Brown Industrial
Brown Industrial is a fourth-generation, family-owned manufacturer of custom trailers, truck bodies, and precision metal fabricated products serving B2B customers in the rendering, organic waste, oil filter recovery, recycling, and contract manufacturing markets from Botkins, Ohio.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1935
- HeadquartersBotkins, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Brown Industrial does
Brown Industrial Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned custom manufacturer of trailers, truck bodies, and metal fabricated products, headquartered in Botkins, Ohio. Founded in 1935 by Lawrence M. Brown as Brown Welding Shop and rebranded to Brown Industrial Inc. in 1992, the company has operated continuously for over 90 years. It sells primarily through direct sales to industrial B2B customers in the rendering, organic waste, oil filter recovery, and recycling industries via its WaBo sub-brand (trademarked 1967 and described as an industry leader for over 70 years), and operates a separate precision cutting and fabrication job shop serving external customers. The current operating entity is led by third-generation siblings Chris Brown (President) and Craig Brown (Vice President), with fourth-generation family members Tyler, Joshua, and Donovan Brown now full-time in the business.
The company's core manufacturing capability rests on a 135,000+ square foot production facility on over 10 acres in Botkins, equipped with five laser cutters (including Mitsubishi 10kw and 8kw fiber lasers with twin pallet systems), 60,000 PSI waterjet cutters, an extensive CNC press brake fleet (including a Bystronic Xpert Pro 352-ton with LAMS and a robotic press brake cell with Fanuc robot), two robotic welding cells plus two cobot welding cells, and finishing lines. The WaBo product portfolio spans bucket bodies and trailers, dead stock bodies, container-style grease bodies and trailers, dump trailers, front load non-compaction bodies, oil filter bodies and trailers, vacuum and combination bodies, and organic waste bodies and trailers, with aluminum and 409 stainless steel configurations. The job shop division, entered in 2000 with the first laser cutter, now represents a significant portion of annual sales and offers laser cutting, waterjet cutting, CNC forming, welding, finishing, and engineering services.
Brown Industrial generates revenue through three streams: one-time sales of custom WaBo equipment, precision cutting and fabrication services on a job-shop basis (prototypes through large production runs and complete assemblies), and ongoing parts and service support for the installed base. Pricing is quote-based given the custom nature of products, with dedicated sales contacts for fabrication (lasersales@), trailers and bodies (wabosales@), and parts (partsales@). The company employs approximately 50 people, operates exclusively in the United States, and has no outside ownership, no external investors, no parent company, and no disclosed external funding.
Brown Industrial firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brown Industrial
- Legal name
- Brown Industrial Inc.
- Website
- https://brownindustrial.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1935
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Brown Industrial is a fourth-generation, family-owned manufacturer of custom trailers, truck bodies, and precision metal fabricated products serving B2B customers in the rendering, organic waste, oil filter recovery, recycling, and contract manufacturing markets from Botkins, Ohio.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brown Industrial industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom industrial truck body and trailer manufacturing
- NAICS
- Truck Trailer Manufacturing (336212), Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (33621)
- SIC
- Truck & Bus Bodies (3713), Truck Trailers (3715)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Truck Body & Upfit Manufacturing (Box/Dump/Service/Refuse) (IMACAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Truck Body & Upfitting Manufacturing (Box Bodies/Service Bodies/Cranes/Liftgates) (IMACABAI), Specialty Truck Manufacturing (Fire/Rescue/Military-Commercial/Expedition) (IMACABAG)
Keywords
Where Brown Industrial is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Botkins
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Brown Industrial business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- WaBo Trailers and Bodies Sales: Custom design, manufacture, and sale of trailers and truck bodies for the rendering, organic waste, oil filter recovery, recycling, and specialty equipment markets. Products include bucket bodies, dead stock bodies, container style grease bodies, dump trailers, front load non-compaction bodies, oil filter bodies, vacuum/combination bodies, and organic waste bodies. Revenue is one-time equipment sales with ongoing parts and service support.
- Precision Cutting and Fabrication Services: Job shop services including laser cutting, waterjet cutting, CNC bending, rolling, welding, and finishing. Serves customers from prototypes to large production runs including complete assemblies. Also includes engineering services using AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor software. This market grew quickly after entering in 2000 and now represents a significant portion of annual sales.
- Parts and Service: Parts department with extensive inventory for repair and maintenance of truck bodies and trailers. The company takes pride in helping customers when they need to repair equipment, providing timely service of quality parts to operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom equipment and fabrication services - no tiered pricing structure |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Brown Industrial product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brown Industrial designs and manufactures custom WaBo trailers and truck bodies for the rendering, organic waste, oil filter recovery, and recycling industries, and provides precision cutting and fabrication services (laser, waterjet, CNC, robotic welding) to industrial customers. The company operates as a full-service custom manufacturer from concept and engineering through final assembly and delivery.
