History
The idea for the first aluminum walk-in van was originated by Walter Heingartner, owner of Kinney Motors Chevrolet in Brooklyn, NY. Heingartner was friends with Jimmy Olson, then Commissioner of the New York State Liquor Authority. Olson had no truck experience, but knowing there were ten independent laundry companies in Brooklyn alone, he saw a market. He knew an aluminum body would be lighter and less prone to corrosion. He also knew someone who could build it, Jack Swirbul, one of Grumman's founders.
Grumman had no experience building commercial truck bodies. However, they decided to move forward with the concept and Grumman Aircraft Engineering was scheduled to produce the vehicle beginning in 1939. The concept was shelved due to the onset of WWII.
After the war, Olson and three partners formulated J.B.E. Olson Corporation on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. Construction of the aluminum vehicle began. For its public unveiling, Olson rented the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City and invited Chevrolet dealers from all over the east coast. The vehicle was enthusiastically received and J.B.E. Olson received orders for 450 units, and the Grumman Olson aluminum walk-in van was born.
The company grew and prospered over the next many decades. The company purchased the Sturgis, MI facility, its current headquarters, in 1963.
In 1984, Grumman Olson was awarded the largest contract in its history. The United States Postal Service (USPS) awarded Grumman Olson a contract worth over one billion dollars. Over 150,000 vehicles were produced, of which the majority are in operation today.
After changes in ownership in the 1990s, Grumman Olson was faced with a declining market, and eventually declared bankruptcy in 2001. The company was purchased by JBPCO, a parent company whose sales are nearly one billion annually, in 2003. At this time the name of the company was changed to Morgan Olson. Since the acquisition of Morgan Olson by JBPCO, it has seen steady, profitable growth until 2009.
Today, Morgan Olson produces walk in vans for companies such as UPS, FedEx, Frito Lay, AmeriPride, Lance Inc, W.B. Mason, Unifirst, G & K Services, and Bimbo Baking.
Read more about this topic: Morgan Olson
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—Eugène Ionesco (b. 1912)
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—David Hume (1711–1776)