Signature Truck Systems’ Leadership Has Roots in Retail Propane
Signature Truck Systems , founded in 1999, has always had leaders with strong roots in the retail propane business. Building bulk, crane, service, and cylinder trucks were key functions of the new company and experienced retail propane leadership has always been a part of the company’s success. The founder, Joe Volk, was a retail propane marketer prior to starting Signature Truck Systems. Volk, with technical director Al Avram, founded the business along with three techs. As the business grew in the early 2000s, several shops were purchased from Ferrellgas in the Clio, Mich., area and a large production facility was added several hours north at Houghton Lake, Mich. Mike VanDenBoom joined Signature Truck in 2008 as director of operations and Eric Salinas joined the same…
, founded in 1999, has always had leaders with strong roots in the retail propane business. Building bulk, crane, service, and cylinder trucks were key functions of the new company and experienced retail propane leadership has always been a part of the company’s success. The founder, Joe Volk, was a retail propane marketer prior to starting Signature Truck Systems. Volk, with technical director Al Avram, founded the business along with three techs. As the business grew in the early 2000s, several shops were purchased from Ferrellgas in the Clio, Mich., area and a large production facility was added several hours north at Houghton Lake, Mich.
Mike VanDenBoom joined Signature Truck in 2008 as director of operations and Eric Salinas joined the same year to lead production at the Houghton Lake facility. With the recession of 2008, VanDenBoom was able to purchase a lot of discounted equipment at auctions as General Motors plants closed. Business remained good and buildings continued to be added in Clio. VanDenBoom was a former operations manager at Ferrellgas and Salinas was a former manager at Dart Propane, a Michigan propane retailer. “The retail propane experience is a key factor that separates Signature Truck from other truck builders,” VanDenBoom told BPN during a full-day tour of both the 15,000-square-foot Clio facility and the Houghton Lake facility. “Our experience is the retailer’s experience and that helps us build relationships with the customers and effectively take care of their needs.”
Signature Truck was sold to Canada-based TerraVest Capital in 2015 and Volk retired. As VanDenBoom assumed the duties as president of the now 80-employee company, Signature Truck became a Granby Industries company as TerraVest also owns Fischer Tanks and Pro-Par brands. Fischer manufactures and refurbishes domestic propane tanks and Pro-Par is a Canada-based manufacturer of large propane containment vessels and propane transport trucks. “This diversification in addition to our retail propane experience makes us unique,” VanDenBoom said. “We can provide services from A to Z in the retail propane space.”
With business having picked up for many truck manufacturers in 2018 following a colder winter and favorable tax breaks, Signature Truck Systems is working at full capacity to meet customer needs. “We have a lot of work right now and plenty of additional quotes have been requested,” said Steve VandeMark, who leads sales for the USA, Canada, and Mexico. —Pat Thornton
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