Legacy of Success

Aerial Lift & Equipment Brand Portfolio – Time Manufacturing Company

Aerial lift manufacturing company Time Manufacturing Company has grown to employ thousands of team members and has expanded operations across North America and Europe. The global expansion of Time Manufacturing Company is part of an ongoing global growth plan that has been implemented by company leadership.

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Aerial Lifts with Humble Beginnings

Aerial lifts built by Time Manufacturing Company brands have deep roots. In 1965, America was talking and the telephone and television industries were booming. During this time, telecommunication lines stretched from coast to coast, broadcasting the chatter of news, opinions and sports. Telephone and TV had captured a nation, and both industries were scrambling to fulfill the demand for more infrastructure. Through it all, line installation and repair technicians were working countless hours, tethered dangerously onto telephone and utility poles. Realizing the heavy physical demands on these line workers, Bill Blewett and Russell Howard, a mechanical engineer, agreed that there were opportunities to improve jobsite safety and efficiency for these technicians. With the guidance of their friend Charlie Turner, they designed and built their first small truck-mounted aerial lift, the V-24. The Blew-How Corporation, which is now named Versalift, had their first aerial lift, and the Palo Pinto County Telephone Company was their first customer.

  • Turner and Howard moved to Waco to create Time Manufacturing Company in 1968.

  • They built our current Waco, TX location in 1972, when aerial lift orders rapidly increased with the sale of 37 telecommunications units to the Michigan Bell Telephone Company.

  • In the late 1970s, Versalift’s customer base stretched globally as we introduced our product to the European market. Product lines, sales, and customer relationships continued to build, and in 1985, Time Export was established in Farso, Denmark.

  • In the 90s and 2000s, we continued our Europe expansion, developing Versalift UK, Time France, and Time Benelux.

  • During the same period, we were growing domestically, with the addition of regional distributors, beginning with Versalift East in Bethlehem, PA.

  • Since the 2010’s Versalift regional distribution hubs have grown to include Versalift Southeast, Versalift Southwest, Versalift Northwest and Versalift Midwest.

  • Additional business units include TRL Rents, which provides fleet rental services across the United States, and Utility Truck Trader, a full-service used equipment dealership

Although we have grown in both employee count and global reach, our mindset is still the same as that of our founders: to create solutions for our aerial lift customers.

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Aerial Lift Brands for North America – Time Manufacturing Company

The aerial lift brands of Time Manufacturing Company deliver a complete fleet solution for technicians who work at height to industries like telecommunications, electric utility, power transmission, tree care, sign & light and wind energy.  As a leading global manufacturer of vehicle-mounted aerial lifts, digger derricks, bucket trucks, and bridge inspection equipment, Time Manufacturing Company has grown its portfolio to include the best of what aerial lift engineering, sales and service can offer.

Aerial Lift Manufacturer – Versalift

The aerial lifts that adorn Versalift bucket trucks deliver the lowest true cost of ownership with smart, more reliable design. In addition to being lighter weight to handle more payload, customers rely on Versalift aerial lifts to have the lowest warranty rate with zero recalls. The Versalift distributor network is made of third-party and company-owned distributors including Versalift East, Versalift Southeast, Versalift Southwest, Versalift Midwest and Versalift Northwest and Versalift Forestry.

Truck Body Manufacturer – BrandFX

BrandFX builds truck bodies for truck-mounted aerial lifts using advanced composite materials that last decades, and is the industry’s lifecycle value leader. Lightweight work truck bodies benefit fleets with increased payload & strength. Fleets gain more payload capacity with fiberglass truck bodies, booms and buckets. BrandFX products include advanced composite service and line bodies, tonneau covers, work toppers and workpod inserts, offering fleets a variety of lightweight truck body options. Fiberglass truck bodies reduce fuel consumption, increase brake and suspension life and create an overall smaller carbon footprint.

Aerial Lift Distributor – Ruthmann-Reachmaster

Ruthmann Reachmaster distributes and services world-class Ruthmann truck-mounted aerial lifts, compact aerials and material handling equipment for North America. Well-known in the aerial lift industry for its high work platforms, Ruthmann sets the industry standard for safety and reliability in the bucket at heights approaching 300 feet. Ruthmann Reachmaster sells and services high reach work platforms for use in the wind energy, energy transmission and construction industries. Ruthmann Reachmaster also distributes and services BlueLift compact aerial lifts that are highly innovative. Some Bluelift compact aerial lifts have dual power sources, making them capable of being used outdoors and indoors in order to access the most hard-to-reach spaces.

