A local sewer, street and waste management equipment company recently purchased a Minnesota business, and it plans to expand its headquarters in Arnold.
Tripp Manheimer, president of Armor Equipment, said the business is finalizing plans to grow its facility at 1368 Lonedell Road after recently announcing the purchase of the Dakota Truck Co. in Lakeville, Minn.
“We have been in a pretty good growth mode,” Manheimer said.
Manheimer said Armor, which is part of the environmental products group of MH Equipment, has been in Arnold since 1970. The company sells and services trucks for collecting trash and recyclable items, sewer and water systems cleaning, and maintenance and street sweepers.
He said the company purchased CC Dillon, a petroleum trucking company at 1342 Lonedell Road, in 2019 to build a new shop next to Armor’s current location.
“They have a fabrication facility that we are going to tear down to build a new shop with an expanded parts area with some additional facilities for the staff,” Manheimer said. “We are going through the site planning exercise with the city and our engineers. I figure we will not break ground until the first quarter of next year.”
Manheimer said the Arnold location has 31 employees and Armor will need to hire additional people after the new shop is built.
“We are always looking for good technicians,” he said. “The new shop will have four additional bays, so we need at least four additional technicians. We also are getting into sewer camera repairs, and that requires someone with a skill set in electrical work.”
The purchase of the Dakota Truck Co. was the second piece to Armor’s expansion into the northern Midwest. In January, the company bought Environment Equipment in Elko, Minn., which expanded its reach into Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota.
The company operated and offered services in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa since consolidating with Mid-Iowa Solid Waste Equipment Co. in July 2024, according to Armor’s website, armor-equip.com.
“The acquisition we made is for the real estate because we needed a bigger shop,” Manheimer said of purchasing Dakota Truck Co. “It will affect us in Arnold because we have expanded our product line, and we are leveraging the resources of MH Logistics (the parent company of MH Equipment) that has shops and facilities in 41 locations.”
Armor purchased the Dakota Truck Co. on Sept. 1. The Minnesota company is a medium- and heavy-duty truck and trailer repair business and adds repair capabilities to Armor’s equipment sales, parts and service operations, according to a statement announcing the deal.
“We’re pleased to welcome Dakota Truck to the Armor Equipment family,” Manheimer said in the statement. “Our customers need more than the right equipment. They need the service and support that keep it working.
“Dakota Truck’s repair expertise complements our environmental equipment business and supports our focus on helping customers reduce downtime, extend equipment life and manage their total cost of ownership. It’s another important step as we continue to grow the Environmental Products Group of MH Equipment.”
Manheimer said Armor is searching for opportunities to expand its repair facilities in other cities, such as Springfield, but there are no plans for Armor to leave Arnold.
“Arnold will continue to be the headquarters for Armor for the foreseeable future,” he said. “Everything kind of hubs out of Arnold.”