Operating Companies
Current Operating Companies
GVW acquired select vehicle designs and intellectual property from Volvo Trucks
North America to form Autocar, LLC in 2001. The standalone company, headquartered
in Hagerstown, IN, is an industry leader in engineering, marketing, and assembling
of Class 8, severe-service trucks for niche markets.
Autocar is an innovator in trucks designed specifically for the severe-service market.
The company’s Xpeditor product line offers state-of-the-art features ranging from
improved ergonomic cabs, integrated controls, and unsurpassed body-chassis interface
to a new hybrid-drive refuse truck.
As the oldest vehicle nameplate with continuous production in the United States,
Autocar has an incomparable reputation for truck designing and manufacturing achievements
and innovations. The company utilizes a nationwide dealer and service network.
Autocar’s customer base includes large fleets, private fleets and municipalities
in the United States and Canada. The company is investing heavily in launching several
new platforms to complement the current product offerings and expand into new vocational
markets.
Company website: www.autocartruck.com
Aculocity is an IT consulting and services firm that focuses on custom software
development, business intelligence, and manufacturing systems. Our offices are located
within the United States, Europe, and South Africa. This global delivery platform
allows us to bring speed, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility to our client’s projects.
Aculocity always strives to find practical solutions that fit the client’s budget.
As a technology platform with established processes and infrastructure (finance,
sales, marketing, recruiting, HR, etc.), Aculocity is also a powerful partner for
start-up technology companies. Aculocity offers more than just capital – the company
has a strong track record bringing technology solutions to market and leverages
its infrastructure and past experiences to overcome the strategic, financial, and
operational challenges that growing technology companies face. Aculocity is currently
actively exploring opportunities and investing in potential future market leaders
from a variety of technology sectors.
Aculocity brings the extensive backgrounds of its management team to each investment. With experience
developing products/services and mobile applications like Virtual Vuvuzela. Aculocity can guide the expansion
of young technology companies while providing the time and resoures necessary in a challenging growth stage.
Company website: www.aculocity.com
Triz Engineering Services is an innovator that provides “cradle-to-grave” product
development and expertise through its sophisticated engineering services that address
the needs of engineering and manufacturing businesses.
Launched as a startup business in Cape Town, South Africa in 2001, Triz provides
remote or onsite engineering solutions for automotive, trucking, off-highway, construction,
utility, and military vehicles’ major components, sub-systems and full vehicle platforms.
Triz offers a range of services that include concept development, prototype build,
testing, production launch, and after-sales support. Complete engineering development
management services include project management, engineering design, analysis and
drafting of drawings and other information required for the production process.
Triz clients benefit from the company’s ISO-approved Advanced Product Quantity Planning
process, which ensures the consistently satisfactory completion of assignments,
accelerating the time-to-market of new and emerging client technologies.
No matter the complexity of the project, Triz presents a high value, variable-cost
alternative for companies that need immediate additional support resources to launch
new products and resolve design issues.
Company website:www.trizengineering.com
Selected Prior Operating Companies
GVW launched Workhorse Custom Chassis in 1998, by acquiring the P-chassis assets
and intellectual property from General Motors. The company’s management team was
responsible for building a new 200,000 square foot manufacturing facility “from
the ground up”, and hired a staff of 300 managers and production workers – all in
the span of less than one year.
After relocating the P-chassis assets to Indiana, GVW developed an outstanding team
of business, operations and engineering functions that included a world-class assembly
plant, operating business processes, and introduction of several new products in
only two years.
The company manufactures stripped chassis for the motor home, bus and commercial
vehicle segments. GVW’s management team developed a suite of sixteen new products
in just five years. Because of its finely-tuned implementation strategy, Workhorse’s
market share in the gas-powered motor home segment increased from 19% when the assets
were initially acquired, to over 65% in less than five years.
After several years of steadily increasing EBITDA growth, GVW sold Workhorse to
Navistar International in 2005.
GVW acquired the then-bankrupt Union City Body Company (UCBC) in 1993 and created
a highly-successful company that produced aluminum walk-in van bodies for leading
delivery companies such as Federal Express, Frito Lay, and United Parcel Service.
During its ownership, GVW spent considerable time and resources to improve the product
offering, reduce operational costs, refine go-to-market strategies, and restructure
the business. UCBC jointly developed and launched the industry’s first successful
fully engineered and integrated step van truck in conjunction with Workhorse Custom
Chassis.
GVW sold UCBC to Utilimaster Corporation in 2005.
GVW acquired Uptime Parts from Transcom, a bankrupt rollup of heavy-duty parts distributors
nationwide. Launched in 2001, GVW successfully integrated the OES service parts
business from its existing portfolio business into the acquired Uptime Parts infrastructure.
Each of these businesses featured distinct customer-facing organizations, but shared
all back office and warehousing technology for optimal operating efficiencies.
The resulting new company, GVW Parts, supplied replacement and aftermarket parts
for the recreational vehicle, heavy truck, medium truck, and bus after markets.
GVW sold GVW Parts to Navistar International in 2005.