What Gray Manufacturing makes

Gray Manufacturing builds heavy-duty vehicle lifting and shop service equipment at its plant in St. Joseph, Missouri. The core line is air-operated end lifts and truck jacks, sold as the TSL series, which the company describes as its most reliable and long-lasting truck lift system. Around that sit wireless mobile column lifts, surface-mounted and truck service lifts, transmission and component jacks such as the MM-2000 (in continuous production since the 1970s), floor service jacks, vehicle support stands, shop cranes, shop presses, engine stands, wheel dollies, and wheel lift systems, plus a deep catalog of adapters and accessories for specific truck and OEM applications.

The equipment is aimed at heavy-duty truck service: private fleets running their own maintenance shops, professional repair and tire shops, and government and military vehicle operations. The company also sells electric-vehicle-specific accessories, including an EV battery pack adapter for its lifting systems, alongside diesel-particulate-filter adapters and a wide range of axle, differential, and driveline adapters. Published lift capacities run into the tens of tons across the truck and mobile-column ranges.

Gray describes its model as vertical manufacturing: product development, engineering, and manufacturing are managed in-house at St. Joseph, and replacement parts and technical support are handled directly by the company rather than through third parties. Its patents cover wireless vehicle lift systems with electronic controls, a technology area central to the modern mobile-column-lift market.

Ownership and history

Gray Manufacturing is a fourth-generation, family-owned business. The lineage traces to J.H. Gray, who ran a tire shop in St. Joseph and secured his first patent in 1921. In 1952, J.H. Gray and his son Joe Gray founded the company around an air end lift jack (the BF-100 pneumatic bumper jack), and the brand became a fixture in service stations, dealerships, and repair shops before expanding into heavy-duty truck service equipment.

Joe Gray led the business for roughly 70 years and died in 2023. The company is now run by Pete Gray, grandson of J.H. Gray and son of Joe Gray, who joined in 1989 and has served as CEO since 2003. Sterett "Stet" Schanze has been President since 2006 and oversees day-to-day operations and strategy. The fourth generation, Pete Gray's son Mitchell Gray, has joined the company. Headquarters and manufacturing sit at 3501 S. Leonard Rd., St. Joseph, Missouri 64503. Independent data profiles put the workforce at roughly 79 employees, a figure that has grown over the past two years.

Certifications and quality

Gray states that its products meet the Buy American Act and are made in the USA, and it markets domestic parts availability as a core benefit of its vertical, in-house manufacturing model. The company does not prominently publish a current third-party quality-system certificate such as ISO 9001 on its public pages, so any such registration is reported here only as far as the company itself claims it. Quality positioning centers on durability and service life: the company and its customers describe equipment remaining in service for decades, and warranty and after-sale service run directly through the St. Joseph operation.

Known customers

Gray publishes its end markets rather than a named customer roster, which is normal for a shop-equipment maker selling through distributors. One category relationship is documented on the company's own site.

Beyond these categories, Gray sells through a distributor and international-partner network into professional truck repair and tire shops. Customer testimonials on the company site name buyers such as Coleman Taylor Transmissions describing long service life on the HTJ-1000 transmission jack.

Intellectual property and industry position

Gray holds a portfolio of U.S. patents on wireless vehicle lift systems, and its patent position has been a recurring feature of its public record. In March 2019, Gray Manufacturing and Vehicle Service Group (VSG) jointly announced a mutual licensing agreement recognizing the validity of eleven collectively held U.S. patents and cross-licensing the underlying lifting technologies. Gray has separately pursued and publicized patent-infringement actions against distributors and purchasers of competing wireless mobile column lifts, including equipment associated with SEFAC. These disputes are relevant to buyers because they concern the wireless mobile-column-lift technology that Gray sells, and they signal an active in-house engineering and IP function for a company of this size.

Frequently asked questions

What does Gray Manufacturing make?

Gray Manufacturing makes heavy-duty vehicle lifting and shop service equipment: air-operated truck end lifts (the TSL series), wireless mobile column lifts, transmission and component jacks, floor jacks, vehicle support stands, shop cranes, shop presses, and a large catalog of adapters and accessories. It also offers EV-specific accessories such as a battery pack adapter.

Who owns Gray Manufacturing?

Gray Manufacturing is a fourth-generation, family-owned business based in St. Joseph, Missouri. It was founded in 1952 by J.H. Gray and his son Joe Gray. It is now led by CEO Pete Gray, grandson of J.H. Gray, with Pete's son Mitchell Gray representing the fourth generation.

Where is Gray Manufacturing located?

Gray Manufacturing is headquartered at 3501 S. Leonard Rd., St. Joseph, Missouri 64503, where it also manufactures. The company describes a vertical, in-house model in which engineering, manufacturing, parts, and service are all managed at that location.

Who are Gray Manufacturing's customers?

Gray sells to heavy-duty truck repair and tire shops, private fleets that run their own maintenance facilities, and government and military vehicle operations. The company states that the U.S. Military relies on its mobile lifts and markets a dedicated military mobile-column-lift line. It sells through a distributor and international-partner network.

How big is Gray Manufacturing?

Independent data profiles estimate Gray Manufacturing at roughly 79 employees, with modeled annual revenue in the low tens of millions of dollars. The company does not publish audited financial figures. Point revenue estimates from data brokers are modeled rather than reported.

What certifications does Gray Manufacturing hold?

Gray states that its products meet the Buy American Act and are made in the USA. The company does not prominently publish a current third-party quality-system certificate on its public pages, so any such registration is reported only as the company itself claims it.

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