What Grand Rock makes

Grand Rock Exhaust Company manufactures and distributes aftermarket exhaust components for heavy-duty trucks, built around chrome exhaust stacks and the pipes, elbows, mufflers, clamps, and brackets that go with them. The catalog runs to more than 3,000 parts and covers the full Class 8 field: OE-aftermarket exhaust for Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, International, Volvo, Mack, Sterling, Western Star, and Ford, plus universal replacement parts, stainless components, emissions-solution parts, air-intake tubes, and mufflers and resonators in nine types. The company also builds exhaust for medium-duty trucks, school buses, and pickups.

Grand Rock is a manufacturer first and a distributor second. It runs its own production in Painesville, Ohio, using over a dozen machine types, from tube cutting machines to NC and CNC benders with end forming, and designs parts in SolidWorks with CMM roaming-arm inspection to check fit. By its own account the company produces more than 95 percent of its offering in house. Chrome stacks are the flagship line: tubing is polished on an automated line to a mirror finish, then plated by North American platers to what the company says meets or beats OE requirements, with a multi-step quality-control check at the end.

Sourcing is deliberately close to home. The company states that about 98 percent of what it carries and sells is made in North America. Tubing comes from Ohio and Nebraska, many clamps come from Michigan, and its bending and production equipment is US-made. A smaller set of parts is made to specification in Mexico and Europe. That domestic footprint is central to how Grand Rock positions itself against packagers that import finished goods, and it is the reason the company competes on chrome quality and on-time, damage-free shipping rather than on offshore price. Buyers weighing nearshoring and tariff exposure in their exhaust and hardware spend are the natural audience for a North-American-made line like this one.

Ownership and history

Grand Rock was founded in 1974 and has been family-owned by the Arth family throughout its history. The company has operated from the Painesville Industrial Park in northeast Ohio since 1995. Jerry Arth ran the company as president for decades and stepped down from that role in July 2015 to focus on international growth while remaining secretary and treasurer; his son Ryan Arth became president in the same 2015 leadership transition, and Haris Tokalic, who had been named executive vice president at that time, is the company president as of 2026. Butch Ilievski has served as global vice president of sales and marketing since 2018.

The business has kept growing as an independent. In April 2026, the City of Painesville reported that Grand Rock employs 65 people and had recently acquired an additional building in the Painesville Industrial Park to support expansion. The city's economic development director described the company's growth as the result of intentional leadership and strategic vision rather than chance. For direct-materials buyers, the useful read is that Grand Rock is a small, established, single-site manufacturer that has scaled steadily and reinvested in local capacity, which is a different risk profile from a broker or a thinly capitalized reseller.

Awards and recognition

Grand Rock's public record leans on recognition rather than on formal quality certifications, which it does not publish. In 2016 the company received the U.S. Department of Commerce President's "E" Award for exports, presented by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker to Ryan Arth and Haris Tokalic on May 16, 2016; the "E" and "E Star" Awards are the highest recognition a U.S. entity can receive for supporting export activity, and the company has since been cited for the "E Star" level. In April 2026 Grand Rock received the John F. Clare Economic Development Award from the City of Painesville, recognizing businesses that balance commercial success with community service. The company has also been named to the regional Lake-Geauga Fast Track 50 list of high-growth companies. Grand Rock is a member of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), the trade body for vehicle-parts manufacturers and suppliers.

Known customers

Grand Rock does not publish a named customer list, which is normal for an aftermarket parts manufacturer that sells through dealers and distributors. Its parts fit the major Class 8 OEM platforms, so its market is the fleets, owner-operators, and repair channels that maintain those trucks rather than the truck makers themselves.

These are the vehicle platforms Grand Rock's parts are engineered to fit, not claims about who buys them. Buyers evaluating the company should treat it as a validated small-scale tier supplier in the heavy-duty exhaust aftermarket, with a documented export program and a domestic manufacturing base.

Frequently asked questions

What does Grand Rock Exhaust Company make?

Grand Rock manufactures aftermarket exhaust components for heavy-duty trucks: chrome exhaust stacks, pipes, elbows, mufflers, resonators, clamps, brackets, stainless components, emissions-solution parts, and air-intake tubes. It carries more than 3,000 parts covering Class 8 platforms from Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, International, Volvo, Mack, Western Star, and Ford, and it also serves medium-duty trucks, school buses, and pickups.

Who owns Grand Rock Exhaust Company?

Grand Rock is an independent, family-owned company that has been held by the Arth family since its 1974 founding. Jerry Arth is co-owner and former president; his son Ryan Arth became president in 2015, and Haris Tokalic is the company president as of 2026. It has operated from Painesville, Ohio since 1995.

Where is Grand Rock Exhaust Company located?

Grand Rock is headquartered at 395 Fountain Avenue in Painesville, Ohio, 44077, in the Painesville Industrial Park, where it has operated since 1995. In 2026 the company acquired an additional building in the same park to support expansion.

How many employees does Grand Rock have?

The City of Painesville reported that Grand Rock employed 65 people as of April 2026. That figure comes from local government coverage of the company's John F. Clare Economic Development Award. Databases that model headcount from LinkedIn profiles show lower numbers and tend to undercount manufacturing workforces.

Where are Grand Rock's products made?

Grand Rock states that about 98 percent of what it carries and sells is made in North America, and that it produces more than 95 percent of its offering in house at its Painesville, Ohio plant. Tubing comes from Ohio and Nebraska, many clamps come from Michigan, and chrome plating is done by North American platers. A small set of parts is made to specification in Mexico and Europe.

What awards has Grand Rock received?

Grand Rock received the U.S. Department of Commerce President's "E" Award for exports in 2016, presented by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, and has since been cited at the "E Star" level. In April 2026 it received the John F. Clare Economic Development Award from the City of Painesville, and it has been named to the regional Lake-Geauga Fast Track 50 list of high-growth companies.

Last verified September 27, 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.