About Highway Products

Give our customers a great investment in our products and they will invest in us again.

—Highway Products mission statement

In the 1970s, owner Gene Gros worked in the Rogue Valley as a welder for Willie Boats, Inc., a local manufacturer specializing in white water raft frames, boat and welding repair. Next-door was a trucking outfit that would often contract with Willie's to do repair work and to weld boxes for trucks. Soon Gene was in charge of the "truck department" and word got out to semi drivers that you could get a great toolbox made at Willie's. When Willie's business picked up for boat work, he had to start turning away the box business. Gene saw a great opportunity. With Willie's blessings and encouragement, Gene started a new business with a focus on making toolboxes for trucks.

The company had humble beginnings. Gene and his wife Debby started Highway Products in the garage underneath their two-story house. It just so happened that their first child, Chuck, was born the very same day that they started the business: November 22, 1980. All three of their children have grown up around Highway Products. Chuck is now the General Manager, his sister Elizabeth works in Quality Control, and their little sister Ginny works as an Office Assistant.

The early 80s were recession years. Business was slow and Gene kept the place going by doing welding repair and custom fabricating. Then things started to pick up for semi toolboxes. Soon the guys driving the big rigs started asking for toolboxes for their pickup trucks too. They wanted these toolboxes to be made with the same heavy locks, hinges and metal as the boxes on their semis. Even though the heavy-duty construction would cost more than other boxes, the truckers knew it would outlast the lighter construction of other brands. Gene designed these pickup boxes to withstand long and heavy use and put a lifetime warranty on most of the models. All of the Highway Products toolboxes are backed by 5-year or lifetime warranties. The family is proud to make the toughest toolboxes on the market.

The Highway Products brand means something now and the little garage workshop the company started in back in 1980 has been transformed into a 50,000 square foot manufacturing plant. Among the over 60 employees are southern Oregon's top welders and engineers.

The Highway Products family knows that satisfied customers are the backbone of their business. The numbers tell the story: the majority of their business is by returning customers or by referral. There are now thousands and thousands of Highway Products toolboxes on the nation's highways, proven tough enough to withstand the challenges of real road conditions. Their full product line includes standard semi and pickup truck boxes and cab guards, as well as customized flatbeds, RV tow bodies and custom capability.

The Gros family and their dedicated employees promise to work hard for you. That's their plan now and it will always be their plan. They know that their success depends on it.