Gray Manufacturing
Gray Manufacturing is a fourth-generation, family-owned manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicle lifting equipment — wireless portable lifts, mobile column lifts, floor jacks, and transmission jacks — serving U.S. military, private fleets, and professional repair shops through a 500+ distributor network across all 50 states and internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1952
- HeadquartersSaint Joseph, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Gray Manufacturing does
Gray Manufacturing Company, Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned American manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicle lifting and service equipment headquartered in St. Joseph, Missouri. Founded in 1952 by J.H. Gray and Joe Gray around the BF-100 pneumatic bumper jack, the company has expanded into a comprehensive product portfolio that includes mobile column lifts, roll-around lifts, floor jacks, transmission jacks, component handlers, vehicle support stands, wheel handling systems, and oil filter crushers, all manufactured in-house at a vertically integrated 225-employee facility.
Its flagship technology is the Wireless Portable Lift System (WPLS), a heavy-duty lift with 28,000-112,000 pound capacity that uses proprietary coordinated wireless radio frequency signaling to eliminate power cords in shop environments. The WPLS line generates an estimated $35-45 million in annual revenue and accounts for 40% of manufacturing capacity. Gray protects this technology with over 25 patents spanning U.S. and Canadian filings, and licenses the wireless mobile column lift IP to competitors including SEFAC (settled 2021) and MIT Group/Maxima (settled 2019), supporting an approximately 90% U.S. market share in wireless portable lift systems.
The company sells almost exclusively through authorized distributors — over 500 locations across all 50 U.S. states plus a wholly-owned Gray Canada subsidiary and international partners in Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, India, UK/Europe, and South America. A long-standing GSA contract provides direct procurement access for U.S. Military and government customers, and the company is ISO 9001 certified, ALI certified, and ASME PASE-2014 compliant. Three primary customer segments are explicitly served: U.S. Military and government entities, private fleet operators, and professional automotive/truck repair shops. Pricing is quote-based and premium, anchored on lowest total cost of ownership, with customers reporting 40+ year product lifespans and a less than 1% return rate on the company's 'try it before you buy it' sales approach.
Gray Manufacturing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gray Manufacturing
- Legal name
- Gray Manufacturing Company, Inc.
- Website
- https://grayusa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1952
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Gray Manufacturing is a fourth-generation, family-owned manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicle lifting equipment — wireless portable lifts, mobile column lifts, floor jacks, and transmission jacks — serving U.S. military, private fleets, and professional repair shops through a 500+ distributor network across all 50 states and internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gray Manufacturing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Heavy-Duty Vehicle Lifting and Shop Service Equipment
- NAICS
- Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing (333924)
- SIC
- Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hoists (Electric, Manual & Pneumatic) (IMAHAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Lifting Attachments & Material Handling Accessories (Fork Attachments, Slings, Rigging) (IMAHABAJ), Loading/Unloading & Transfer Equipment (Telescopic Conveyors, Loaders, Tipplers) (IMAHABAI)
Keywords
Where Gray Manufacturing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Joseph
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gray Manufacturing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Heavy-Duty Lifting Equipment Sales: Gray Manufacturing generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of professional lifting equipment including wireless portable lift systems, air jacks, floor jacks, transmission jacks, mobile column lifts, and component handlers. The WPLS product line alone generates $35-45 million in annual revenue and represents 40% of manufacturing capacity.
- Patent Licensing: Gray Manufacturing licenses its wireless mobile column lift patents to competitors, contributing to approximately 90% market share in the U.S. market for wireless lift technology.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Heavy-duty lifting equipment - quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Gray Manufacturing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gray Manufacturing designs, engineers, and manufactures heavy-duty vehicle lifting and shop service equipment for the automotive, truck, and service vehicle industries. Its product portfolio spans wireless portable lift systems (WPLS) and mobile column lifts with 28,000–112,000 lb capacities, plus air jacks, floor jacks, transmission jacks, component jacks, wheel handlers, roll-around lifts, vehicle support stands, and rolling test lane systems. The company holds more than 25 patents on its coordinated wireless lift technology, manufactures in-house at a vertically integrated 225-employee St. Joseph, Missouri facility, and distributes products through a network of 500+ authorized distributors across the U.S. and international partners in Canada, Mexico, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, India, and Central/South America.
