Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company is an American

semi-trailer A semi-trailer is a trailer (vehicle), trailer without a front axle. The combination of a semi-trailer and a tractor truck is called a ''semi-trailer truck'' (also known simply as a "semi-trailer", "tractor trailer", or "semi" in the United Sta ...

truck dry van, flatbed, and

refrigerated van A refrigerated van (also called a refrigerated wagon) is a railway goods wagon with cooling equipment. Today they are designated by the International Union of Railways (UIC) as Class I. History The first wagons were cooled with ice that had b ...

trailer manufacturing company, with its headquarters in the

City of Industry The City of Industry is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is almost entirely industrial, containing over 3,000 businesses employing 67,000 people, with only 264 residents as of ...

Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the List of United States counties and county equivalents, most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 202 ...

, and sales office in

Alpharetta, Georgia Alpharetta is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States, and part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Alpharetta's population was 65,818; in 2010, the population had been 57,551. History In the 1830s, ...

and a Parts Distribution Center in

Batavia, Ohio Batavia ( ) is a village in Clermont County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 1,972 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. History Batavia was surveyed on May ...

. The company also designs and manufactures dry freight vans, curtainsided trailers, and aerodynamic technologies. It is the largest manufacturer of refrigerated van trailers in the United States. Utility was founded in 1914, by brothers H. C. Bennett and E. W. Bennett. Before founding Utility, the two brothers had previously owned a lumber business in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

. After selling off that company, the two purchased the assets of a wagon company in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and incorporated a new company there. The name Utility was adopted after the company had pivoted toward the manufacturing of

trailers Trailer may refer to: Transportation * Trailer (vehicle), an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle ** Baggage trailer, a large flatbed baggage trolley ** Bicycle trailer, a wheeled frame for hitching to a bicycle to tow cargo or passen ...

for the burgeoning diesel truck market of the early 20th century; most of Utility's clientele were California's original

utility companies A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and r ...

, and the name stuck. Ownership of Utility has remained within the Bennett family since its founding. The company's operations remained localized within the western United States until the 1960s, when it began its gradual expansion east of the Rocky Mountains. By the mid-1990s, most of the company's business was in the East Coast as opposed to the west, although its base of operations remained in the

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...

. Utility has six trailer

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...

facilities in North America. Utility's single temp and multi-temp refrigerated trailers are manufactured at the

Clearfield, Utah Clearfield (Shoshone: , "Place where the wind blows hard") is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. The population was 31,909 at the 2020 census. The city grew rapidly during the 1940s, with the formation of Hill Air Force Base, and in ...

, Atkins, Virginia, and Piedras Negras, Mexico plants. Utility's dry vans are manufactured at the

Glade Spring, Virginia Glade Spring is a town in Washington County, Virginia, Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,456 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport, Tennessee, Kingsport–Bristol, Tennessee, Bristol (TN)–Bristol ...

and

Paragould, Arkansas Paragould is a city in and the county seat of Greene County, Arkansas, Greene County, and the 19th-largest city in Arkansas, in the United States. The city is located in northeastern Arkansas on the eastern edge of Crowley's Ridge, a geologic anom ...

plants. Utility also manufactures several flatbed models including an aluminum/steel combination flatbed, an all-steel flatbed, drop decks, and curtainsided trailers, all produced at the

Enterprise, Alabama Enterprise is a city in the southeastern part of Coffee County, Alabama, Coffee County and the southwestern part of Dale County, Alabama, Dale County in Southeastern Alabama, United States. Its population was 28,711 at the 2020 United States cen ...

facility. The company's manufacturing plant in Clearfield, Utah, was opened up in 1993, occupying a plot of land. In 1994, they opened up the Atkins, Virginia, plant, occupying there. After the city of Clearfield denied them a permit to expand their operations beyond their plot of land in 1998, Utility opened up the Glade Spring, Virginia, facility in 1999. The company also has an independent dealer network in over 100 locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America. Authorized dealers offer trailer sales, aftermarket parts, and service.

References

{{Trucking industry in the United States Truck manufacturers of the United States Companies based in the City of Industry, California Manufacturing companies based in Greater Los Angeles Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1914 1914 establishments in California Motor vehicle manufacturers based in California American companies established in 1914