Ballymore Safety Products: A Legacy of Innovation
1945 – Ballymore invented the Rolling Safety Ladder
Like many people after WWII, John Colgan sought new opportunities. In 1945, he bought an Iceberg frozen food franchise, and rented space for a small store and frozen foods lockers. Noticing the wooden A-type ladders used by customers were unsafe, he designed a rolling stairway with handrails and spring-supported casters that locked when weight was applied. Iceberg liked his idea and began offering the "safety step" ladder with every franchise.
Meanwhile, the president of the local bank came in to pick up some frozen vegetables and thought the ladder was just what the bank needed to access their safety deposit boxes. Colgan began marketing to banks. By now he was spending more time making ladders than selling frozen foods. So, he sold the franchise and started his own company. By 1946, Ballymore was born, focusing solely on these innovative ladders.
Growth and Expansion
- 1950-1956: Ballymore outgrew its original space, moving to a larger facility in West Chester, PA, which saw three major expansions over the next 50 years.
- 1998: The Colgan family sold Ballymore to Osage Investments.
- 2001: Under new CEO William Frame, Ballymore added powder coat paint, robotic welding, expanded its ladder line to provide a ladder in a box, introduced a full line of aerial lifts, and began operations in China.
- 2007: Relocated to a state-of-the-art facility in Parkesburg, PA heralding the next phase of the company’s growth.
Recent Milestones
- 2014: Opened a larger corporate headquarters.
- 2017: Launched a dedicated lift plant.
- 2019: Expanded with a third plant and introduced a Safety Products Division, offering ergonomic assessments and solutions. Also launched a full line of material handling equipment including power pallet jacks, stackers and portable loading docks.
- 2021: Ballymore was sold to GrayCliff Partners, a New York based PE firm. Ballymore then purchased Pittsburgh based Tri-Arc Manufacturing Company consolidating the rolling ladder industry. Tri-Arc is an industry leader in Rolling ladders, standard and custom work platforms, and engineered systems. Located in Pittsburgh, Pa the company expanded Ballymore ladder capabilities and provided additional space as the company launched safety product line. More About Tri-Arc Manufacturing
- 2023: Acquired Lift Products Inc., a Wisconsin-based ergonomic equipment manufacturer, focusing on lift tables, tilt tables, and electric platform trucks. Our principle, "Innovation In Ergonomics," aims to make workplaces safer and more efficient by removing potentials for injury and bottlenecks in processes. More about Lift Products, Inc.
- 2024: Ballymore was sold to One Equity Partners, a major private equity firm focused on transformative combinations.
Ballymore's journey is marked by continuous innovation and expansion, making workplaces safer and more efficient through ergonomic solutions and quality products.
Ballymore Safety Products