Fifty Years and Going Strong: Rockwell American Fenders

By Steve Caudill, Rockwell American

Kings of the road depend on Rockwell American to meet all their trailer part needs. Whether it’s for quality of service, domestically manufactured products, or convenient locations, Rockwell American has developed from humble beginnings to be a nationwide leader in the distribution and manufacture of trailer parts. It doesn’t get much more humble than the small workshop in Azle, Texas where the company first started manufacturing trailer fenders under the name Quality Trailer Products. Over the years, axle and leaf spring manufacturing as well as nationwide distribution were added to the portfolio, becoming Rockwell American in the process, but fender manufacturing remains a cornerstone of the business. That small workshop has grown to encompass four different fender manufacturing locations spread across the country with the original site in Azle now recognized as the only ISO-certified manufacturer of light-trailer fenders in North America.

A Leading Manufacturer And Distributor Of Trailer Parts And Accessories!

To maintain their edge, the team works daily on continuous improvement, constantly generating new ideas to provide their customers with world-class levels of quality and delivery. Chuck Vaughn, President of Rockwell American, sees the daily “Grey FENDERS! Nationwide Coverage With Manufacturing Facilities In Fresno, CA., Azle, TX., Plant City, FL., and Angola, IN. Floor” meeting attended by key members of the manufacturing team as part of this continuous improvement. Each morning they meet to review production plans, resolve issues, and figure out how they can delight their customers. “Communication is a key for continuous improvement, many of our great ideas come from MO. the team members performing the work,” Vaughn remarked.AXLES FENDERS SPRINGS

MADE IN USA

IN.

OR. MN. PA.

CA. CO. AZ. AL. SC.

Glen Burke, Plant Manager, checking the measurements on a fender.

TX.

FL.

When asked how Rockwell American was able to achieve this, Glen Burke, the current Plant Manager at the Azle site who started his 30-year career with Rockwell running a press brake on rockwellamerican.com the shop floor, answered, “First it takes great people. Without a great team, it would not be possible to grow this business.”

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Burke is proudest of the safety records at the four fender manufacturing locations. The Azle facility, for example, just celebrated 1,000 days without a recordable injury. “We believe each team member should leave work safely the same way they arrive each day,” he added. “Ensuring safety not only improves quality but also empowers the Rockwell American team to improve every day.”

One way that they’ve done this is by creating unique packaging designs for each fender. These designs have been optimized to protect the fenders during transit while keeping costs down. The team has worked hard to take advantage of Rockwell American’s wide geographic footprint, augmenting the original Azle location with operations in Angola, Ind., Plant City, Fla., and the newly opened Fresno, Calif. plant. Combined with Rockwell American’s US-based distribution centers, Rockwell American, as Brent Pope, Rockwell American’s Sr. Vice President of Manufacturing, puts it, “offers an unbeatable combination of manufacturing know-how with nationwide reach, making us able to provide the same levels of quality and service to both the largest original equipment manufacturers, regional trailer builders, and even your local 4H club.”

From humble beginnings in Azle, Texas to growing to four manufacturing facilities and fourteen distribution centers, Rockwell American has been on a great ride over the past fifty years. But the team would not have gotten here without a focus on safety, continuous improvement and a passion for service and quality to the customer. Rockwell American will continue to be the name in fenders everyone believes in for many years to come. For more information on Rockwell American or to browse the selection of producs, visit www.RockwellAmerican.com.

Glen Burke, Plant Manager showing the safety awards for 2019 and 2020.