60 years ago, a mechanical engineer named Russell Howard was working as a lineman in Clifton, Texas. He grew tired of climbing telephone poles every day, so he created an aerial lift to take him to the top of the pole. It was the first invention of its kind. As he went around town working on the telephone poles, people would come up to him asking about his lift and wanting to buy one for themselves. Versalift, the company he was inspired to found, is now a world leader in aerial vehicle manufacturing.
Today, the Manufacturing Express pulled into Waco, Texas, where Versalift has been a fixture of the community for 58 years. A little rain was not going to stop this Texas manufacturing powerhouse of nearly 500 team members from celebrating their sixty years of achievements in Waco and beyond.
Versalift does a lot of things differently from their competitors in the aerial lift business. Beyond being the inventors of the original aerial lift, their focus on operator safety is top of the line. That takes a lot of different forms for Versalift. Their bucket lifts are constructed largely of fiberglass to protect the operators from electric currents. Their axles are designed with more critical pins than other lifts, ensuring that all of the pieces are secured beyond normal tolerances and keep all operators extra safe.
That level of care and attention to detail is what has made Versalift so successful and trusted around the world. In fact, the Empire State Building in New York City even uses Versalift aerial lifts to install Christmas lights every December. An average of 2000 bucket trucks and aerial lifts are produced at this Versalift facility every year, and are used in communities all over America, Europe, South America, and the rest of the world. Lifts like Versalift’s provide crucial support to a number of key industries, including utility companies, municipalities, transportation departments, telecommunications companies, and forestry and tree removal services. Every machine that they produce is custom-made to order, making their equipment versatile and able to support so many different industries. Versalift’s relentless commitment to innovation is what keeps its customers coming back. For example, their new model VO-455 weighs 600 lbs less than the previous model while maintaining the same payload volume. This makes it easier for customers to transport their lifts without making any sacrifices to the amount of weight their machines can support.
Anywhere that has electricity or telecommunications depends on Versalift equipment to maintain their infrastructure and keep their communities powered up and connected. They serve a vital partner role with telecommunications companies, municipal governments, and others who keep towns and cities running.
“The machines we produce allow companies to run electricity & run broadband to places that don’t have broadband access,” said CMO Alex Hultgren, “When there’s an emergency or some kind of a disaster, these trucks can come in and help clear things out and get things up and running again. Even as things change, with solar power & windmills, you need something that’s really tall to get up there and work on those things sometimes. It’s really about empowering those key parts of society that keep things running that aren’t always visible. We’re the ones that really empower them to do their jobs.”
That important mission and welcoming company culture are what keep so many employees at Versalift for years. Just ask Danny Watkins, a Manufacturing Plant Manager, who’s been working here since 1996. “Once someone has been here for two years,” Danny says, “they’re never gonna leave.”
We all benefit from Versalift’s hard work and dedication. Next time you call a family member, turn on the TV, or make a cup of coffee in the morning, know that a Versalift machine is helping make all that happen.
