Hendrickson Looks to Future Following Motor Wheel Acquisition

After its recent acquisition of the Motor Wheel brake drum and Crewson slack adjuster business segments from Stemco, Hendrickson said it’s going to invest more capital and technology in the product lines.

The company said it’s working to revitalize the Motor Wheel name with new branding and graphics and has launched a new website, www.motorwheel-intl.com.

In August, Hendrickson announced the acquisition from Stemco and parent company EnPro Industries.

Motor Wheel’s CentriFuse and Crewson brand names will be kept, while Motor Wheel will operate as a Hendrickson company. 

“We are excited about this acquisition and the rich American heritage of Motor Wheel,” said Gary Gerstenslager, president and CEO of Hendrickson, in a news release. “We will continue to provide the loyal Motor Wheel and Crewson customers, in production and the aftermarket, with reliable, quality and high-performing products."

He explained that the Motor Wheel name has a new brand mark, a new tagline of “Performance on the Move,” and a new color scheme. The new website features information about Motor Wheel’s CentriFuse drums and Crewson brake adjuster products, information about the history of Motor Wheel (which was founded in 1898 by Georgia-born William Prudden and renamed Motor Wheel in 1920 after a merger with Gier Pressed Steel and Auto Wheel), and contact information for the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based company.

At the time of the acquisition, Gerstenslager said that it would “provide a platform for Hendrickson to advance our lightweight drum brake system performance and provide components that will complement our existing product portfolio.”