Over Eight Decades and Going Strong
Pollard Brothers has been manufacturing functional, durable and versatile steel factory equipment since 1921 when brother’s Henry and Bert Pollard formed the company. Civil and Mechanical Engineers from the University of Illinois, Henry and Bert returned to the Chicago area after serving in World War I. Drawing on their degrees and experience in the armed forces they sought to manufacture a more substantial workbench leg for the field and factory. As production boomed throughout the United States in the 1930s and 1940s, so did Pollard Brothers. Using their knowledge and work ethic, within a few years Pollard Bros was known nationwide for the reliability and strength of their lifetime factory equipment.
The cornerstone of the Pollard product line in the 1920s was the 200 Series Bench Leg, which is just as popular and reliable today, some eight decades after its inception, as it was in 1921. Startup companies like Motorola and institutions like the US Army lined the floors of their factories and warehouses with these Arc-Welded 2”x 2” x 1/8” Bench Legs. In a short time an expanded product line was developed, evolving into a dozen product categories and hundreds of individual styles.
Shortly after serving in World War II Bill Hein, Henry Pollard’s son-in-law, and Bob Moller, Bill’s longtime friend, joined the company. Bill handled production while Bob handled sales. A new manufacturing facility was built on the present site, including a warehouse, allowing Pollard Brother’s Mfg to stock a substantial amount of products for quick and easy shipment. Over the following four decades Bill and Bob further enhanced the Pollard Brothers name and product line by adding and refining items like Machine Tables, Storage Racks and our signature Maple Top Cabinet Workbenches & Heavy Duty Steel Plate Top Workbenches. IN addition, Bill and Bob developed Pridecraft, a division of Pollard Brothers, to manufacture affordable dependable workbenches and workbench legs for the home work shop and garage.
In the 1980s Steve Hein, Bill Hein’s son, continued the family tradition, and his brother William Henry Hein joined the company in the 1990s. They were able to streamline Pollard’s production line, leading to the finest quality product at the best possible price. They increased Pollard Brothers reach; taking the Pollard name from being known regionally and nationally to respected and requested worldwide whenever and wherever strong, dependable lifetime factory equipment is needed.
Presently, Jason and Nathan Hein carry on this Fourth Generation family business. Pollard Brothers full line of steel factory equipment is marketed throughout a diversified network of industrial distributors in North America and the world. We enjoy a long held reputation for quality and reliability as exemplified by decades of repeat business from general construction, transportation, utilities, armed forces and home renovation industries. AS the world evolves so does Pollard Brothers, which now carries workbenches, machine tables, shop stools, locker room benches, carts, heavy duty trucks and storage racks just as suited for the basement, garage or home workshop as the factory or jobsite.
For the last eight decades Pollard Brothers has had a strong, reliable product to sell and a strong, reliable staff to sell it. We pride ourselves on manufacturing the best possible product at the best possible price and providing exceptional customer service along the way. We look forward to proving it to you. No other workbench, no other equipment, will stay as strong or last as long as Pollard Brothers.
A Look Back
