

Blue Star Power Systems, founded in 1994 and now headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas, occupies a specific niche in the generator market: operators who want full control over every component in their power system and refuse to be locked into a proprietary ecosystem. The company manufactures diesel and natural gas generator sets from 20 kW to 2,500 kW, sourcing engines from Perkins, John Deere, Volvo, MTU, and PSI depending on the application. The DSE DCP7310 controller standard across current production units is a non-proprietary platform — any qualified controls technician can service it, any independent distributor can supply replacement modules, and standard communication protocols integrate with third-party building management systems without OEM involvement. For facilities that have been burned by proprietary controller lock-in from Kohler or CAT, that openness is the deciding factor.

Blue Star's product line covers four segments: diesel standby and prime power units (PD, JD, VD, and MD prefix models using Perkins, John Deere, Volvo, and MTU engines respectively), natural gas and LP generators (NG and PS prefix models on PSI engines), mobile and rental-ready trailer-mounted configurations, and fully custom-engineered packages. Sound-attenuated aluminum enclosures are available across the product line for noise-sensitive installations. The DEUTZ acquisition adds the German engine manufacturer's diesel platforms and global parts network to Blue Star's sourcing options without eliminating the flexibility to spec alternative engines. EPA Tier 4 Final compliant diesel models (identified by the FT4 suffix) use John Deere and Volvo engines with exhaust aftertreatment, addressing projects where current emissions standards apply. Hand-built assembly means each unit can be configured for non-standard voltages, unusual enclosure dimensions, or specific site constraints that the major brands' catalog models cannot accommodate.

The cost of that flexibility is time and scale. Custom Blue Star units require 20 or more weeks from order to delivery, compared to 3-7 days from Gillette or 8-12 weeks from Cummins for standard configurations. Blue Star's dealer and service network is significantly smaller than CAT, Kohler, or Generac, which means emergency service response depends heavily on geography. And for buyers who simply need a reliable standby generator in a standard configuration, Blue Star's custom-build approach adds lead time and cost without delivering proportional value — those buyers are better served by Cummins or Generac. Where Blue Star earns its specification is in telecommunications, remote industrial sites, and municipal utilities that frequently need configurations outside any manufacturer's standard catalog — and want the freedom to service the unit without calling the OEM.