American LaFrance celebrated its 175th anniversary and the grand opening of its new facility in Summerville, S.C., on Oct. 19–20. The event drew more than 1,200 people to view antique apparatus, tour the plant and participate in the festivities.

The brand-new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility includes over 440,000 square feet of production and assemby space dedicated to fire apparatus and vocational chassis. The corporate office has 57,000 square feet of space and also houses a display area for antique apparatus owned by the company.

“We are a proud company built by our customers and associates and we look forward to expanding our reputation of producing products that enable fire and EMS personnel to save lives and protect property," said new president and CEO Bill Hinz. "Our products are identified with high quality and backed by unmatched dealer support during and after the sale. American LaFrance is poised to take the next step in re-establishing our position as the leader in fire apparatus.”

The new plant will eventually have the capacity to produce 100 to 120 full fire and rescue apparatus plus 720 vocational chassis per month. It is currently in production with a single shift of personnel, with plans to add a second shift as demand warrants. The company has a solid backlog of orders worth well over $200 million.