Group Hesse is a proud organization permeated by the rich traditions of westward bound pioneers and American Entrepreneurism.
1847, German immigrant William G. Hesse founded William G. Hesse & Sons Manufacturing Co. in Leavenworth, Kansas. Just a few miles west of the Convergence of the Santa Fe, California and Oregon trails, Hesse and his sons built and serviced westward bound wagon Trains and Prairie schooners. Many of their early customers were part of the California gold rush of 1849.
Over the ensuing years the company adapted to the changing times. As the horse and buggy gave way to the automobile, Hesse focused on car bodies and grew to be one of the largest auto body manufacturers in the U.S. In the 30's, the company developed an expertise in producing specialized truck bodies to the rapidly developing beverage industry. During World War II, the company used this expertise to supply fire trucks to the U.S. Army and Navy.
At the end of the war, the company returned its attention to the beverage industry. It soon became the industry standard for quality and innovation. This is demonstrated by the design of the first all aluminum beverage body, displayed at the World's Fair in 1964, and more recently the development of the first convertible delivery vehicle in the providing new technologies for the industry's needs holds true to this day.
Today, Group Hesse is part of the Remcor Corporation. Remcor is a multi-national corporation based near Montreal, Canada with consolidated sales exceeding $75 million annually.
The company's subsidiaries include business in the liquid and dry bulk tanker industry, including LBT Inc., the exclusive manufacturer of Fruehauf tankers in North American. The association with Remcor gives Group Hesse access to a wealth of talent in the fields of engineering innovations and designs, manufacturing technologies and processes, human resources development, and vendor negotiations and relationships. Through the support of Remcor, Group Hesse also has access to the most comprehensive after market service network in North America. The company is a strong believer in the Team Concept of manufacturing, and has been successful in implementing modern management methodologies in Group Hesse manufacturing facilities.
Our first 150 years were intertwined win an age of remarkable changes in society and advancements in technology. Hesse succeeded over the years by evolving with the times and meeting the changing needs of our customers. This rich history and tradition are the foundations on which we are building our future. While no one knows for sure with the future holds, Group Hesse looks forward to being an integral part of the distribution industry for a long time to come.
