BEHLEN PRESS RELEASE – February 1, 2022
Behlen Mfg. Co. Acquires Freeland Industries, Inc. and Freeland Trucking, Inc.
Columbus, Nebraska, February 1, 2022 — Behlen Mfg. Co, headquartered in Columbus, Nebraska, has signed an agreement with Freeland Industries, Inc. and Freeland Trucking, Inc. (Freeland), located in Portage, Wisconsin, to acquire industrial tank and feeder assets to expand their product offering.
Lynn Van Epps, President of Freeland, and the current leadership team will continue to manage the daily operations of the Portage, WI manufacturing facility and trucking company crews. Jen Miller, President of Behlen Country, will lead the efforts to integrate Freeland and Behlen through the transition.
“Today’s announcement increases our product offering to the farm, ranch, and home markets. Behlen Country brings a strong distribution system that supports many different items being on one truck directly to our customers,” said Jen Miller, President Behlen Country. “This acquisition expands our offerings to meet the ever-growing demand and rapidly changing needs of our customers.”
Freeland Industries, Inc. is a family-owned company in the fourth generation of ownership and leadership. Freeland was established in 1909 and manufactures steel stock tanks, hog troughs, creep feeders, and structural foam plastic tanks. Freeland has been providing customers with high-quality products for over 110 years. The goal at Freeland Industries is to “provide the highest level of quality at a fair price, along with service and friendliness!” Bringing together the Freeland goal and approach to business with the Behlen vision statement, “Where Teamwork and Change Make Customers & Employees Better Off!” is a winning combination, continuing a culture of customer service and family values.
Freeland Trucking, Inc. was established in 1983 to provide an “Irregular Route Common Carrier” for transportation and delivery of Freeland products. Behlen Mfg. Co. has BMC Transportation with a common carrier license to provide delivery throughout the contiguous 48 states and Canadian provinces. Combining these two trucking fleets will continue to support the growth and keep pace with the expanding customer business, quality products, and timely deliveries.
Behlen Mfg. Co., headquartered in Columbus, Nebraska, is a world-leading metal manufacturer with diverse business units, including Behlen Country (the nation’s leading manufacturer of livestock equipment), Behlen Building Systems, Trident Building Systems, Behlen International & Diversified Products (grain systems, strip joining presses, and custom fabrication), Behlen Technology & Manufacturing, and Hilton International Industries (precision winding machines). BMC Transportation has a fleet of over 100 owner-operators, which delivers Behlen products throughout the U.S. and Canada. www.behlenmfg.com. Additional U.S. locations include Baker City, Oregon; McGregor, Texas; Omaha, Nebraska; and Sarasota, Florida.
Freeland is the 13th acquisition for Behlen since its return to local ownership in 1984.