Automotive Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Adrian Steel Tops Industry for Three Decades

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 by establishing a comprehensive modular line of equipment for service vans.

by AF Staff
February 1, 1982
2 min to read


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.

Ad Loading...

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.


Subscribe to Our Newsletter

More Operations

Cover of the "Top 50 Green Fleets" report presented by Automotive Fleet and Inspiration Fleet, featuring an aerial nighttime photo of a lit highway interchange with looping ramps.
SponsoredJuly 16, 2026

The Top 50 Green Fleets

The List Is in: The Top 50 Green Fleets

Read More →
A car dealership with added inscription "Every fleet vehicle eventually becomes local."
Operationsby Chris BrownJuly 15, 2026

Your Local Dealer Knows More Than You Think

Your local dealer can provide an information advantage that extends well beyond courtesy deliveries.

Read More →
Portrait of Austin Schutte, founder and CEO of Anew Solutions, featured in Automotive Fleet's Fleet Meets series highlighting his career, leadership philosophy, and fleet industry insights.
Operationsby Faith HowellJuly 14, 2026

Fleet Meets: Austin Schutte

Here are some industry insights, personal touches, and words of advice from the CEO and Founder of Anew Solutions.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Photo of Team Brown building soap box derby
Operationsby Chris BrownJuly 13, 2026

Soap Box Derby Challenge: What’s Powering Team Brown

The car is coming together, the students are solving real build problems, and the fleet industry is helping push Team Brown toward the starting line.

Read More →
Green and black bar graphs showing 2026 versus 2025 fleet sales.
Vehicle Researchby Martin RomjueJuly 8, 2026

Commercial Fleet Sales Contribute To June, YTD Gains

The fleet sector has boosted its vehicle purchases at a reliable pace in the first half of this year compared with 1H 2025.

Read More →
A black square with white color font text
SponsoredJuly 2, 2026

What Fleet Managers Really Want From Vendors

From customer service frustrations and technology breakdowns to RFQs, change management, and the growing impact of turnover across the industry, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the real operational challenges fleet managers are navigating every day.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A black square with white color font text
SponsoredJuly 2, 2026

Fleet Safety Masterclass: Industry Leaders on Storytelling, Strategy & Innovation

In this special masterclass episode, industry leaders break down what it really takes to build safer fleets in today’s increasingly distracted and data-driven world.

Read More →
A black square with white color font text
SponsoredJuly 2, 2026

Integrating Legacy Fleet Systems and Historical Data

In this episode, we bring together fleet and technology leaders to unpack the realities of data integration, system migrations, and the evolving role of AI in fleet management.

Read More →
A black square with white color font text
SponsoredJuly 2, 2026

From Resistance to Results: Change Management Strategies for Fleets

From new technologies and safety programs to evolving regulations, fleets are under constant pressure to adapt. But as Dr. Betz explains, success isn’t about the system you implement—it’s about whether your people actually use it.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A black square with white color font text
SponsoredJuly 2, 2026

Where We're Headed: A Practical Look at AI in Fleet

Discover how AI is actually being deployed in fleets, not just marketed, including practical use cases and emerging risks.

Read More →