Morgan Olson is an American company that produces

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

walk-in step vans. It was founded in 1946 on

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

. Previously owned by

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace and Arms industry, defense company. With 97,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $40 billion, it is one of the world's largest Arms industry ...

and doing business as Grumman Olson for several decades, the company was then taken over by a group of senior managers. In 2003, Grumman Olson was purchased by the American company JBPCO, which also owned Morgan Corp., the then-largest manufacturer of truck bodies in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Grumman Olson was renamed Morgan Olson in 2004.

History

The idea for the first all-aluminum walk-in step van was originated by Walter Heingartner, owner of Kinney Motors Chevrolet in

Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. Heingartner was friends with Jimmy Olson, then Commissioner of the New York State Liquor Authority. Olson had no truck experience, but knowing there were ten independent laundry companies in Brooklyn alone, he saw a market. He also knew someone who could build it, "Jake" Swirbul, one of Grumman's founders. Grumman had no experience building commercial truck bodies. However, they decided to move forward with the concept and Grumman Aircraft Engineering was scheduled to produce the vehicle beginning in 1939. The concept was shelved due to the onset of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. After the war, Olson and three partners formulated the J.B.E. Olson Corporation on

Coney Island Avenue Coney Island Avenue is a road in the New York City borough of Brooklyn that runs north-south for a distance of roughly five miles, almost parallel to Ocean Parkway and Ocean Avenue. It begins at Brighton Beach Avenue in Coney Island and goes n ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. The company grew over the next few decades. The company purchased the Sturgis, MI facility, its current headquarters, in 1963. In 1984, Grumman Olson was awarded with the largest contract in its history. The United States Postal Service (USPS) awarded Grumman Olson a contract worth over one billion dollars. As of early 2016, some 163,000

Grumman LLV The Grumman Long Life Vehicle (LLV) is an American light transport truck model designed as a mail truck for the United States Postal Service, which has been its primary user since it first entered service in 1986, 39 years ago. It was also used ...

s were still in operation. After changes in ownership in the 1990s, Grumman Olson faced a declining market and eventually declared bankruptcy in 2001. In 2003, the company was purchased by JB Poindexter, Inc. (JBPCO), a parent company whose sales are over one billion annually. At that time, the company's name was changed to Morgan Olson. Morgan Olson produces walk-in step vans, P31 delivery trucks, the C250 mail & parcel delivery truck, and cargo shelving upfittings from three manufacturing facilities. These state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities are located in

Sturgis, Michigan Sturgis is a city in St. Joseph County, Michigan, St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 11,082 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is located at the northeast corner of Sturgis Township, Michigan ...

; Loudon, Tennessee; and Ringgold, Virginia.

Products

* 1946-19?? Olson Kargo King * Olson/Grumman Kurb Side * Olson/Grumman Kurb Van * Olson/Grumman Kurb Van King * 195? - 1990 Olson/Grumman Kurbmaster * Olson/Grumman Junior Kurbmaster * 1955-196? Olson Olsonette (small, class 1) * 1965-2001 Grumman P-500/600/800 (only sold to UPS after 1980) * 1983-1985 Grumman Kubvan * 1986-1994

* 1990-20?? Grumman/Morgan Olson Route Star (7,600-14,000 lb GVWR) * 1991-?? Grumman Olson Freight Star (Van/cutaway version of Route Star

Mele Mele () is a ''Comune'' (Municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about west of Genoa, and historically famous for the production of paper. Mele borders the following municipalities: Genoa, Masone ...

, p. 71 * 2023-present Morgan Olson C250 (Grumman LLV replacement for

Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (, trading as Canada Post (), is a Canadian Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the operating name of the Post Office Department of the Can ...

)

Location

Morgan Olson's home plant and corporate offices are located in

. Loudon, Tennessee became home to the second production facility in 2015. The third and newest production facility, beginning operations in 2020, is located in Ringgold, Virginia.

References

{{reflist

External links

Official website
Vans Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Michigan Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1946 1946 establishments in New York City American companies established in 1946