The Godwin Group Online

April Fools!

April 1st, 1966

Pat Godwin came home from work and told his wife, Judy, that he had delivered his last case of soft drinks as a route salesman for Pepsi Cola. Judy yelled, "April Fools!". Pat said, "It may be April fools Day, but I will not be going back". They had two toddlers in diapers at that time. Realizing he had quit a good, steady job, Judy cried for weeks. Judy had a job as a cashier at a local grocery store. When she left for work each day, Pat would unplug the electric stove and plug in his welder that was situated in a detached 18' x 22' garage.

Godwin Welding Service Original Crew

1975

Godwin quickly increases sales and its workforce. As business picked up, Pat decided he needed help and more space. With approximately 10 employees and a rented 80' x 80' building, Godwin Welding Service was formed. (Top right: Pat Senior. Bottom right: Pat Junior. Third from top right: Godwin Legend and longtime plant manager Larry Clark.

Godwin Welding Service

August, 1976

By August of 1976, the small start up business had outgrown the rented building and was moved to it's current location on Hwy 421 in Dunn, NC. It was also around this time that Godwin began manufacturing hoists in addition to bodies. This would be Godwin Manufacturing's permanent location.

Godwin Welding becomes Godwin Manufacturing

1979

In 1979 Godwin Welding Service officially became Godwin Manufacturing Company Inc. The change was a final result of a long transition from general welding services to specific manufacturing. Increasing demand for quality platforms and dump beds in the local area drove the change. As a newly incorporated company, Godwin's primary focus was on truck equipment.

Hydraulic Hoists

1980

In 1980 Godwin began manufacturing their own hydraulic hoists after becoming dissatisfied with the overall value of purchased units for use under their equipment. It was a general belief that "we can do it better" that drove the investment into the new hydraulics division expansion of Godwin. This newly added division designed, tested, and manufactured nearly all of the non-telescopic hoists used under Godwin bodies. These products would later take a life of their own and birth one of the largest hoist manufacturing companies in the country.

Godwin more than tripled in size

1980-1990's

Throughout the mid 80's to late 90's Godwin manufacturing experienced tremendous growth. Popularity of their quality products at affordable prices exploded throughout the mid atlantic states. The company was no longer a local manufacturer, but rather a regional staple in the truck equipment world after aggressively winning multiple state municipal contracts.

North Carolina Top 5 Employer

1998

In 1998 Business North Carolina Magazine named Godwin Manufacturing a Top 5 Employer in the state. Such a distinction is rare for an industrial manufacturer. Many factors were considered for the award. Most heavily were the state of the business and overall quality of benefits and services offered to employees. For perspective on significance, Bank of America, SAS Institute, and Glaxo pharma were some of the other winners.

Godwin turns to powder

1999

Substantial growth can cause some problems. One of Godwin's biggest problems was a bottleneck in production caused by an overloaded pant shop. Pat decided the solution would be powder coating. Godwin built a state-of-the-art, one of a kind, fully automated paint facility. When completed, it became one of the largest of its kind in the world. Not only did the facility completely eliminate the bottleneck, but it further increased the overall quality of the final product with an industry leading coating.

R/S Truck Body

August, 2002

Pat acquired R/S Truck Body in Ivel, KY. R/S had been building bodies for the coal industry since 1968. There were some similarities in products but also enough differences to expand the market for both companies and make them stronger. R/S also brought aluminum bodies into the mix. This would be the first of many more successful acquisitions.

Galion-Godwin Purchase

September, 2003

Barely a year passed when Pat had another great opportunity. This time it would be the purchase of long time competitor McClane Galion Dump Body in Winesburg, OH. Galion originally began in the 1870's as Galion Buggy Company. This purchase was sweetened by the fact that many years before, Galion had attempted to purchase Godwin. By September 2003, Galion became part of the Godwin family, further strengthening the Godwin presence in the industry. It is now called, Galion-Godwin Truck Body Company.

The Godwin Group

2002 - 2003

After the addition of R/S and Galion, The Godwin Group was created to streamline and centralize accounting, purchasing and marketing for all companies. This solidified the companies into one while still allowing each to maintain their unique and valuable qualities they became known for.

Champion Hoist and Equipment

2004

The companies were not only successful at building quality dump bodies, the hoist business was growing more popular as well. It was time for yet another expansion. This time the answer was just across town. The 250,000 square foot building which once housed Champion Sportswear was available for purchase. This facility was perfect to house the Godwin Hoist business and corporate offices. In early 2004, Champion Hoist and Equipment was formed and settled in to the new location. Today Champion produces over 25,000 hoists per year.

Good Roads

April, 2011

Godwin had considered going into the plow and spreader business many times over the years but had been highly satisfied with the products they had been receiving from Good Roads and decided against manufacturing their own. Godwin Manufacturing was the largest distributor for Good Roads so when then owner decided to sell the company, it seemed like the perfect fit. Once Pat Jr was convinced he was serious about selling Good Roads, the plan to relocate the Indiana company to Dunn, NC was put in place. The Godwin Group was officially in the snow equipment business! Good Roads, founded in 1887, is credited as the originator of the modern snow plow and was the first to put a plow on a motorized vehicle.

Williamsen Manufacturing

April, 2014

In spring 2014, another opportunity caught the eye of the Godwin management team. Tesco Williamsen Manufacturing in Salt Lake City, UT was available for purchase. While the team had been looking to move westward, they were not convinced this was the right opportunity. Once the team met with the wonderful Williamsen staff their minds were changed. Before the team headed back to NC, they made a verbal agreement that saved the company from closing the doors and sending everyone home. Thirty days later, Williamsen was officially part of the Godwin family.

Allied Mobile Systems

2015

Allied is the new branding of a central hydraulic system started by Godwin in 1984. Allied specializes in both simple, and advanced mobile hydraulic systems for the dump truck and snow removal industries. Management saw opportunity in mobile hydraulics after the industry became stale with bulky, over complicated systems that were developed without substantial user input. After selling and installing many thousands of 'Godwin' systems, and installing thousands of other brand systems, the experience and knowledge made the expansion easy.

3 Generations Celebrated

Present

What started as a welder in a small backyard garage has now grown into the largest family-owned and operated truck equipment manufacturer in the U.S. One man's vision has turned into a family business. With 3 generations working at the company, it is not just a job, it is a life investment that will carry on and grow for many years to come. Who knows what the future holds for this innovative company and the man that started it all...