Seagrave Fire Apparatus LLC is a manufacturer of fire apparatus that specializes in pumper and rescue units, as well as aerial towers. In addition to manufacturing new equipment, they refurbish, repair and upgrade older Seagrave apparatus, including National Fire Protection Association updates to equipment.[1] They are a major supplier to the New York City Fire Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Seagrave was founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1881 by Fredric Seagrave and moved to Columbus, Ohio in 1891. Seagrave was acquired by the FWD Corporation in 1963 and moved their corporate headquarters to Clintonville, Wisconsin.[2]
Randolph Lenz, Chair of FWD's parent company, Corsta Corp., became embroiled in a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation suit and in 2003 all assets of FWD: FWD Corporation, Seagrave, Baker Aerialscope and Almonte Fire Trucks were sold to an investment group headed by former American LaFrance executive James Hebe. Today, the Seagrave group is a flagship company of ELB Capital Management.
Seagrave operates US manufacturing facilities in Clintonville, Wisconsin and Rock Hill, South Carolina and is an authorized General Services Administration vendor and supplies the United States Federal Government with firefighting equipment.[3]
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Around 1900 Seagrave opened a Canadian plant and sold a full range of apparatus off and on from there until 1936. Entering into an alliance with well known Canadian fire engine builder R. S. Bickle Co "Canadianized" versions of standard Seagrave rigs where assembled at Bickle's Woodstock, Ontario plant, and sold under the Bickle-Seagrave banner. After several ownership changes, and closure in 1956, Bickle's successor King-Seagrave Ltd. continued to assemble Seagrave fire apparatus in large numbers until 1973, when FWD Corp opted not to renew its agreement. King continued to produce fire apparatus on commercial chassises until its closure in 1985.
Today, Seagrave has its Canadian manufacturing operation in Carleton Place, Ontario