History of Adrian Steel
Located in Southeast Michigan, Adrian Steel Company is one of the country’s premiere experts on commercial cargo management solutions. Known for its commitment to providing customers with the best upfit packages available, the company has grown from a small local business to a nationwide leader. Today, Adrian Steel works with more than 300 independent installers across the United States.
Adrian Steel’s founder, Bob Westfall, was no stranger to starting small and working his way up. Raised by a hardworking single mother in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area, Westfall worked odd jobs throughout his elementary and high school years to help support his family. His talent on the football field at Ann Arbor High School earned him a scholarship to the University of Michigan, where his performance eventually earned him a place in the College Football Hall of Fame.
After serving in World War II, Westfall eventually signed with the Detroit Lions in 1944 and was picked as a First Team All Pro by the Associated Press. After retiring from professional football in 1947, Westfall and his family settled in Adrian, Michigan, where he began his career as a businessman. He worked for the Adrian Salvage Company until 1953, which is the year he decided to go into business for himself. Westfall founded Adrian Steel and served as CEO until he passed away in 1980.
Adrian Steel has retained Westfall’s vision to provide customers with the superior upfit products that make their jobs easier. As the company states on its website: “Adrian Steel’s attention to detail and customers is thorough; it began through the corporate values instilled by founder Bob Westfall, University of Michigan All-American and Detroit Lion All-Pro football standout. Those values instilled a team effort to provide customers with value-added products and services that have become the standard of our industry.” This attention to detail has helped the company grow into a business that encompasses an almost 167,000 square foot facility and has installed upfits on over one million work vehicles to date.
With a foot planted firmly in the successful business model perfected by Bob Westfall and another stepping into the possibilities of the future, Adrian Steel is devoted to providing industries from contracting to plumbing with the most durable and innovative upfit packages on the market. For more information about the history of Adrian Steel and the products they install, please visit www.adriansteel.com.
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