Midwest Wheel Companies are celebrating their 100th anniversary. Midwest Wheel Companies began business in Des Moines as Iowa Vulcanizing Company on March 1, 1911.
The company was founded by Fred Prior and George Koons when they moved west from Akron, Ohio. It was the first rubber vulcanizer west of the Mississippi River.
The company has expanded during its 100-year history and is now the largest truck parts distributor in the Midwest. Midwest Wheel Companies employs 180 employees in seven locations in Iowa (Des Moines, Clear Lake, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Sioux City) and Missouri (Kansas City and Grandview).
As part of its year-long celebration, the company has made a $20,000 donation to the Iowa Motor Truck Association’s Iowa Motor Carriers Foundation and a $10,000 donation to Des Moines Area Community College.
“As we turned 100 years young, we felt that it was appropriate to show our appreciation of the trucking industry by establishing scholarship programs to promote the industry,” said Mike Callison.
“We want to thank all of our employees, customers, and suppliers for their support over the past 100 years. They are the people who have made us ‘100 Years Strong’.”