Perkins Manufacturing

What Perkins Manufacturing does

Perkins Manufacturing, Inc. is a second-generation, family-owned industrial manufacturer founded in 1973 and headquartered in the Chicago metropolitan area (Bolingbrook, Illinois). The company designs, manufactures, and assembles cart and container lifting equipment for the waste management industry, with a product portfolio of more than 70 SKUs organized into five principal lines: Lifters (including the proprietary TuckAway® series using sweeping-arc rotary actuators and WideFoot models), Satellite Products (SAT 3, 6, and 8 yard pickup-mounted collection units), Automated Systems (PC2020, PT8200 Graboxx, and the PAS Automated Sideloader for converting commercial front-loaders into residential collection vehicles), Cane Products (EC200 and GC300), and Industrial Lifters/Other Products (dumpers, Tap-In Kits, and the patented Locker hydraulic lock). All products are Made in the USA and the company has held ISO 9001 certification since 2005, the only cart lifter manufacturer to do so.

The company monetizes through direct hardware sales of capital equipment and aftermarket replacement parts. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated through three regional sales managers covering defined US territories (Western, Southern/Northeastern, International/Midwest) plus a dedicated Fleet Sales Specialist for multi-truck orders. Distribution extends internationally via dealers across six continents (North America, Europe, South America, Africa, Far East, Australia), supported by dedicated regional managers and an International/Midwest sales role covering Africa, Asia, Canada, Central America, Europe, Mexico, South America, Alaska, Hawaii, and five Midwestern US states. Perkins holds over 20 issued and pending patents covering its core mechanical innovations, and is led by Cheryl Hoppe Waite as President/CEO.

End customers are predominantly enterprise waste haulers (municipal and commercial), with documented use cases spanning hospitals, universities, casinos, paper shredding companies, and food-waste/organics collection operators. The company's GTM is enterprise field sales rather than digital or self-serve, with marketing limited to product literature, brochures, helpful videos, and a product-focused website. Recent product evolution has shifted from purely mechanical lifters toward higher-value automated sideload and front-load conversion systems, reflecting an effort to expand per-truck revenue and move up the value chain within the refuse fleet ecosystem.

Name

Perkins Manufacturing

Legal name

Perkins Manufacturing, Inc.

Website

https://perkinsmfg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Collection Equipment

NAICS

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

SIC

Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifting Attachments & Material Handling Accessories (Fork Attachments, Slings, Rigging) (IMAHABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lifting Accessories & Rigging (Slings, Shackles, Hooks, Spreaders) (IMAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Cart lifting equipment
• Waste collection hardware
• Automated refuse systems
• Satellite waste collection
• Industrial container lifters

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolingbrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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. Product Sales: Sale of cart lifters, industrial lifters, cane products, satellite collection units, automated systems, and accessories. Products are sold directly through regional sales managers and indirectly through dealers.
2. Replacement Parts: Individual replacement parts manufactured for all products, ordered through customer service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Perkins Manufacturing designs and builds mechanical and automated cart-lifting devices, satellite waste collection units, and refuse-handling equipment used primarily by waste haulers and specialized commercial facilities. The company manufactures the TuckAway line of cart lifters, industrial and WideFoot lifter variants, satellite collection units (SAT series), and a Pull Automated System (PAS) for automated side-loading residential collection. Products are built in the company's Bolingbrook, Illinois facility and sold through a direct regional sales team plus international dealers.

