Towmaster is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in flatbed equipment trailer manufacturing and its 10th Anniversary in truck body manufacturing and truck equipment distribution.
In 1978, Harlan Palm sold the first official Towmaster brand trailer designed to haul skid-loaders. This was a few years after Harlan sold his Palm Industries manufacturing plant that made roll-over protection for construction equipment. Harlan was not new to manufacturing, nor was he new to sales. He saw a need for a better-than-average-quality trailer to haul construction equipment and filled that need with Towmaster brand trailers.
Harlan knew the company wouldn't grow very large if he had to sell trailers to end-users, so he started working on a distribution network by selling to construction equipment dealers. This allowed him to grow the company, at that time called Palm Sales, and grow the product line.
Harlan also saw a need to be filled in the rental industry as more and more equipment rental businesses were popping up. Towmaster expanded into this area as it was a perfect fit for them. While the trailers had been manufactured on Harlan's farm place, it had outgrown the plant and in 1994, Towmaster moved its production to Litchfield, Minnesota. It has been a manufacturing pillar in the community since then.
In 2008, as the recession was just beginning, trailer sales were dropping as the housing market was declining. This was no time to sit idle, and Towmaster made the decision with help from its employees to produce plow trucks for municipalities and departments of transportations all over the state of Minnesota. It was an investment that helped get the company through the diminishing trailer sales and catapult it to the next level. As the economy started to recover, Towmaster was poised to grow in both truck equipment and trailer sales.
Last year, Towmaster was sold to Monroe Truck Equipment out of Monroe, Wisconsin, but it retains its manufacturing facility and employees in Litchfield.
In 2018, Towmaster celebrates 40 years in manufacturing and selling flatbed equipment trailers, and 10 years in manufacturing and selling truck equipment. It has been a Made in Meeker business since its inception and continues to this day.
As you drive around the country, you'll see Towmaster trailers of all sizes hauling equipment, and some trailers still in use are over 20 years old. In Minnesota, you'll see Towmaster trucks plowing snow in the winter and hauling materials and debris in the summer. Look for the Towmaster logo and pay attention to the quality and workmanship of every Towmaster truck or trailer produced.