Product overview
Brown Industrial is a fourth-generation family-owned manufacturing company offering two core product lines: (1) WaBo Trailers & Bodies, a comprehensive portfolio of custom-designed trailers and truck bodies including Bucket Bodies & Trailers, Dead Stock Bodies, Container Style Grease Bodies & Trailers, Dump Trailers, Front Load Non-Compaction Bodies, Oil Filter Bodies & Trailers, Vacuum & Combination Bodies & Trailers, and Organic Waste Bodies & Trailers—all serving the rendering, organic waste, oil filter recovery, recycling, and emerging industries; and (2) Precision Cutting & Fabrication services encompassing laser cutting (Mitsubishi fiber lasers), waterjet cutting, CNC bending/forming, rolling, welding (robotic and manual), finishing, and inspection services. The company operates a 135,000 square foot manufacturing facility and also provides service & repair parts support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- WaBo: Industry-Leading Custom Designers and Manufacturers of Trailers and Truck Bodies for the Rendering, Organic Waste, Oil Filter Recovery, Recycling, and Emerging Industries. The WaBo line includes bucket bodies, dead stock bodies, container style grease bodies, dump trailers, front load non-compaction bodies, oil filter bodies and trailers, vacuum and combination bodies and trailers, and organic waste bodies and trailers.
Products and services
- WaBo Custom Trailers and Truck Bodies Custom-engineered trailers and truck bodies built to the operating requirements of rendering plants, organic waste haulers, oil filter recovery fleets, and recycling operators. Equipment is designed for heavy-duty, high-volume material handling and is manufactured in-house at the Botkins, Ohio facility.
- Precision Cutting and Fabrication Services Contract metal cutting and fabrication services including laser cutting, waterjet cutting, CNC machining, and robotic welding for industrial buyers, OEMs, and job shops needing tight-tolerance components and assemblies.
- Custom Engineering and Design Services In-house engineering and design services that translate customer requirements into custom vehicle and fabrication solutions, integrated with the company's manufacturing operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Industry leader for over 70 years in custom trailers and bodies for rendering industry
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Brown Industrial
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Brown Industrial technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Brown Industrial partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Brown Industrial competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- New Way Trucks: Manufacturer of rear- and front-load refuse collection trucks. Comparable as a custom body builder serving waste-hauler fleets, with overlap on front load and specialty body categories.
- Heil Environmental (a Heil brand): Long-established manufacturer of refuse collection truck bodies, front- and rear-loaders, and related specialty bodies. Direct competitor in the waste-handling body market that overlaps with Brown Industrial's front load non-compaction, dead stock, and organic waste bodies.
- MAC Trailer Manufacturing: Family-owned manufacturer of aluminum and steel dump trailers, flatbeds, and transfer trailers. Comparable as a custom-engineered commercial trailer builder competing for fleet trailer purchases.
- McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing: Designer and manufacturer of refuse, recycling, and concrete mixer truck bodies. Overlaps directly with Brown Industrial's waste and recycling body lines and shares the custom-engineered, fleet-focused commercial vehicle body business model.
- East Manufacturing: Family-owned manufacturer of dump trailers, dump bodies, and platform trailers for hauling applications. Directly comparable as a custom heavy-duty trailer and body builder serving fleets with engineered, configuration-rich products.
- Bridgeport Manufacturing: Manufacturer of custom truck bodies and specialty equipment for the waste, recycling, and industrial markets. Direct overlap with Brown Industrial's dead stock, organic waste, and container-style body lines.
- Labrie Environmental Group: Manufacturer of refuse and recycling collection vehicles, including side, front, and rear loaders. Direct competitor in the truck body market for organic waste, recycling, and rendering-adjacent collection fleets.
Broad incumbents
- Wabash National Corporation: Large publicly traded manufacturer of trailers and truck bodies, including dry vans, refrigerated trailers, and specialty vehicles. A broader incumbent competitor that addresses overlapping fleet buyer needs with much greater scale and capital.
- Wastequip: Diversified manufacturer of waste and recycling equipment including containers, compactors, and collection bodies. Comparable as a portfolio supplier to the same waste, recycling, and rendering-adjacent fleets that buy Brown Industrial's WaBo products.
Regional players
- Wittke Waste Equipment: Canadian manufacturer of waste handling equipment including front- and rear-load refuse bodies. Comparable product offering to Brown Industrial's waste and recycling bodies, primarily serving Canadian rather than U.S. fleets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Brown Industrial social profiles
Digital presenceBrown Industrial financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brown Industrial leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Brown Industrial funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brown Industrial 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 Brown Industrial
What does Brown Industrial do?
Brown Industrial designs and manufactures custom WaBo trailers and truck bodies for the rendering, organic waste, oil filter recovery, and recycling industries, and provides precision cutting and fabrication services (laser, waterjet, CNC, robotic welding) to industrial customers. The company operates as a full-service custom manufacturer from concept and engineering through final assembly and delivery.
Is Brown Industrial a public or private company?
Brown Industrial is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Brown Industrial founded?
Brown Industrial was founded in 1935. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Brown Industrial based?
Brown Industrial is headquartered in Botkins, United States, in the North America region.
How does Brown Industrial make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. WaBo Trailers and Bodies Sales are the primary driver. The others are precision Cutting and Fabrication Services and parts and Service.
Who are Brown Industrial's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are New Way Trucks, Heil Environmental (a Heil brand), MAC Trailer Manufacturing, McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing, East Manufacturing, Bridgeport Manufacturing and Labrie Environmental Group. Broad incumbents are Wabash National Corporation and Wastequip. Wittke Waste Equipment is listed as a regional player.
Does Brown Industrial have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brown Industrial.
What industry is Brown Industrial in?
Brown Industrial's product category is Custom industrial truck body and trailer manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAGAC, Truck Body & Upfit Manufacturing (Box/Dump/Service/Refuse), with a secondary code of IMACABAI, Truck Body & Upfitting Manufacturing (Box Bodies/Service Bodies/Cranes/Liftgates). Its NAICS code is 336212 and its SIC code is 3713.