Product overview
Gray Manufacturing offers a comprehensive portfolio of heavy-duty vehicle lifting and service equipment for the automotive, truck, and service vehicle industries. The company's flagship product is the Wireless Portable Lift System (WPLS), a patented wireless heavy-duty lift system with 28,000–112,000 pound capacity that dominates approximately 90% of the U.S. market. The product line also includes mobile column lifts (CLMM, CML, MP, NLG series), roll-around lifts (RTL-80A), floor jacks (FSJ series including the FSJ-60C 3-ton professional floor jack), transmission jacks (HTJ series), component jacks, wheel lift systems, truck service lifts, bottle jacks, vehicle support stands, oil filter crushers, and air-powered fluid handlers. Products are manufactured in-house at Gray's 225-employee St. Joseph, Missouri facility using vertical manufacturing processes. The company holds over 25 patents on its wireless lift technology and licenses the technology to competitors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gray Man: Company mascot character embodying the mission and characteristics of Gray Manufacturing equipment - strong, trustworthy and always there when needed. Features in marketing materials and trade shows.
Products and services
- Wireless Portable Lift System (WPLS) Heavy-duty wireless vehicle lift system with 28,000–112,000 lb capacity that eliminates power cords through proprietary coordinated wireless technology and selectable RF channels. Includes WPLS-50B, WPLS-125EXB, WPLS-140, WPLS-190, and WPLS-190W variants; ALI-certified; flagship product generating $35–45M in annual revenue (~40% of manufacturing capacity) and leading the U.S. wireless lift market.
- Mobile Column Lifts (CLMM, CML, MP, NLG Series) Family of mobile column lifts for heavy-duty vehicle service, repair, and fleet maintenance. Models include the CLMM, CML, MP-800-014, MP-800-018, NLG140B, NLG190B, NLG125EXB, and NLG190WB variants, all covered by Gray's coordinated wireless mobile column lift patent portfolio (US7219770, US9352944, US9656843, US10486950). Sold to professional repair shops, private fleets, and government/military maintenance facilities via distributors.
- RTL-80A Roll-Around Lift Roll-around vehicle lift for heavy-duty truck service applications, protected by U.S. Patent No. 11,401,142 for its rolling test lane system design. Featured in Gray's product demonstration video content for the RTL-80.
- FSJ-60C Professional 3-Ton Floor Jack Professional 3-ton capacity floor jack designed for heavy-duty truck service environments; built to meet or exceed ASME PASE-2014 standards. Featured at MATS as part of Gray's professional-grade floor jack line.
- HTJ Series Heavy-Duty Transmission Jacks (HTJ-1000) Heavy-duty transmission jack (e.g., HTJ-1000) for truck service operations. Customers including Coleman Taylor Transmissions have continuously used the HTJ-1000 in their shops for over 40 years, citing it as the best in quality and value; Reliable Chevrolet has used Gray high-rise transmission jacks for over 40 years as well.
- Air End Lift Jack (BF-100) Pneumatic bumper jack / air end lift jack (BF-100) – the original Gray product that co-founders J.H. Gray and Joe Gray designed and built when they founded the company in 1952. Established Gray Manufacturing in automotive repair and tire shop applications, and continues to be part of the portfolio.
- WH-600 Wheel Handler Heavy-duty wheel handling equipment for professional repair shops, designed for ease of use in handling large heavy-duty vehicle wheels during service. Featured in Gray's product demonstration video content for the WH-600.
- Vehicle Support Stands and Shop Service Equipment Comprehensive range of heavy-duty shop service equipment including vehicle support stands (jack stands), truck lifts, component jacks, wheel lifts, oil filter crushers, and air-powered fluid handlers. Supports automotive, truck, and service vehicle maintenance operations across dealerships, fleets, military, and independent shops.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40+ year product service life reported by customers (Reliable Chevrolet transmission jacks, Coleman Taylor Transmissions)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Gray Manufacturing
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Gray Manufacturing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Gray Manufacturing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- SEFAC USA, Inc. / SEFAC S.A.coreSEFAC, a French company and its U.S. subsidiary, licensed Gray's wireless mobile column lift patents including U.S. Patent Nos. RE41,554; 7,014,012; 7,219,770; 9,334,145; 9,352,944; 9,593,000; 9,656,843; 10,059,576; 10,214,403; and 10,457,536, as well as Canadian Patent No. 2,406,340. SEFAC admitted to validity and enforceability of Gray patents and agreed to pay royalties for prior and future sales of wireless mobile column lifts.
- Service De Freins Montréal Ltée (Freno)minorCanadian distributor settled lawsuit, admitted SEFAC wireless lifts violated Gray's Canadian Patent No. 2,406,340, recognized validity and enforceability of Gray's patent, and agreed to stop marketing or selling SEFAC wireless mobile column lifts in Canada.
- Vehicle Service Group, LLC (VSG)majorVSG and Gray entered an agreement to mutually recognize validity and enforceability of eleven (11) collectively held US patents. Through mutual licensing agreements, both companies can continue bringing advanced lifting systems to customers without patent blacklist holders.
