Godwin’s purchase of R/S Body could be final Aug. 15
Jul 31, 2002 12:00 PM
Godwin Mfg Co Inc, of Dunn, North Carolina, has purchased R/S Truck Body Inc, of Allen, Kentucky, and expects final approval of the deal by Aug. 15, according to founder and CEO Pat Godwin Sr. “It’s just something I wanted to do,” Godwin said. “It’s part of the niche market. I feel like they’re No. 1 name recognition. I feel like in our niche market, I’m No. 1 name recognition. Both companies have similarities. We also have products that each one of us buys that now each one of us makes. So we’ll be trading within the two families. It’s just going to make us stronger.” The company started in 1966 as Godwin Welding Service and 13 years later became Godwin Mfg Co Inc, with a product line including all types of trailers, flatbeds, hoists, frame work, a boom truck for putting up signs, portable welding, and in-house repairs. By the mid ’80s, it was manufacturing flat beds, contractor beds, many models of hoists, rollback carriers, roll-off units, and doing booming municipal contract business. In the early ’90s, it was operating on 156 acres in a total of 345,000 sq ft under roof, with 175 employees. Godwin says his company is the East Coast’s largest truck equipment manufacturer. R/S Truck Body is known primarily for aluminum dump bodies and trailers. Godwin says it is “in the elite group of dump bodies.” Godwin says his company has over 80% of market share for snow-moving equipment in the municipal market, and he plans to expand into other states, particularly Kentucky.
