Thieman Tailgates

What Thieman Tailgates does

Thieman Tailgates, Inc. is a privately held US manufacturer of hydraulic liftgates for light, medium, and heavy-duty commercial trucks and trailers, headquartered and producing out of a single facility at 600 East Wayne Street, Celina, Ohio. The company markets a full line of nine product series covering lifting capacities from 1,000 to 6,600 lbs, including Stowaway, Conventional, Heavy Duty Railgate, Heavy Duty Bottle Gas Railgate, Medium Duty Railgate, Side Loader, Toplifter, and Pickup/Service Body liftgates, plus a Pump Parts replacement category. Core technology centers on 12-volt DC electric hydraulic power units, cable-and-pulley lift mechanisms with cable brakes, self-lubricating Teflon bearings at pivot points, high-strength extruded aluminum platforms, and dual-cylinder lift mechanisms; customization to specific customer requirements is described as a long-standing capability.

The company generates revenue primarily through hardware sales of liftgates, replacement pump parts, and accessory kits (remote pendants, light kits, cab shut-off switches, battery boxes, dock bumpers, platform options) priced on a quote basis. Go-to-market is B2B and primarily indirect, executed through a network of stocking distributors across the United States with direct factory sales and technical support available via phone (800-524-5210) and email. Customers are commercial truck and trailer fleet operators, OEM and aftermarket truck body and trailer manufacturers, and specialty vehicle applications such as pickup trucks and service bodies; revenue is reported as not publicly disclosed, the firm operates with 51–100 employees, and no parent company, subsidiaries, or outside investors are mentioned in available materials.

Name

Thieman Tailgates

Legal name

Thieman Tailgates, Inc.

Website

https://thiemantailgates.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Thieman Tailgates is a privately held Ohio manufacturer of hydraulic liftgates for light, medium, and heavy-duty commercial trucks and trailers, selling through US stocking distributors and direct factory sales to fleet operators, truck body builders, and specialty vehicle applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Vehicle Hydraulic Liftgates

NAICS

Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing (333924)

SIC

Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Loading/Unloading & Transfer Equipment (Telescopic Conveyors, Loaders, Tipplers) (IMAHABAI)

Keywords

• Hydraulic liftgates
• Truck liftgates
• Trailer liftgates
• Commercial liftgate manufacturer
• Cargo handling equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Celina

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hydraulic Lift Gate Sales: Manufacture and sale of hydraulic lift gates for commercial trucks and trailers across multiple series including Stowaway, Conventional, Heavy Duty Railgate, Medium Duty Railgate, Side Loader, Toplifter, and Pickup/Service Body categories with lifting capacities ranging from 1,000 to 6,600 lbs
2. Pump Parts and Components: Sale of replacement pump parts and components for hydraulic lift gate systems
3. Kits and Options: Sale of accessories and add-on kits including remote control pendants, light kits, cab shut-off switches, battery boxes, dock bumpers, and platform options

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Thieman Tailgates, Inc. manufactures and sells hydraulic liftgates for light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks and trailers. The product portfolio spans nine categories — Stowaway, Conventional, Heavy Duty Railgate, Heavy Duty Bottle Gas Railgate, Medium Duty Railgate, Side Loader, Toplifter, and Pickup/Service Body liftgates — with lifting capacities from 1,000 to 6,600 lbs. The company also supplies replacement pump parts and add-on kits/options for its liftgate lines.

