At work in the West

Oct. 1, 2005
With a network of manufacturing plants and branches (some locations do both in the same building) Beall Corporation works to provide specialty trailers

With a network of manufacturing plants and branches (some locations do both in the same building) Beall Corporation works to provide specialty trailers — primarily tanks and dumps.

The company has a physical presence in about half the states west of the Mississippi and an independent dealer network that stretches as far east as Wisconsin and Illinois.

Here is a list of Beall locations and the work they perform:

Plants:

Portland, Oregon

11 drive-through bays (70-ft). Added a 5,000-sq-ft service wing in 1980. 4,500-sq-ft parts wing in 1985. 2,700-sq-ft for tank finishing. In 1998, 15,000 sq ft for manufacturing space. Now — 52,000 sq ft.

Billings, Montana

In 1975, Beall Corporation acquired a company previously owned by John Beall. The existing plant served customers in the Midwest and Inter-Mountain region. Two years later, the company opened a 90,000-sq-ft tank trailer plant that also includes service and parts department.

Turlock, California

Bought Superior Stainless of Manteca in 1977, a manufacturer of stainless steel tanks. For edibles and chemicals.

Acquired 19 acres in 1995 in nearby Turlock and built three buildings that combine for more than 70,000-sq-ft of manufacturing space. To get the most from the available space, Beall equipped the plant with a new 24-ft seam welder, a 24-ft Bertsch roll, a CNC plasma cutting table, and new computers that serve as CAD stations.

In 1999, Beall acquired Lobb Trailers, a manufacturer of composite bottom dump trailers, and integrated Lobb production within the Turlock plant. The company added Cal-Steeler bottom dump double and transfer units to the lineup of products manufactured in Turlock.

Dickinson, North Dakota

Beall Trailers of Dakota opened in 1980 to repair oilfield service equipment, but the 10,500-sq-ft facility now manufactures steel bottom dumps.

Salem, Oregon

Pioneer Truck Equipment of Salem, Oregon, was a Beall acquisition in 2001. The Salem plant continues to manufacture the Pioneer and Truckweld dump bodies and trailers.

Parts:

Billings, Montana

Beall bought Standard Parts Company, a specialized trailer parts house, in 1991.

Branches:

Billings, Montana

The branch opened in 1998 with the acquisition of five acres and a building owned by Pierce Truck & Equipment. The building was expanded to 13,200 square feet in 2000. The operation offers, sales, service, and repair.

Denver, Colorado

Beall of Colorado opened in 1986 as a complete sales and service facility. The 12,800-sq-ft shop also is capable of producing petroleum pumper units.

Phoenix, Arizona

Beall opened a factory branch on the east side of Phoenix in 1980 and opened on the west side in 1996. The two locations were combined when Beall built a larger facility on the west side in 2001.

Portland and Springfield, Oregon

The Portland branch is a trailer dealership downstairs and corporate office upstairs. The building originally was home to Olympic Equipment Company, a trailer dealer headquartered in Portland and with a branch in Springfield, Oregon. The two locations were renamed Beall Transport Equipment Company when acquired in 1994.

Rialto, California

Located east of Los Angeles, the facility opened in 1988 as a sales, service, and repair operation. It is a 16-bay shop built on a three-acre site.

Seattle, Washington

The Beall Trans-Liner of Washington sales and service operation opened in 1981. The 12,000-sq-ft shop includes complete tank cleaning service and a large inventory of parts. And when Beall later acquired Truckweld, a Seattle dump body and trailer manufacturer, Beall began using the facility for manufacturing. Beall moved all operations under one 76,000-sq-ft roof in 1999. Two years later, however, manufacturing was consolidated in Salem following Beall's acquisition of Pioneer Truck Equipment.