Ranch Hand Truck Accessories
Encyclopedia
Ranch Hand Truck Accessories is an American manufacturer of after market heavy duty truck accessories.
. Their original product was a grille guard which they called a "donkey knocker." In January 2000 It was acquired by the Kaspar Companies, a family owned group of businesses. The Kaspar Companies merged their brand, Kaspar Ranch Gear, with the Ranch Hand brand name and in 2001 moved all manufacturing to their central location in Shiner, Texas
.
They currently have over 190 employees and two manufacturing facilities; their original 100000 sq ft (9,290.3 m²). facility located in Shiner, Texas, a new facility in Beeville, Texas
, a 65000 square feet (6,038.7 m²) warehouse and distribution center, and a full scale paint line and packaging line. Although manufacturing in general is a simpler business, their manufacturing facilities use state of the art technology.
Over time, the brand grew and now today, Ranch Hand's products are sold through company owned stores, distributors, new truck dealerships, and Truck/SUV accessory dealers. Direct sales in the US are focused primarily on factory outlet stores located in Texas, Colorado and Oklahoma. Their dealer network covers most of the US and parts of Canada.
and SUV's as well as various smaller products such as steps, headache racks, haulers and toolbox
es. Some significant differences in the product were developed. Instead of painting products, a new super polyester baked finish was developed. Also, expanded metal
, commonly used as the mesh for BBQ grills was replaced with a higher quality custom punched insert which is custom made to match the make and the model of the vehicle. Their products are also fully welded and mount directly to the vehicle frame. One of the more unique features they have is the use of custom punched grille inserts to match the make and model of the vehicle the grille is being mounted on.
They also produce various fleet products targeting emergency vehicles including patrol cars and fire & rescue vehicles. In June 2010, they released a niche market product called the Wind Bed for wind farm
maintenance crews.
They currently have products for the full size vehicles produced by General Motors
, Toyota, Chevrolet
, Ford Motor Company
, Dodge
, and Jeep
, they use an advocate marketing strategy
where they have created a strong culture of loyal followers of rural ranchers and people in the working trades who use their Ranch Hand product on a daily basis and test it to the limit. This brand image in turn invites other people to join in on the Ranch Hand.
They are a member of SEMA
automotive aftermarket show where they showcase their product line and update dealers on innovations, new models, and updates. The company is owned and operated by graduates of Texas A&M University and in 2005, Ranch Hand became a member of the Aggie 100, an organization which identifies, recognizes and celebrates the 100 fastest growing Aggie-owned businesses in the world.
Their grille guards and front end replacements do offer a degree of protection in accidents ranging from fender benders to head on collisions, but the company will not claim protection as one of their selling points with their marketing in order to avoid liability issues.
History
Established in 1986, Ranch Hand was originally founded in Boerne, TexasBoerne, Texas
Boerne is a city in the Hill Country of Texas in the United States. It is the county seat of Kendall County. Boerne was named in honor of Ludwig Börne, a Jewish German author and publicist, and its population was 10, 471 in the 2010 census. The city is noted for the landmark U.S. Supreme Court...
. Their original product was a grille guard which they called a "donkey knocker." In January 2000 It was acquired by the Kaspar Companies, a family owned group of businesses. The Kaspar Companies merged their brand, Kaspar Ranch Gear, with the Ranch Hand brand name and in 2001 moved all manufacturing to their central location in Shiner, Texas
Shiner, Texas
Shiner is a city in Lavaca County, Texas, United States. The town was named after Henry B. Shiner who donated for railroad right of way. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 2,070....
.
They currently have over 190 employees and two manufacturing facilities; their original 100000 sq ft (9,290.3 m²). facility located in Shiner, Texas, a new facility in Beeville, Texas
Beeville, Texas
Beeville is a city in Bee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,129 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bee County...
, a 65000 square feet (6,038.7 m²) warehouse and distribution center, and a full scale paint line and packaging line. Although manufacturing in general is a simpler business, their manufacturing facilities use state of the art technology.
Over time, the brand grew and now today, Ranch Hand's products are sold through company owned stores, distributors, new truck dealerships, and Truck/SUV accessory dealers. Direct sales in the US are focused primarily on factory outlet stores located in Texas, Colorado and Oklahoma. Their dealer network covers most of the US and parts of Canada.
Products
Ranch Hand manufactures grille guards, push bars, front end replacements, back bumper replacements for full size trucksPickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
and SUV's as well as various smaller products such as steps, headache racks, haulers and toolbox
Toolbox
A toolbox varies with the craft of the owner. The purpose of the toolbox is to organize, carry, and protect the owner's tools used for trade, hobby or DIY.-Types of toolboxes:...
es. Some significant differences in the product were developed. Instead of painting products, a new super polyester baked finish was developed. Also, expanded metal
Expanded metal
Expanded metal is a form of metal stock made by shearing a metal plate in a press, so that the metal stretches, leaving diamond-shaped voids surrounded by interlinked bars of the metal. The most common method of manufacture is to simultaneously slit and stretch the material with one motion...
, commonly used as the mesh for BBQ grills was replaced with a higher quality custom punched insert which is custom made to match the make and the model of the vehicle. Their products are also fully welded and mount directly to the vehicle frame. One of the more unique features they have is the use of custom punched grille inserts to match the make and model of the vehicle the grille is being mounted on.
They also produce various fleet products targeting emergency vehicles including patrol cars and fire & rescue vehicles. In June 2010, they released a niche market product called the Wind Bed for wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
maintenance crews.
They currently have products for the full size vehicles produced by General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, Toyota, Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
, Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
, and Jeep
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is a subcompact four-wheel drive sport utility vehicle and an off-road vehicle manufactured by American automaker Chrysler, under its Jeep marque – and now in its fourth generation. It is a successor to the famous World War II 'Jeep' vehicle by way of the Willys civilian...
Brand image and marketing
Ranch Hand's reputation was built on rugged durability and has evolved into a heavy-duty product that is designed to enhance the look of the latest model trucks and SUV's. Their logo has evolved over the years as well as their overall brand image. The image they portray today is that Ranch Hand is tough and dependable. Similar to Harley-DavidsonHarley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
, they use an advocate marketing strategy
Marketing strategy
Marketing strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.-Developing a marketing strategy:...
where they have created a strong culture of loyal followers of rural ranchers and people in the working trades who use their Ranch Hand product on a daily basis and test it to the limit. This brand image in turn invites other people to join in on the Ranch Hand.
They are a member of SEMA
SEMA
Specialty Equipment Market Association of the automobile aftermarket was formed in 1963 by Roy Richter, Ed Iskenderian, Willie Garner, Bob Hedman, John Bartlett, Phil Weiand, Jr., Al Segal, Dean Moon, and Vic Edelbrock, Jr...
automotive aftermarket show where they showcase their product line and update dealers on innovations, new models, and updates. The company is owned and operated by graduates of Texas A&M University and in 2005, Ranch Hand became a member of the Aggie 100, an organization which identifies, recognizes and celebrates the 100 fastest growing Aggie-owned businesses in the world.
Their grille guards and front end replacements do offer a degree of protection in accidents ranging from fender benders to head on collisions, but the company will not claim protection as one of their selling points with their marketing in order to avoid liability issues.