Altec Elizabethtown Operations Celebrates 20 Years of Bucket Trucks

In 1997, when Altec selected Elizabethtown, KY as the site for its newest manufacturing facility, no one realized at the time what a successful and rewarding venture it would be.  The project was the first new construction Altec had undertaken in over 20 years. When applications were being submitted for employment, over 1,100 candidates applied to fill only 10-12 positions. In the 20 years since its opening, Elizabethtown Operations has undergone numerous expansions and is now Altec’s highest volume manufacturing facility.

In 1998, the facility produced its first aerial device, made with a team of 32 associates. The inaugural unit, along with 7 others, was shipped to Bell Atlantic, currently known as Verizon. Today, Elizabethtown is still producing aerial devices but with a much larger workforce. General Manager of Elizabethtown Chad Sarver believes in the quality of his team, saying, “We have highly skilled, versatile associates.”

Elizabethtown Operations is one of our largest facilities, producing aerials for the telecommunications, electric utility and lights and signs markets.  Associates who specialize in welding, powder painting, wiring, hydraulics and control system development work together to ensure a smooth production process is performed.

With the teamwork of Altec associates, the entire aerial production process runs easily and efficiently. The process begins when metal sheets are cut by lasers before undergoing a powder painting process, a feature unique to Altec’s Elizabethtown Operations. After hanging the painted parts on a track that moves them further down the assembly line, the pieces are washed in a zirconium bath. In addition to being primed and painted, the aerial pieces are baked three times before being assembled onto a truck.

Before being delivered to a customer, each truck is safety tested, undergoing a dielectric test, a road test and a stability test on a hydraulic pad. Sarver says, “We take safety very seriously at Altec, so we ensure that each truck is built to the highest safety standards before delivery.”

After 20 years of production, Altec still looks for ways to improve our products, especially through our team of engineers who work on research and development. We pride ourselves on our custom truck offerings, and we want to be able to continue to offer innovative solutions to our customers. 

Since Elizabethtown’s first days in operation, we have continued to grow and expand our manufacturing capacity through more recent construction projects, state of the art technology and eager and enthusiastic associates.  Altec looks forward to the future of aerial production and what new offerings we can provide to our customers over the next 20 years.

For more information on our Elizabethtown Operations and the Altec product line, call 800-958-2555 or contact an Altec representative online.