Great Dane Indiana plant celebrates 50 years

Great Dane is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Brazil, Indiana, manufacturing plant, a milestone that honors decades of innovation, teamwork, and community impact in the Wabash Valley. Since opening its doors in 1975, the Brazil plant has become an integral part of Great Dane’s operations and a pillar of the local economy, the company noted.  

“Over the course of its history, our Brazil manufacturing plant has made remarkable contributions to our company’s success and to the local community,” said Rick Mullininx, president and COO of Great Dane. “The team at Brazil is an essential part of our company’s 125-year story, building our most diversified and complex portfolio of trailers and truck bodies that haul products people rely on each day.”  

Over the last 50 years, the team has built more than 485,000 pieces of equipment, including reefers, dry vans, containers, and truck bodies. 

“In our first year of production the plant sold 83 trailers, warehoused 100% of the material inside, and operated on one shift,” said Cory Lookebill, Great Dane executive director, manufacturing. “As we grew, we had years where we built more than 19,000 units off of four production lines.” 

Additionally, the plant reached many significant milestones during its time in operation. Notable highlights include:  

• Late 1970s: soon after the plant was built it was expanded to include reefer production, nearly doubling in size.
• Late 1980s: began producing the M line, a specialty trailer line that can handle a wide variety of specs.
• 2000s: ushered in the technology and process for manufacturing our trailer linings, which would eventually include our innovative ThermoGuard feature; produced nearly 44% of Great Dane’s trailer production in one year.
• 2010s: birthplace of Great Dane’s Alpine and Sahara truck body manufacturing.
• 2019: Great Dane’s Champ mascot, was moved from Savannah to Brazil to stand proudly as a brand representative. Champ was originally built in 1953 for a trailer dealership.

Today, the plant is one of the largest manufacturing employers in the Wabash Valley, with nearly 900 team members. Reflecting the strong bond between the company and its employees, 10% of the workforce has dedicated more than 25 years of service to Great Dane.

“The hard work and dedication of our Brazil team help Great Dane maintain its reputation as an industry leader, and their commitment strengthens everything we do,” said Darrell Perrelle, plant manager at Great Dane Brazil. “I’m grateful for this team, for our loyal customers, and the Wabash Valley community for being part of Great Dane’s impressive history of resilience and innovation.”