Palfinger recently celebrated this 100-year milestone at its Council Bluffs, Iowa, facility

"This milestone belongs to the generations of employees whose skill, dedication, and knowledge built the foundation of this operation, and to the customers and partners who have trusted that work for decades," Ismael Daneluz, president of Palfinger North America, said in a release.

Omaha Standard was founded in 1926. It evolved with the work truck industry along with “the people and industries that build, repair, transport, grow, and serve, from family farms and local trades to commercial fleets and national enterprises,” the release states.

Omaha Standard has employed generations of families, and that has continued since Palfinger acquired the company in 2008. Denny Nelson, subassembly lead, just celebrated 51 years with the company. It’s a family affair for the Nelsons. His father, brothers, and son together have 169 years of combined experience working for the company.

The team at Palfinger’s Council Bluffs facility produces and assembles PAL Pro mechanics truck bodies and service cranes. The bodies built at Council Bluffs today help serve and support the company’s customers just like they did 100 years ago. But the work truck concept has changed significantly since Omaha Standard got started in 1926.

Unlike the long-haul trucking industry where driving the truck is the job, today’s technicians and work truck drivers use the vehicle as a tool to get the job done. A modern work truck provides on-site power, offers product storage, provides lifting capacity, and is equipped with essential equipment technicians need to perform their duties. Palfinger PAL Pro products support the construction, agriculture, and mining industries, and they are available in configurations that “combine service cranes, compressors, organized storage, and other accessories to meet the needs of specific applications,” according to Palfinger.

"Technicians need a truck that helps them work efficiently at the jobsite, with the lifting capability, storage, power, and equipment they need close at hand,” Brian Heffron, Palfinger North America VP of sales, service cranes, and crane bodies, said. “Our job is to keep listening to how that work is changing and continue developing PAL Pro around those needs."

Celebrating a century of supplying the work truck industry

Palfinger celebrated its 100-year milestone at the Council Bluffs facility on the same day as National Manufacturing Day. The company’s celebration included employees, community members, and retirees to recognize the people who helped shape the Omaha Standard and Palfinger operation over the years.

Omaha Standard and Palfinger also helped shape the community and invest in its local future workforce throughout its 100 years. Omaha Standard and Palfinger have developed partnerships with area schools and technical colleges to raise awareness of manufacturing and work truck careers while supporting the local skilled workforce.

Palfinger’s goal is to continue supporting the community and its customers for the next 100 years, “building on a century of craftsmanship, innovation, and customer partnership while shaping the next generations of PAL Pro solutions,” the company stated.