HI-LIFT FACTORY TOUR

Hi-Lift Tour 

We recently had the opportunity to tour the Hi-Lift factory in Bloomfield Indiana. The Hi-lift jack company has been around for over 100 years and started out making jacks for the Model A cars and has evolved into one of the most recognized accessories seen in the off-road aftermarket industry today. Having the chance to really see how this remarkably simple, yet useful tool is actually made was quite interesting and impressive. We don’t often take the time to really understand how the items we rely on when we venture out into the wilderness or trails are made, we just count on them to work for us in our time of need or distress.  

One of the neat things about pulling up to the Hi-Lift plant is the 20ft. jack that sits in their parking lot. A complete replica of the jacks they produce stands proudly out front of the plant in the small town and certainly let’s travelers through the area know what the company makes. A subsidiary of Bloomfield Manufacturing Hi-Lift jacks are not the only thing the company has produced in the last century, the company has made other products and items like man hole covers and even pineapple grenades (we would suspect during wartime, who knows it could be for the complaint department too). Comprised of several old brick buildings the plant stands out as what appears to be one of the historic symbols of the small community in Indiana and a testament of a simpler time in our country where pride in workmanship and quality meant everything. 

One would expect to see a huge manufacturing plant that had many different departments working 7 days a week 24 hours a day to keep up the demand for such a popular product. We were as surprised as we were amazed to see how small and tight knit the folks as well as the operations were when we began to tour the property. With a crew of about two dozen employees Hi-Lift produces all of their components for their jacks on site making these 100% “made in America” which is another great thing about the fine product they produce. The steel comes in raw form and they cut the climbing pins as well as the main section of the jack and have machines that punch out the holes in the stock all the way to their own powder coating booths and ovens. As the tour progressed we met a few of the employees and began to get a sense of how much of a family environment and operation the plant seemed to be. Some of the people there have been employed by the company for many years and they even have spouses working side by side. Each employee on the line really takes pride in the workmanship of the item they make or the role they play and it certainly shows in the finished product. 

With around a dozen different models of jacks that have been produced over years there is surprising little difference in appearance of the progression of the product. The company has a display of the different models that have been made over the years to accommodate the need for jacks from antique vehicles to railroad cars and off-roaders alike. In 2005 the company even put out a special edition model in green, the original color of the jack and produced 2005 of them commemorating their 100^{th year} anniversary.  

Whether you choose to buy a Hi-Lift jack for your needs, because it was recommended to you buy a friend, coworker, magazine article or you choose to buy one of their products because they are proudly made in the these great United States of America, choose Hi-Lift.

Click on the pictures below to view the full size...