Directories

Service Category

Manufacturer

Business Description

The Messer Truck Equipment family business has been around for more than 110 years, proving that it can be successful in whatever conditions an ever-changing economy can bring. Now operated by the fourth generation of the Messer family, the company still offers the same commitment to quality and service that it was founded on at the turn of the century and that has helped it to thrive throughout its long history. As one of the largest truck equipment distributors in New England, Messer Truck Equipment represents over 30 major product lines within the following truck equipment categories: Snowplows Car Carriers & Wreckers Cranes Dump Bodies Platform Bodies Hoists Service Bodies Van Bodies Van & Pickup Equipment Liftgates Roll-Off and Hooklift Units Refuse Equipment Hitches We also offer custom fabrication, using our 230-ton press brake to bend steel and aluminum and our 10-foot shear for clean, precise cuts. All you need is an idea and we can fabricate it. We install and service all of the equipment we sell, as well as providing a full array of service parts through our well-stocked parts department. Our customer base ranges from individual snowplowers and landscapers to business and municipal fleets. We are large enough to get the job done right, guaranteed — and small enough to care about your specific needs.

Family Business History

In 1899 Walter A. Messer opened a one-man blacksmithing and shipsmithing shop on Union Street in Portland, Maine, and named it W. A. Messer Co. Originally from Harvey Station, New Brunswick, Canada, Walter was in the blacksmithing business with his brother-in-law in Portland prior to starting his own business that concentrated primarily on the manufacture of wagons, wheels, sleighs, and iron work for ships. With the advent of motor vehicles in the early 1900s, W. A. Messer Co. switched its emphasis to the manufacture of open-sided delivery truck bodies, furniture vans, and general van body equipment. Jack Messer joined his father in the truck body business in 1945 after serving in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. Prior to the war he had studied accounting at Bentley College in Boston and worked as a traveling cashier and auditor trainee for an insurance company in Hartford, Conn. In the late 1940s, W.A. Messer Co., by now a four-man shop, was incorporated and moved its operations to a custom-built facility in the Bayside area of Portland. Jack Messer became President in 1957 when his father retired at 78 years old. Walter Messer passed away two years later. In 1960, W.A. Messer Co. was on the move again, this time to a five-acre parcel on the Westbrook end of Warren Avenue. Here the company built a 100-by-100-ft. trailer repair, sales, and service facility with eight truck body bays and an office area. In 1971, John P. Messer, son of John F. and grandson of Walter, became the third generation to join the family business, by now a 12-person operation. With a combination business and engineering degree from Clarkson University and experience with General Electric Co.’s Manufacturing Management Program, John worked as a mechanic for three years and in various other areas of the business, including the service department, parts department and inside sales. He was eventually named vice president, a position he held until 1982 when he was named president. When his father retired in 1987, John purchased the business from him and continued to serve as its President until his untimely death in 2008. His father, John F. Messer, passed away in 2009. In 2003, Jeffrey W. Messer, son of John P. Messer, grandson of John F. Messer, and great-grandson of Walter A. Messer, joined the company, becoming the fourth generation in the family business. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in Ocean Engineering, Jeff served in the U. S. Navy for five years as a Surface Warfare Officer and Nuclear Power Engineer before returning to Maine and the family business. Following his father’s sudden death, Jeff was named company President and later purchased the business.

We're always looking for talented technicians with skills in welding, hydraulics, and 12-volt DC electricity. If you enjoy building things or have a mind for troubleshooting, please contact us.