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You’ve probably never heard of The Boler Company Inc. Honestly, most people haven't. But if you've ever driven behind a massive 18-wheeler on the interstate or watched a heavy-duty construction truck rumble through a job site, you’ve seen their work in action. They don't make the trucks. They make the things that keep the trucks from falling apart.
Based out of Itasca, Illinois, this family-owned powerhouse is the invisible backbone of the global shipping industry. They’re the parent company of Hendrickson, a name that basically every fleet manager and mechanic on the planet knows by heart.
The story of how a small acquisition firm became a multi-billion dollar manufacturing titan is kinda wild. It’s not just about metal and rubber. It’s a masterclass in "buying and holding" before that was even a trendy term in private equity.
What The Boler Company Inc Actually Does
To understand Boler, you have to understand Hendrickson.
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In 1978, a guy named John Boler—who started out in the corporate world at Clevite Corp—decided to strike out on his own. He founded The Boler Company in 1977. Just a year later, he made the move that changed everything: he bought Hendrickson.
At the time, Hendrickson was a respectable company that had been around since 1913, founded by a Swedish engineer named Magnus Hendrickson. They were famous for inventing the "walking beam" suspension. If you aren't a gearhead, basically, that's the tech that lets a truck carry massive loads over uneven ground without the wheels losing contact.
More than just springs
Today, The Boler Company Inc operates as a massive umbrella. Through its subsidiaries, it designs and builds:
- Truck and Trailer Suspensions: These aren't the shocks on your Honda Civic. These are massive air and mechanical systems that hold up 80,000-pound rigs.
- Axle Systems: Including those "lift axles" you see tucked up under a trailer when it's empty.
- Bumper and Trim: They make the heavy-duty chrome and steel faces of the world’s biggest trucks.
- Leaf Springs: They’re one of the largest manufacturers of these in North America.
It's a huge operation. We're talking about 7,500 employees and a footprint that touches nearly every continent. They have plants in the U.S., Mexico, the UK, China, and Australia.
The Philosophy of "Buy, Build, and Hold"
Most private equity firms today operate like "house flippers." They buy a company, gut the costs, polish the balance sheet, and sell it three years later for a profit.
The Boler Company Inc does the exact opposite.
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They are a family enterprise. When they buy something, they keep it. Since 1977, they've only made about eight major acquisitions, but they’ve been surgical. They look for "upper-middle-market" companies that are already good at what they do and then give them the capital to become the best.
Why this matters for the industry
Because they aren't constantly looking for an exit strategy, they can invest in long-term R&D. While other companies were cutting costs in the early 2020s, Boler was doubling down on things like electrification and lightweighting.
In the trucking world, weight is everything. If you can make a suspension system 50 pounds lighter, that’s 50 pounds more cargo a trucker can carry. Over a fleet of 500 trucks, those numbers become staggering. Boler’s subsidiary, Hendrickson, recently launched the STEERTEK NXT axle, which cut significant weight out of International RH and LT series trucks. That’s the kind of innovation that comes from long-term thinking.
Recent Power Moves and Acquisitions
If you thought they were slowing down, think again. The last couple of years have been a shopping spree for the Itasca crew.
In 2023, they bought Brunner International, a big player in brake components. Then, in June 2024, they snapped up Reyco Granning, which specializes in suspensions for heavy-duty vehicles.
Why? Because Boler wants to own the entire "under-chassis" ecosystem. They don't just want to sell you a spring; they want to sell you the axle it sits on, the brakes that stop it, and the bumper that protects it.
The transition to the next generation
John Boler passed away in 2016 at the age of 81. He was a low-profile guy who did a ton of philanthropy, especially with the American Cancer Society and Rush University Medical Center.
His son, Matthew J. Boler, now runs the show as President and CEO. Matt didn't just walk into the corner office; he spent years in the trenches, managing the Hendrickson Bumper and Trim plant in Joliet. That "boots on the ground" experience is probably why the company still feels like a manufacturing firm rather than a faceless holding company.
The Reality of Working at The Boler Company Inc
You’ll see a lot of "family atmosphere" talk in corporate brochures, but with Boler, it actually shows up in the data. They have a weirdly high number of employees who have been there for decades.
A lot of the staff comes from schools like Villanova and Notre Dame (Matt Boler is an alum), and the company is ranked as one of the best manufacturing places to work in Illinois.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows, though. Manufacturing is a brutal, cyclical business. When the economy slows down and people stop buying stuff, trucking companies stop ordering new trailers. That means Boler’s revenue—which hit a peak around $900 million recently—can fluctuate. But because they are private, they don't have to answer to Wall Street every three months. They just ride out the storm.
Why Most People Get Boler Wrong
The biggest misconception is that The Boler Company Inc is a trailer company.
If you search "Boler" on the internet, you’re going to find a bunch of enthusiasts talking about those cute, egg-shaped fiberglass camping trailers from the 1970s. Those are the Canadian Boler trailers invented by Ray Olecko.
They have zero relation to the Illinois company. It’s a funny coincidence, but it’s an important distinction. One is a vintage camping icon; the other is a global industrial titan. If you’re looking for a sink for your 1972 camper, calling the office in Itasca is going to lead to a very confusing conversation for everyone involved.
What's Next: The Future of Freight
As we move through 2026, the company is pivoting hard toward sustainability.
They recently invested in a massive solar array for their Joliet bumper plant, which produces over 100,000 bumpers a year. But the real "next big thing" is the move toward Electric Vehicles (EVs).
Electric trucks are heavy. The battery packs alone add thousands of pounds to the vehicle. This creates a massive engineering challenge for suspension systems. The Boler Company Inc is currently positioning Hendrickson to be the primary provider for EV truck OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers).
Practical Next Steps for Industry Pros
If you're in the transportation or investment world, here is how you should be looking at this company:
- Monitor the Aftermarket: Boler’s strength isn't just in new truck sales. Their aftermarket network is huge. If you're a fleet owner, look at their integrated systems—buying the axle and suspension together usually lowers the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) due to parts compatibility.
- Watch the Patent Trail: In 2024 and 2025, Boler secured a flurry of patents for damping air springs and self-steering axle systems. This suggests they are moving toward "smart" suspensions that can adjust on the fly based on road conditions.
- Career Opportunities: If you’re an engineer in the Midwest, this is one of the few places where "private equity" doesn't mean "imminent layoffs." They are consistently hiring for their R&D centers in Woodridge and Itasca.
The Boler Company Inc proves that you don't need a loud brand or a flashy social media presence to rule an industry. You just need to be the person making the parts that everyone else’s business literally rides on.