What Link Manufacturing does

Link Manufacturing, Ltd., founded in 1980 and headquartered in Sioux Center, Iowa, designs and manufactures commercial vehicle suspension systems for Class 7 and 8 trucks and trailers. The company's product portfolio spans six categories: Road Optimized Innovations (the semi-active ROI Cabmate cab suspension and SmartValve electronic height control valve), Cab Suspensions (Cabmate, the flagship brand with over 2 million units produced since 1980), Auxiliary Suspensions (steerable, non-steerable, and 6x2 liftable axles), Chassis Suspensions (Air Link, Air Link Redline, RespondAir, UltraRide), mechanical Height Control Valves, and Loading Ramps and Specialty Products. Core technology is mechanical and electromechanical: patented air-over-walking-beam suspension, semi-active damping algorithms that adjust shock absorber stiffness from real-time sensor inputs, integrated electronic height control with CAN bus connectivity, patented Swift Mount installation brackets, and the Link-KOAT self-healing metal coating. Engineering and validation are anchored by a 10,000-square-foot Applied Technologies Center featuring a 360-ton inertial mass bedplate and 6-axis cab ride simulator in Sioux Center, with an additional Suspension Controls Engineering Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The company operates a hybrid OEM-embedded and aftermarket go-to-market model. As an OEM supplier, Link is embedded into every major on-highway truck manufacturer, with PACCAR (Kenworth, Peterbilt, DAF) as its anchor customer and ten consecutive years of Supplier Performance Management Leader recognition. Volvo, Mack, and other OEMs round out the OEM book. A nationwide dealer network, wholly-owned Link Canada subsidiary, dedicated field sales and inside sales teams, and active trade show presence (IAA, NACV, TMC, NTEA, ATA MCE) support aftermarket parts distribution and fleet-direct sales. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of original equipment to OEMs and body builders, aftermarket replacement parts, and fleet technology upgrades (SmartValve and ROI Cabmate retrofits) targeting quantifiable outcomes — driver retention improvement of 15%, landing gear cranking time reduced from 3 minutes to 6 seconds, and avoided workers' compensation claims averaging $55,000 per drop-and-hook injury.

Name

Link Manufacturing

Legal name

Link Manufacturing, Ltd.

Website

https://linkmfg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Link Manufacturing designs and manufactures commercial vehicle suspension systems — including cab, chassis, auxiliary, and electronic height control products — for Class 7 and 8 truck OEMs, body builders, and fleet operators across North America, anchored by PACCAR OEM supply and a nationwide dealer aftermarket channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Vehicle Suspension Systems

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components (except Spring) Manufacturing (33633), Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (3363)

SIC

Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Truck Chassis, Axle, Suspension & Brake Systems Manufacturing (IMACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Suspension Systems & Components (Springs/Shocks/Struts/Air Suspension) (IMACAIAA), Aftermarket Suspension & Steering Components Manufacturing (Shocks/Struts/Bushings/Tie Rods) (IMACANAC)

Keywords

• Commercial vehicle suspensions
• Heavy duty truck parts
• Cab air suspensions
• Auxiliary lift axles
• Height control valves

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Center

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Original Equipment (OEM) Suspension Systems: Link manufactures and sells cab, chassis, auxiliary, and specialty suspensions directly to truck OEMs and body builders as original equipment. Products are engineered into new vehicle builds.
2. Aftermarket Parts and Replacement Components: Link sells replacement bushings, torque rods, height control valves, and other components through dealer and distributor networks for the installed base of Link products in the field.
3. Fleet Technology Upgrades (SmartValve, ROI Cabmate): Link supplies advanced suspension technologies (SmartValve, ROI Cabmate) to fleet operators for retrofit on existing vehicles, offering quantifiable outcomes in driver retention and injury reduction.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Link Manufacturing designs, engineers, and manufactures commercial vehicle suspension systems for Class 7 and 8 heavy-duty trucks. Its portfolio includes cab suspensions (Cabmate, ROI Cabmate), chassis suspensions (Air Link, Air Link Redline, RespondAir, UltraRide), auxiliary/lift axles, electronic and mechanical height control valves (SmartValve, 1500/650/600/500/450 series), loading ramps, and specialty products, sold as original equipment to truck OEMs and through a dealer/aftermarket network.

