Steelweld Equipment Co
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Steelweld Equipment Company, Inc. was founded in 1932, in St. Louis, Missouri by Earl J. Anderson to provide himself with a job during the great depression. He was 27 years old and a skilled craftsman in sheet metal fabrication. Starting with rented facilities and leased equipment, he solicited business by day, came back to the plant and fabricated it at night. Products during the first few years consisted of office counter tops, shelving, storage and file cabinets, and small safes. Working this way during those early years taught Mr. Anderson a very important business principal that guides the company to this day; your word is your bond. When you make promises to your customer, you keep them, your company’s integrity is priceless.
The company grew steadily, moving to new locations several times to accommodate that growth until World War II in 1941. Steel in any form was almost impossible to get unless you had contracts to produce equipment for the war effort. In the late 1930’s the company had manufactured some minor truck body parts for a large truck body company. This experience contributed to the company securing work as a sub-contractor providing parts for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. specialized mobile field equipment. As it turned out this was the real beginning for Steelweld in the truck body industry.
As the war ended, the company moved totally into the design and manufacture of all kinds of truck bodies. The timing was excellent, given the pent-up demand for trucks at the end of the war. The company quickly became a quality supplier to local and national companies with large fleets. They represented varied industries such as candy makers, public utilities, furniture companies, breweries, and highway contractors.
As the business grew, larger locations were needed, each either rented or leased until 1946 when a building suitable for it’s need, was purchased near St. Louis Lambert Field airport in St. Louis County. This location afforded an opportunity to expand into the distributor market, selling products made by others that we did not make. Steady growth continued, and in 1956, property was purchased in St. Clair, Missouri. In August of 1957, Steelweld dedicated it’s new home on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. For the first time, the company was in a facility designed just for the manufacture of truck bodies. With increased demand from across the country, new locations/outlets were established. The first was in Temple, Texas in 1970 and more recently a plant in San Jacinto, California. All three locations have had to be expanded.
The company was led, for 56 years, by Mr. Anderson until his passing in 1988. In 1995, Mrs. Elaine Hunter, an employee of 38 years acquired the company. With her acquisition, the company is now certified as a minority female owned business. Under her leadership, the company has made large investments to upgrade the operation with new equipment, state-of-the-art paint booths, and high-tech communications, both internally and with customers externally.
Future plans include new products, expanded sales efforts and possible new plant sites. Watch our news page for details.
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