Product overview

Perkins Manufacturing is a second-generation family-owned business established in 1973 that manufactures commercial and residential waste collection products. The product portfolio is organized into distinct product lines: Lifters (including the signature TuckAway® cart lifters with rotary and cylinder actuators, WideFoot models, and European-style cart lifters), Satellite Products (SAT 3, SAT 6, and SAT 8 units for remote collection), Automated Systems (PC2020, PT8200 Graboxx, and PAS Automated Sideloader for converting commercial trucks to automated residential collection), Cane Products (EC200 and GC300 cane lifters for various cart types), Industrial Lifters (dock side dumpers, stationary units), and accessories (Tap-In Kits, Sweep Lid Options, Locker Model). All products are designed, manufactured, and assembled in the United States, with the company holding ISO 9001 certification since 2005 and over 20 issued and pending patents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TuckAway Cart Lifter (D6220)
• Industrial Lifter D6740XS (European Series)
• Industrial Lifter D6745XS (Combo Series)
• Industrial Lifter D6795 (Half-TuckAway)
• WideFoot Lifter WD6080cb-27k
• WideFoot Lifter WD6220
• Standard Lifter D6405
• Standard Lifter D6500
• Standard Lifter D6510
• Standard Lifter D6515
• Standard Lifter D6260-57
• EC200 Lifter
• D7510 Lifter
• PAS (Pull Automated System)
• Satellite Collection Unit SAT 3
• Satellite Collection Unit SAT 6
• Satellite Collection Unit SAT 8
• Food Waste Satellite
• PT8200 Graboxx
• PC2020 Cart Caddy
• Patented Locker Cane Storage System
• Replacement Parts and Accessories

Quantifiable outcome

• ISO 9001 certification reduces costs by minimizing waste and errors and increasing productivity
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Heil (EnviroTech / Heil Co.): Heil is one of the largest North American manufacturers of refuse collection vehicle bodies and integrated lift systems, including front-load, rear-load, and side-load trucks. It is comparable to Perkins as a major refuse equipment manufacturer with overlapping lifter/hoist product lines, though Heil operates at significantly greater scale and integrates chassis-level systems rather than purely aftermarket lifters.
• McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing (Oshkosh): McNeilus, an Oshkosh Corporation subsidiary, is a leading manufacturer of refuse collection vehicles including front-load, rear-load, side-load, and automated trucks. Like Heil, it competes with Perkins at the OEM chassis level, though Perkins competes mainly via aftermarket and retrofitted lifter systems on commercial trucks.

Direct peers

• Labrie Enviroquip Group: Labrie is a major manufacturer of refuse and recycling collection vehicles with a strong focus on side-loaders, automated systems, and recycling trucks. It is one of the most direct competitors to Perkins in the cart lifter and automated side-loader space, particularly in North American municipal and private fleet markets.
• New Way Trucks: New Way is a manufacturer of rear-load, front-load, side-load, and satellite refuse collection vehicles. It competes directly with Perkins in the satellite collection unit (SAT) category and in cart lifter integration on refuse trucks, particularly for private haulers and municipalities seeking automated collection solutions.
• Bridgeport Manufacturing: Bridgeport is a manufacturer of refuse handling equipment including cart tippers, can crushers, and lifters used in transfer stations and recycling facilities. It is comparable to Perkins as a niche refuse equipment manufacturer serving waste haulers, though Bridgeport focuses more on stationary/transfer-station equipment while Perkins focuses on truck-mounted lifters.

Emerging players

• Curry Supply: Curry Supply manufactures a range of specialty truck equipment including service bodies, hoists, and refuse-related equipment. It overlaps with Perkins' industrial lifter and accessory product lines and serves similar commercial fleet customers, though at smaller scale and broader product breadth.
• Stellar Industries: Stellar manufactures hydraulic truck-mounted equipment including hooklift systems, cable lifters, and material handling attachments. It is comparable to Perkins in the lifting equipment category but addresses a broader vocational truck market beyond refuse collection, including construction and agriculture.
• Amrep (Hoists & Lift Equipment): Amrep manufactures refuse truck hoists and lifting equipment for the waste hauling industry. It directly competes with Perkins in the hydraulic lifter category for rear-load and front-load refuse trucks, though with a narrower product portfolio.
• Switch-N-Go: Switch-N-Go manufactures swap-body hoisting systems for work trucks that allow multiple bodies (including refuse collection bodies) to be interchanged on a single chassis. It overlaps with Perkins' hydra-flex / lifter technology and competes for similar vocational fleet customers seeking modular truck configurations.

Regional players

• Rugby Manufacturing: Rugby Manufacturing produces dump bodies, hoists, and refuse equipment primarily for the North American vocational truck market. It is comparable to Perkins as a niche refuse equipment manufacturer serving similar fleet customers, but operates at a broader product scope across construction and agricultural trucks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/perkinsmfg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/perkins-manufacturing

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Perkins Manufacturing