Tommy Gate is an American brand of hydraulic liftgate, or tail lift, manufactured by Woodbine Manufacturing Company. The company was formed in 1965 by Delbert "Bus" Brown and its production facility is located in Woodbine, Iowa.[1][2]

Tommy Gate
IndustryCommercial Truck Equipment
Founded1965
FounderDelbert Brown
HeadquartersWoodbine, Iowa,
United States
ProductsHydraulic Liftgates
ParentWoodbine Manufacturing Company
Websitewww.tommygate.com

History

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Prior to founding Woodbine Manufacturing Company, Delbert Brown manufactured farming equipment as Brown Manufacturing Company. After inventing what was then one of the first trenching machines, Brown Manufacturing Company was sold to Omaha Steel Works. Three years later, Brown founded Woodbine Manufacturing Company and began the Tommy Gate brand.[3]

Expansion

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The Tommy Gate factory circa 2014.

The Woodbine manufacturing facility was initially built in 1965 to occupy 70,000 square feet of production space. It expanded in 1980 to 90,000 and once again in 2000 when it grew to 140,000. The most recent expansion, completed in 2011, grew the plant to an overall 200,000 square feet (including 40,000 square feet of warehouse space).[4]

References

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  1. ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1967-11-11). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1969-08-09). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ Cole Epley (April 21, 2015). "Iowa Maker of Lift Gates Meets Demand With Help of Night Crew". The Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  4. ^ Tim Sanford (March 5, 2011). "Tommy Gate Readies New Cantilever Van Lift, Expands Iowa Plant". Vending Times. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
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