Underbridge Inspection Equipment Manufacturer – Aspen Aerials

Aspen Aerials is the North American market leader for bridge inspection and bridge access equipment. Aspen Aerials bridge inspection trucks are engineered to not require outriggers, which provides several major advantages to bridge inspection teams – minimal inconvenience to bridge traffic flow, minimal damage to bridge surfaces and maximum efficiency to move while the boom is deployed. The Aspen Aerials Factory Rebuild Program serves the bridge inspection industry by refurbishing bridge inspection trucks with more than a decade of regular use, restoring them to again align or exceed safety standards.

Aerial Lift Distributors & Brands for European Markets

Time Manufacturing Company has a growing global presence in the vehicle-mounted aerial lift, digger derrick, bucket trucks, and bridge inspection industries. This growth has resulted in sharply enhanced capability to manufacture, distribute, and service aerial lifts and other related equipment, in a timely manner, to the benefit of our global customer base.

Aerial Lift Manufacturer and Service Provider – Ruthmann GmbH

Ruthmann GmbH was founded in Germany in 1901, and has been leading the design and manufacture of premium aerial lifts since the 1950’s for global markets. The company was acquired in 2021 by Time , bringing the Ruthmann, STEIGER, Ecoline and Bluelift brands into the Time Manufacturing Company portfolio.

Aerial Lift Manufacturing, Distribution & Exports – Versalift International

Versalift International, which is headquartered in Farsø, Denmark, is the location of the global export division of Time Manufacturing Company. Responsible for the global export of thousands of aerial access platforms each year, Versalift International exports to a geographically diverse group of countries outside of North and South America. Versalift International provides vehicle-mounted aerial lifts and other complimentary equipment to fleets around the world. Beyond the United States and Canada, our global network includes distributors in Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico and Venezuela. Time Manufacturing Company has developed strong manufacturing and distribution relationships in China. While most exports are conducted from Denmark, the company also serves the Danish market and other national markets in Northern Europe. Versalift distributors have a strong presence across the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain,and Sweden.

Aerial Lift Manufacturer – FE Group

The FE Group is a European manufacturer of aerial work platforms located in Flavigny-sur-Moselle, France. Known as the FE group, the company is composed of France Elévateur, FE Benelux, FE Deutschland, and Movex, with regional sales and service organizations that together serve surrounding national markets. Brands within the FE Group add their robust sales and service network to support the specialized access needs of telecommunications, electric utility and other essential end customers around the world.

Time Manufacturing Company Brands Cooperate at Bauma 2022

Time Manufacturing Company brands continue to work together to raise the customer experience. Our unified presence at premier industry events and collaborative efforts to deliver enhanced fleet services continue to shape our Time Manufacturing Company culture. For example, Time Manufacturing Versalift International, Ruthmann, France Elevateur and Movex spent a successful week presenting as a team under the Time Manufacturing Company banner at Bauma 2022, the world’s leading construction machinery trade fair. Ruthmann and Versalift have been working together for decades, and have been sister companies since 2021. France Elevateur and Movex, each leading equipment brands in their respective markets of France and Spain, were acquired by Time Manufacturing Company in June of 2022.

Aspen Aerials Available in Europe through Versalift Denmark

With a global network of distributors, our bridge inspection equipment is available to companies and governments around the world. Since the summer of 2020, Aspen Aerials bridge inspection equipment has been offered for sale across Europe. Interested parties may contact Versalift Denmark for more information on the Aspen A-62 with CE certification.

A History of Innovation

The Best of the Best Engineers Innovate TogetherEngineering teams from all Time Manufacturing Company brands have created working relationships that have resulted in collaboration for more than a decade on a variety of projects. James Christian, CTO at Time Manufacturing Company, notes that the company’s engineering team is not only innovative, but also highly collaborative.  “We now have daily access to some of the best people in the industry. These engineers, manufacturing groups and distribution groups really make us a much stronger company.”

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Our Future

With significant global manufacturing resources, some of the world’s finest engineers, and thousands of employees, the future of Time Manufacturing Company is limitless. With more than a half century in business, our ownership, management, and production schedule are powering our plans for success.

Though the Versalift presence in our current industries is vast, we’re looking toward what’s next, such as aerial lift needs in 5G construction and management, and the expanding wind energy industry. New entry points for lifts in utility processes are also a priority, such as distribution, transmission, contracting, and more. We are making our plans with the future in mind.

We’re excited for the future at Time Manufacturing Company.

See more about our portfolio of companies at TIME MANUFACTURING COMPANY