A McLaughlin Body Company Timeline
McLaughlin Body Company’s history of providing ROPS/OPS safety and comfort for operator-controlled work equipment, military vehicles, and agricultural machinery continues today.
Riding the Currents. McLaughlin Body Company took root beside the Mississippi River in 1902 and has been living, moving, and evolving to its rhythms ever since.
Through two World Wars, developing the first Roll Over Protective Structure (ROPS) for International Harvester’s Farmall Tractor, and diversification into a wide range of vehicle and equipment markets, McLaughlin Body Company is now a seamless extension of many prominent original equipment manufacturers.
1906
Name changes to E.H. Wilson Mfg. Company
1914
The auto arrives: Wilson makes bodies for Velie & Root VanderVoort cars, with sheet steel installed over wood frames. By 1928, Velie had turned out 75,000 cars.
1916-1918
Expansion of business occurs to make war products for France; car body lines include Velie, Moon, Stutz and Sterns-Knight
1929
Great Depression: Ray Cundy and Harry McLaughlin, a former E.H. Wilson patternmaker and draftsman, form Moline Mfg.
1931
Name changes to McLaughlin Body Company as company moves into manufacturing truck cabs for Diamond T and panel truck bodies for GM; produces tractor cabs for Minneapolis Moline during the 1930's
1956
McLaughlin Body Company moves into East Moline plant
1960's
Develops the first Roll Over Protective Structure (ROPS) - for IH'S Farmall Tractor
1970's
Produces galvanized steel cab for Mack Truck
1987-88
Produces Ford CL-9000 aluminum truck cab; first in industry to install e-coat paint system
1990's
Expands into diversified markets such as construction and front-end header equipment; first to apply urethane sound, vibration and thermal insulation
2000's
Optimizes processes with automation, laser cutting, robotic welding and environmentally friendly powder coating
2009
Produces the Front-in Grain Header for CNH, support harvester equipment in China, Europe, Australia and North America
2010
Awarded Prime Contract from TACOM for armored weapon interface ring; produces new generation Grain Header for CNH
2012
Launched newly designed John Deere Combine S-Series Cab
2016
Implemented robotically applied LASD (Liquid Applied Sound Deadening) system to improve operator noise cancelling with customer base
2020
Launched multiple Deere C&F Cab projects