Adrian Steel Tops Industry for Three Decades

Adrian Steel Company, a leader in the service vehicle interior industry, was founded in 1953 by Robert B. Westfall, a former All-American fullback for the University of Michigan and an All-Pro fullback for the Detroit Lions. Located in Adrian, Michigan, Adrian Steel Company was originally established as a steel warehouse but later gravitated to sheet metal fabrication in the late 1950's and early 1960's.

With the introduction of the light duty van in the mid-1960's, Adrian Steel Company became one of the pioneers in the manufacture of interiors (storage systems), safety/security partitions, ladder racks, etc. by establishing a comprehensive modular line of equipment for service vans. With the modular concept fleet administrators were able to design interior packages to suit their own particular storage requirements for field installations.

In 1970 Adrian Steel Company formed ADSCO Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Adrian Steel Company located in Lordstown, Ohio in order to provide factory installation for new Chevrolet/GMC vans built at the GM Lordstown Assembly Plant through the Chevrolet Special Equipment Option (SEO) Program. Factory installation enables a fleet administrator to easily order a new Chevrolet or GMC van and to have commercial conversion work done at ADSCO which is located near the van assembly plant.

In 1977 Adrian Steel Company formed a second wholly owned subsidiary in Lordstown, Ohio, Adrian Equipment Company, in order to accommodate a Chevrolet/GMC National Van Pool for AT&T. With this pooling arrangement, Adrian Equipment Company is able to pre-upfit (install interiors, rustproof and decal) and store vans for quick release to any potential Bell operating company.

In 1980 the Van Pool operation at Adrian Equipment Company was expanded to include fleets other than Bell Telephone. Again Chevrolet and GMC vans are pre-upfitted and stored so that Adrian Equipment Company can quickly respond to a customer's needs including the prompt release of a vehicle for emergency situations.

Adrian Steel Company recently established Adrian Upfitting Company in order to perform factory installation for the Chevrolet S-10 and GMC S-15 1/4-ton pickups (except California emission units) to accommodate the need for small, efficient utility-type trucks.

Located in Pontiac, Michigan, Adrian Upfitting Company can eliminate problems and delays for fleet administrators who previously had to order a truck and then attempt to "marry" the vehicle with add-on equipment. Instead, Adrian Upfitting Company can provide a turn-key installation point for commercial tops and bodies, interior equipment, ladder racks, decaling and rustproofing. Long wheelbase chassis/cab/utility body models (Mark Body) will also be available for special equipment installation.