Ledwell celebrates 75 years

Ledwell, Texarkana, Texas, a family-owned custom truck equipment and trailer manufacturer, is celebrating its 75th year in business. The company was founded in 1946 by Buddy Ledwell and his father.

After returning from WWII, Buddy and his father, L.W. Ledwell Sr., started Ledwell & Son, a lumber company. One day Buddy needed a certain kind of trailer to haul lumber, so he rolled up his sleeves and welded the frame he needed to get the job done. A neighboring farmer saw the trailer and asked, “Where’d you get that? I need one!” So, Buddy built it for him.

Today, Ledwell builds custom trailers and truck bodies for just about every industry — from water and feed trucks to hydraulic trailers and vacuum — for customers all over the world, the company says.

“We build our bodies and trailers to be tough. Things that are add-ons for other manufacturers, like stronger steel and thicker water tank linings, are standard on our products. With proper care and maintenance, we expect our customers to get decades of service out of our equipment. That’s what ‘Ledwell Made’ means to us,” said Lesley Ledwell Dukelow, president.

“We take care of our customers,” said Jill Launius, sales coordinator. “Once they buy Ledwell, they’re part of the family. We know that downtime can be costly for a business, so we work hard to make sure parts are in stock and shipped fast and that service is easily accessible for our customers.”

Today, the legacy of the 75-year-old business continues under the third and fourth generation leadership of Buddy’s son, Steve and granddaughter, Lesley. Ledwell has grown to employ more than 500 workers.