Despite an Arctic Blast holding daytime temperatures in the teens, Smeal Fire Apparatus demonstrated they are hot in the fire truck business, particularly in the aerial market.
Smeal hosted a product and technology showcase Thursday at their main plant in Snyder, NE, attended by more than 130 firefighters and dealers from all over the country. Firehouse was there to see the innovation and to meet and greet the new management team that’s helping the 50-year-old company grow into the next phase.
Within the last year, Smeal Fire Apparatus has acquired US Tanker (UST), picked up the assets of Ladder Tower Incorporated (LTI) and renamed the line Ladder Tower Company (LTC). They have a new president, Mark Huber, and new top management staff.
“We now have the largest selection of aerial products in the world,” Huber said. “And we have the source DNA for most all of the steel aerials built in the United States.”
That’s what the company wants the world to know and why they held the daylong event, which featured product demonstrations, plant tours and presentations by some of the key management staff.
“We want you to get to know our products, who we are and our people,” Huber said. “We build respect.”
He said eight weeks ago, the showcase event was nothing more than a dream and within that short amount of time, they put it together and invited people to their main facilities in northeastern Nebraska. And the people came.
“This is evidence that we do what we say,” Huber said.
Smeal’s mission is “pretty simple,” Huber said, adding that it entails quality products, excellent customer service and reasonable profitability to ensure the company stays in business to serve the firefighting nation.
“We want to build a product that you are going to be safe using and we are proud to make,” Huber said.
Captain Buddy Caldwell, of the Charlotte, NC, Fire Department said his department started doing business with Smeal in 2000 and they are just about to sign their third five-year contract with the company for their apparatus.
Caldwell said Charlotte has 60 engines and 20 aerials built by Smeal and every one of them has been an asset to the city and its firefighters.
“They have been really good and they’re very reliable,” Caldwell said.
He added the city has about 400 calls daily and Smeal makes every apparatus in their fleet. Some apparatus go out on more than 5,000 calls annually.
“The guys really like them and they hold up well,” Caldwell said of the Smeal rigs.
For Fire Chief Scott Cordes of the Norfolk, NE, Fire Department, doing business with Smeal is personal.
As chief of a small city about 50 miles west of Smeal’s main headquarters, Cordes said it’s his job to hire good people for his department and purchase good equipment for them to do their work.
Smeal is there for the good equipment part, he said.
“I know the people building the trucks,” Cordes said. “I know the people putting them together. To me, it’s personal. The people at Smeal have earned my respect to do business with me.”
Look for more about Smeal and its showcase event on Firehouse.com soon.
