About
With a legacy of American manufacturing pride, new forward-thinking leadership and innovative new products and features, the Next Generation of Parkhurst Manufacturing is boldly taking our brand into the future. This is our time, and this is our story.
Since 1946, Parkhurst has been designing and manufacturing high-quality truck equipment, offered at an affordable price.
Our History
1946
- After serving in the U.S. Navy, a young and determined William R. Parkhurst founded Parkhurst Manufacturing Company in a borrowed two-car garage and built his first two-wheeled utility trailer.
- Relocated to a new 4,000-square-foot facility and began producing the Parkhurst Farm Truck Body.
- Expanded, doubling the square footage to be able to keep up with production as Parkhurst began producing stake racks, wagon boxes, van bodies and truck bodies.
1950's
- Manufactured high-quality truck bodies and trailers for the rental industry – Nationwide and One Way Trailers.
- Began building wooden wagon boxes for Montgomery Ward.
1960's
- Phased in steel stake racks with wood racks.
- Began purchasing machinery to make our own parts – started with a 6,000 lb. brake press and finished with a complete machine and tool and die shop.
- Purchased property of our 325,000-square-foot. manufacturing facility.
- Ran three shifts and built 25,000 EZ Haul trailers and 3,000 platform bodies per year.
1970's
- Built 62 grain bodies per day.
- Ran Parkhurst fleet of 12 tractor-trailers going out with trailers and bodies and bringing back steel and lumber for manufacturing.
- Added subsidiary to enable us to manufacture our own steel.
- The recession hit hard in 1974, but we diversified and were awarded our first military contract of 4,000 trailers and produced baggage carts for TWA airlines.
1980's
- Manufactured truck bodies and trailers and filled government contracts including ¼ ton, 1 ½ ton and fire combat trailers. We built trailers for GTE, who at the time had been awarded the largest contract in U.S. Army history.
1990's
- Filled government contracts for reverse osmosis water treatment and field laundry units for the U.S. Army.
- Refocused on manufacturing truck bodies as demand surged.
- Transitioned office operations from hand-written ledgers and journals to computers.
- 1991 – Rob Parkhurst, grandson of William R. Parkhurst, took over operations.
2010's
- To increase efficiency, we combined manufacturing facilities under one roof.
- Began production of our own hoist line and purchased a Waterjet for manufacturing hoist components. We also completed fabricating jobs for other companies and even marble countertops.
- Operations transitioned to Mike Harris. Sam Trelow and Laurie Boer began new positions training for leadership roles.
- 2012 – Trelow and Boer joined Harris in operations.
2017
- The Parkhurst family sold the company to long-term employees Sam Trelow and Toby Pierce, along with Sam’s son, James Trelow. The same core values established so many years ago continue to influence the direction of the company.
Today
Parkhurst Manufacturing is well-positioned to advance its commitment to its employees and customers, and produce the highest quality products that will lead the industry today and into the future.