- MIT Group / MaximaminorSettlement of patent infringement lawsuit where MIT Group (Maxima brand) agreed not to contest validity and enforceability of Gray's U.S. Patent Nos. RE41,554, 7,014,012, and 7,219,770 related to wireless lifting devices, and agreed not to infringe the patents.
- ARS Global Guiding, Inc.minorResolved patent infringement lawsuit filed in 2012 against ARS Global Guiding, Inc. and related defendants including Maxima USA and Chinese companies Yantai Maxima and Yantai Bantam.
- Various Wireless Lift LicenseescoreGray Manufacturing licenses its wireless portable lift system technology to competitors, giving it approximately 90% of the U.S. market for wireless lift systems.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Gray Manufacturing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SEFAC: French manufacturer of heavy-duty mobile column lifts and wireless lifting systems. Direct competitor that licensed Gray's patents in 2021 and pays royalties, making it the most directly comparable peer in product and technology.
- Stertil-Koni: Dutch-headquartered manufacturer of heavy-duty mobile column lifts and wireless lifting systems. Direct competitor to Gray's WPLS in the heavy-duty truck service market across North America and Europe.
- BendPak: U.S. manufacturer of vehicle lifts, mobile column lifts, and shop equipment. Competes directly with Gray in the heavy-duty and automotive lift categories through similar channel and product positioning.
- Challenger Lifts: U.S. manufacturer of vehicle lifts, including heavy-duty and mobile column lifts. Direct competitor to Gray in professional repair shops, dealerships, and fleet service facilities.
- Mohawk Lifts: Family-owned U.S. manufacturer of vehicle lifts, including heavy-duty mobile column lifts and truck lifts. Directly comparable niche player competing with Gray in the heavy-duty vehicle service market.
- MAHA USA: Subsidiary of German MAHA Group, offering heavy-duty vehicle testing and lifting equipment including mobile column lifts. Direct competitor in heavy-duty fleet service and government/military markets.
- Nussbaum USA: German-based manufacturer of vehicle lifts including mobile column lifts for heavy-duty trucks. Competes with Gray's WPLS technology through parallel wireless column lift systems in North America.
Broad incumbents
- Vehicle Service Group (VSG): Division of Dover Corporation that owns Rotary, Chief, Forward, and other vehicle lift brands. Mutual patent licensing partner with Gray and the broadest incumbent in vehicle lifting equipment across automotive and heavy-duty segments.
- Rotary Lift: Heritage vehicle lift brand owned by VSG (Dover). Competes with Gray across heavy-duty and light-duty vehicle lift categories with a broader product portfolio and dealer network.
Emerging players
- ARI-Hetra: U.S. manufacturer of heavy-duty mobile column lifts for commercial vehicle service. Smaller direct competitor focused on heavy-duty trucking segment where Gray's WPLS dominates.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gray Manufacturing social profiles
Digital presenceGray Manufacturing compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Gray Manufacturing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gray Manufacturing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Gray Manufacturing subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Gray Manufacturing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gray Manufacturing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gray Manufacturing
What does Gray Manufacturing do?
Gray Manufacturing designs, engineers, and manufactures heavy-duty vehicle lifting and shop service equipment for the automotive, truck, and service vehicle industries. Its product portfolio spans wireless portable lift systems (WPLS) and mobile column lifts with 28,000–112,000 lb capacities, plus air jacks, floor jacks, transmission jacks, component jacks, wheel handlers, roll-around lifts, vehicle support stands, and rolling test lane systems. The company holds more than 25 patents on its coordinated wireless lift technology, manufactures in-house at a vertically integrated 225-employee St. Joseph, Missouri facility, and distributes products through a network of 500+ authorized distributors across the U.S. and international partners in Canada, Mexico, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, India, and Central/South America.
Is Gray Manufacturing a public or private company?
Gray Manufacturing is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Gray Manufacturing founded?
Gray Manufacturing was founded in 1952. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Gray Manufacturing based?
Gray Manufacturing is headquartered in Saint Joseph, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gray Manufacturing make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Heavy-Duty Lifting Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are patent Licensing.
Who are Gray Manufacturing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SEFAC, Stertil-Koni, BendPak, Challenger Lifts, Mohawk Lifts, MAHA USA and Nussbaum USA. Broad incumbents are Vehicle Service Group (VSG) and Rotary Lift. ARI-Hetra is listed as an emerging player.
Does Gray Manufacturing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gray Manufacturing.
What industry is Gray Manufacturing in?
Gray Manufacturing's product category is Heavy-Duty Vehicle Lifting and Shop Service Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAJAG, Hoists (Electric, Manual & Pneumatic), with a secondary code of IMAHABAJ, Lifting Attachments & Material Handling Accessories (Fork Attachments, Slings, Rigging). Its NAICS code is 333924 and its SIC code is 3537.