COURTESY OF HEWS COMPANY
Hews Company has been manufacturing and distributing quality truck-mounted equipment to transport Maine products and services since 1927, when Roland Hews moved his family from Aroostook County to Portland with the intent of building horse-drawn wagons. As motorized vehicles quickly became the standard, Roland pivoted to converting motorcars and early Ford trucks into motorized wagons and delivery vans from his workshop on Portland’s West End.
Now based in South Portland, with a branch in Bow, NH, Hews Company has expanded its reach throughout the Northeast and into the Mid-Atlantic, partnering with leading truck body and equipment manufacturers and suppliers across the industry. The company will celebrate its 100th anniversary as a family-owned business in May 2027.
Bob and Charlie Hews, representing the third generation, began working for the company in the early 1970s. Under their leadership, Hews expanded both its product offerings and geographic footprint, becoming one of the largest builders and distributors of truck bodies and equipment in Northern New England. Today, the fourth generation is proudly leading the business, with Jim Hews serving as Chief Executive Officer and Drew Hews as Chief Technology Officer, alongside Chief Operations Officer Reggie Gagnier.
A major component of Hews Company’s business continues to be “upfitting” Class 3 through 8 work trucks used to move products and services across the Northeast for industries such as building supply, transportation, energy, marine, and forestry. The company represents premium truck body and equipment manufacturers to offer a full lineup including service and mechanic bodies, dump bodies, platform bodies, van bodies, lube bodies, and energy/propane bodies, as well as cranes, liftgates, forklifts, and suspension systems. Throughout the region, Hews is known for its built-to-spec Hews Custom Bodies, including the Taskmaster Platform Body, which carries a lifetime structural warranty and is utilized across a wide range of applications.
The company’s full-service shops in South Portland and Bow support customers with the installation of specialized equipment such as dump inserts, hook lifts, lube skids, truck-mounted cranes and forklifts, and traffic control solutions designed to prioritize crew safety and efficiency in road work zones. Hews also supplies and services a wide range of work truck parts and accessories, from power take-offs (PTOs) and hydraulic systems to lighting, storage, and trailer equipment.
Hews Company attributes its 99 years of success to the strong relationships it has built with customers, suppliers, vendor partners, and employees, supported by the quality of the equipment it manufactures and distributes. Upfitting trucks is specialized work that requires a highly skilled workforce and Hews has been fortunate to attract and retain good workers with remarkable tenure. With continued growth in recent years, the company is always looking to add skilled welders, fabricators, truck equipment technicians, and parts specialists to its team.
To learn more about Hews Company, visit www.hewsco.com or follow them on social media.
