Hebe acquires Seagrave Fire Apparatus

One of North America's leading manufacturers of fire and emergency services vehicles, Seagrave Fire Apparatus, has been acquired by former American LaFrance and Freightliner LLC chairman and CEO James Hebe and a group of private investors, managed through Ballamor Capital Management, Inc. of Wayne, PA. Seagrave, a division of FWD Corporation, based in Clintonville, WI, manufactures a full line of commercial and custom pumpers, rescue trucks, aerial ladders, tractor-drawn aerials and platforms for fire departments across North America. Among its customers are the largest fire departments in the country, including New York City, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Hebe and Ballamor have acquired the assets of FWD Corporation, Seagrave Fire Apparatus, and its affiliates: Almonte Fire Trucks of Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada; Aerialscope Inc. of Richmond, VA; Seagrave Sales & Service of South Plainfield, NJ; and Seagrave West of Rancho Dominguez, CA. The businesses were acquired from the former owner, Corsta Corp."The Seagrave brand is an icon in the industry. Seagrave products have an untarnished and proven reputation for their quality, superior workmanship and 'bullet-proof' reliability," said Hebe, who has been named president and chief executive officer of the new company, Seagrave Fire Apparatus, LLC. "Seagrave employees are certainly one of the company's strongest assets and I'm looking forward to joining this company. Together, with the already expansive product line and new products under development, we will continue to grow the company and further enhance its service to fire and emergency departments throughout North America." Hebe has held numerous top leadership posts in the fire service and trucking industries during the past three decades.Former president, chief executive officer and part owner, Jim Green, has agreed to serve on a consulting basis with the new company for a short period of time. According to Green, "Seagrave has made significant strides in recent years broadening its product lines and enhancing its manufacturing capabilities. Seagrave employees can be proud that they have made it one of the fastest growing companies in the fire apparatus industry today. I have tremendously enjoyed my years working with all the wonderful people associated with Seagrave. The future holds many great opportunities for Seagrave and Jim Hebe is an excellent individual to lead the company forward."Seagrave Fire Apparatus, founded in 1881, is the oldest continuous manufacturer of fire apparatus in North America. The company employs 422 through its manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Canada. Seagrave products are distributed and serviced by a dealer network with locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.