Product overview

Link Manufacturing is a commercial vehicle suspension systems manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of heavy-duty truck products organized into six main categories: Road Optimized Innovations (including the semi-active ROI Cabmate® and SmartValve® electronic height control systems), Cab Suspensions (Cabmate®), Auxiliary Suspensions (Steerable, Non-Steerable, and 6x2 Liftable Axle), Chassis Suspensions (Air Link®, Air Link® Redline, RespondAir®, UltraRide®), Height Control Valves (1500/650/600/500/450 Series), Loading Ramps (LSR90 Swivel, LB20, LB10, LT30, Portable), and Specialty Products (Air Ride Leveling Systems, Cat's Eye®, CL400, Easy Slider®, MSVS Trailer). The products serve diverse applications including on-highway, vocational, fire and rescue, off-highway, crane, defense, trailers, cargo, and transit/RV markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ROI Cabmate®: Semi-active cab suspension system with electronically controlled shocks reacting in real time to optimize ride comfort, improve cab stability, and reduce noise and vibration.
• Cabmate®
• Air Link®
• Air Link Redline®
• SmartValve®
• Link-KOAT®

Products and services

• ROI Cabmate Semi-active cab suspension system for Class 7 and 8 trucks that uses proprietary algorithms and real-time sensor-based electronic damping control to continuously adjust shock absorber stiffness, optimizing ride stability and comfort.
• SmartValve Electronic height control valve system that integrates a valve manifold, external sensor, and associated electronics into a single unit to adjust chassis suspension height during drop-and-hook operations.
• Cabmate Cab air suspension system for Class 7 and 8 trucks that isolates the cab from chassis vibrational forces to improve driver comfort and stability; in production since 1980 with over two million units produced.
• Air Link Air-over-walking-beam tandem drive suspension combining air spring technology with walking beams for high roll stability, superior traction, and smooth ride from empty to full load, available in 46,000 to 85,000 lb capacities.
• Air Link Redline Fire and rescue vehicle chassis suspension system rated between 46,000 and 52,000 pounds, engineered for emergency response applications requiring durability and operational reliability.
• RespondAir Chassis suspension system designed for vocational truck applications.
• UltraRide Chassis suspension system for commercial vehicle applications.
• Steerable Auxiliary Suspension Lift axle suspension with inbuilt caster angle that aligns passively with truck direction, available in 8K, 10K, 13.5K, and 20K capacities, with optional air disc brakes from Bendix.
• Non-Steerable Auxiliary Suspension Auxiliary lift axle that remains in-line with the truck body, available in 13K, 17K, and 20K capacities.
• 6x2 Liftable Axle Auxiliary suspension configuration that automatically raises or lowers based on load weight, providing fuel efficiency and reduced tire wear.
• 1500 Series Height Control Valve Mechanical height control valve for suspension air management.
• 650 Series Height Control Valve Mechanical height control valve for suspension systems.
• 600 Series Height Control Valve Mechanical height control valve for suspension systems.
• 500 Series Height Control Valve Mechanical height control valve for suspension systems.
• 450 Series Height Control Valve Mechanical height control valve for suspension systems.
• LSR90 Swivel Ramp Aluminum loading ramp with 180-degree swivel capability that stores inside behind the wheel well or positions outside the vehicle for unobstructed cargo access.
• LB20 Loading Ramp Aluminum loading ramp for mounted cargo loading applications.
• LB10 Side Door Ramp Side door loading ramp for commercial van and box truck applications.
• LT30 Extended Ramp Extended aluminum ramp for loading and handling needs.
• Portable Ramps Portable aluminum ramps for loading cargo and equipment.
• Air Ride Leveling Systems Electronic air ride leveling systems for vehicle height adjustment.
• Cat's Eye Specialty truck product for commercial vehicle applications.
• CL400 Specialty product for commercial vehicle applications.
• Easy Slider Specialty slider product for commercial vehicles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15% improvement in driver retention when SmartValve and ROI Cabmate adopted fleetwide
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• PACCAR (Kenworth, Peterbilt, DAF)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLink is a suspension system supplier to PACCAR for Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF truck brands. Link has been recognized as a PACCAR SPM Leader tier supplier for 10 consecutive years (2016–2026) through its comprehensive Supplier Performance Management program evaluating product development, operations, aftermarket support, and business alignment.
• VolvocoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGrowing OEM relationship with Volvo for supply of suspension systems. Mentioned as part of Link's strong relationships with every major on-highway vehicle OEM.
• Mack DefensestrategicOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLink Canada was awarded a military contract with Mack Defense for specialty trailers and tactical equipment supporting military operations. Expands Link's defense portfolio and international presence.
• Northwest Equipment SalesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional Mack truck dealer in Idaho (Northwest Equipment Sales) that recommended Link's Air Link suspension to Idaho Transportation Department and performed the retrofit installation. Key channel partner for dealer-driven sales in the Pacific Northwest.
• Northwest Iowa Community CollegeminorOthersLink and sister company Maintainer donated approximately $50,000 to support the newly remodeled welding lab at Northwestern Iowa Community College. Supports Link's talent pipeline for skilled welders.
• Dordt College and Northwestern CollegeminorOthersLink has developed scholarship programs and contributes annually to fundraising drives at Dordt College and Northwestern College near its Sioux Center headquarters, supporting engineering and technical education.
• New York State Department of TransportationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNY DOT regulation (DLN#14-01) requiring steerable lift axles on certain vehicles has created a compliance-driven demand channel for Link's 20K steerable lift axle products in New York State.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Link Manufacturing