Product overview

Thieman Tailgates is a manufacturer of hydraulic liftgates for light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks and trailers. The company offers a comprehensive product portfolio organized into nine product lines: Stowaway Liftgates (M-Series, MDC-Series, MLB-Series, LRST), Conventional Liftgates (TWL, WT series), Heavy Duty Railgates (VL, TDR series), Heavy Duty Bottle Gas Railgates (VLBG, TDRBG series), Medium Duty Railgates (TVLR, AATVLR series), Side Loader Liftgates (SL series), Toplifter Liftgates (TT series), Pickup & Service Body Liftgates (TT 15), and Pump Parts. Lifting capacities range from 1000 lbs to 6600 lbs, serving various commercial delivery and cargo handling applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stowaway Liftgates Hydraulic liftgates that fold and store under the truck body at the rear of the vehicle. Includes M-Series, MDC-Series, MLB-Series, and LRST 40EST models with lifting capacities from 1,600 to 4,000 lbs, designed for fleet operators requiring tuck-under liftgate storage.
• Conventional Liftgates General-purpose conventional-style hydraulic liftgates for stake and van bodies, including TWL and WT series with dual cylinder lift mechanisms for maximum lifting stability.
• Heavy Duty Railgates Rail-type hydraulic liftgates engineered for handling heavy palletized or bulky loads, with platform sizes up to 90 inches wide by 72 inches deep. Includes VL and TDR series with lifting capacities from 3,000 to 6,600 lbs.
• Heavy Duty Bottle Gas Railgates Rail-type hydraulic liftgates equipped with automatic folding retention cages for transporting bottled gas cylinders. Includes VLBG and TDRBG series with automatic retention cage systems.
• Medium Duty Railgates Reliable, low-maintenance general-purpose rail-type hydraulic liftgates for van and stake bodies, cutaways, and step-vans. Includes TVLR and AATVLR series with lifting capacities from 1,000 to 2,000 lbs.
• Side Loader Liftgates Cost-effective side-loading hydraulic liftgates for both truck bodies and trailers, featuring high-strength extruded aluminum platforms with extended reach for loading without notching the truck body.
• Toplifter Liftgates Completely assembled compact hydraulic liftgate units for truck beds with enclosed lifting mechanisms. Includes TT series with dual cylinder direct lift (no chains or cables) and aluminum or steel platform options.
• Pickup & Service Body Liftgates Compact hydraulic liftgate units for pickup trucks and service bodies. Includes TT 15ET with two-piece bumper for frame-attached receivers and 1,500 lb lifting capacity.
• Pump Parts Replacement and repair parts for hydraulic pump units used in Thieman liftgates.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Dhollandia: European-headquartered liftgate manufacturer with North American distribution; competes directly with Thieman across column-lift and platform-lift categories for commercial trucks and trailers.
• Railgear: Specialty manufacturer of railgate-style liftgates for heavy-duty applications — closest niche peer to Thieman's Heavy Duty Railgate (VL/TDR 3,000–6,600 lb) line.
• Tommy Gate: Direct competitor manufacturing hydraulic liftgates for light and medium-duty trucks and trailers across a similar product taxonomy (folding, railgate, platform). Closest like-for-like peer to Thieman in the North American hydraulic liftgate market.
• Leyman Lift Gates: Hydraulic liftgate manufacturer focused on medium and heavy-duty applications with comparable product breadth — a direct niche peer competing for similar truck body and trailer OEM slots.
• Bär Cargolift: German manufacturer of tail lifts (rear-, side-, column-lift) for commercial vehicles with growing North American presence — directly competitive with Thieman's Side Loader and Conventional liftgates.
• Anthony Liftgates: Manufacturer of rail-type and platform-style hydraulic liftgates for medium and heavy-duty trucks and trailers, serving the same fleet and OEM customer base as Thieman.
• Maxon Lift: Major North American liftgate manufacturer offering tuck-under, railgate, and platform liftgates for light through heavy-duty applications — overlapping with virtually all of Thieman's product lines.
• Waltco Lift: Long-established competitor producing hydraulic and now electric liftgates across similar capacity ranges for truck body and trailer OEMs — directly competitive with Thieman's Railgate and Stowaway series.

Broad incumbents

• Palfinger: Global lifting solutions group with truck-mounted and material handling equipment that overlaps with Thieman's liftgate category, but operates at much larger scale across cranes, aerial platforms, and tail lifts.
• Hiab (Cargotec): Part of Cargotec, Hiab provides truck-mounted loader cranes and Moffett forklifts adjacent to liftgate functionality — a broader incumbent whose equipment competes for similar fleet/specification dollars.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/thiemantailgates
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/thiemantailgates
• Facebookfacebook.com/thiemantailgates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thieman-tailgates-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Thieman Tailgates