American LaFrance

{{Infobox company

| name = American LaFrance

| logo =

| logo_caption =

| image = American LaFrance logo.jpg

| image_caption =

| trading_name =

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| former type =

| type =

| traded_as =

| industry = Fire apparatus manufacturer, commercial vehicles

| fate =

| predecessor =

| successor =

| foundation = {{Start date|1873||}}

| founder =

| defunct = {{End date| 2014|01|17}}

| location_city = Summerville, South Carolina

| location_country = U.S.

| locations =

| area_served =

| key_people =

| products =

| production =

| services =

| revenue =

| operating_income =

| net_income =

| assets =

| equity =

| owner = Daimler Trucks North America

| num_employees =

| parent = Daimler AG

| divisions =

| subsid =

| homepage = {{URL|www.americanlafrance.com}}

| footnotes =

| intl =

| bodystyle =

}}

American LaFrance (ALF) was an American vehicle manufacturer which focused primarily on the production of fire engines, ladder trucks, and emergency apparatus such as ambulance and rescue vehicles. Originally located in Elmira, New York, the final iteration of the company was located in Summerville, South Carolina. It also operated a plant in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where it sold apparatus under the name LaFrance-Foamite, until 1971.

On 17 January 2014, American LaFrance announced the cessation of operations.

Ward LaFrance, an unrelated competitor fire-apparatus manufacturer also based in Elmira Heights, New York, was founded by a LaFrance family member. It went bankrupt in July 1979 and was later reopened by a different party, under the name of Ward '79. There is no association.{{cite journal |url=http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/2014/01/report-american-lafrance-closes-doors.html |title=Report: American LaFrance Closes Doors |date=18 January 2014 |last=McLoone |first=Chris |journal=Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment |access-date=1 December 2020 |archive-date=31 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150131092822/http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/2014/01/report-american-lafrance-closes-doors.html |url-status=dead}}

History

File:American-La France Fire Engine 1927.jpg

File:Glendale-American LaFrance - Foamite 700 Series-1954-Emblem ) located at 57th Ave. and Bell Road in Glendale, Az.jpg

The American LaFrance Fire Engine Company traced its roots to 1832, making it one of the oldest fire apparatus manufacturers in the United States.{{how|reason=what is the link to 1832?|date=December 2022}} It was founded in 1873 by Truxton Slocum LaFrance (and partners, including Alexander S. Diven{{cite journal| title=American LaFrance Fire Engine Company| url=http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/a/american_lafrance/american_lafrance.htm| website=Coachbuilt| access-date=1 December 2020}}) as the LaFrance Manufacturing Company,[https://web.archive.org/web/20061016061924/http://www.americanlafrance.com/interior.asp?n=3&p=0&s=3 LaFrance Manufacturing Company] selling hand powered equipment. A successor company, the International Fire Engine Company, built some steam power fire engines between 1903 and 1907. Apparatus built by International included horse drawn steamers, hose wagons, and hook & ladders to chemical engines, water towers and combinations. The American LaFrance Fire Engine Company was formed in 1903. ALF delivered its first motorized fire engine in 1907.

File:Industries of War - Fireproof Materials - MANUFACTURING FIRE ENGINES FOR THE GOVERNMENT. Main machine shop at American LaFrance Fire Co., Inc. plant, Elmira, New York - NARA - 31488330.jpg|Manufacturing fire engines for the government: main machine shop at American LaFrance Fire Co., Inc., 1919

File:Fire Prevention - Equipment - Painting Ford car chassis in plant of American La France Fire Engine Co., Inc., Elmira, New York - NARA - 31480244.jpg|Painting Ford car chassis in plant of American La France Fire Engine Co., Inc. 1918.

File:Architect and engineer (1920) (14782361062).jpg|Advertisement for American LaFrance fire extinguisher, c. 1920

According to the Elmira, New York, newspaper the Star-Gazette:

The company began to manufacture other firefighting equipment and in 1880 became the LaFrance Fire Engine Company. The 1890s was an era of business consolidation with the growth of trusts. A rival firm was created named the American Fire Engine Company. With the idea of creating a monopoly, in 1900 the International Fire Engine Company was announced. It included the American Fire Engine Company, LaFrance Fire Engine Company and Thos. Manning Jr. and Co. Three support equipment manufacturers were included, three fire extinguisher manufacturers also joined the company. In 1903, the company reorganized into the American LaFrance Fire Engine Company and in 1906 company headquarters were relocated from New York City to Elmira.{{cite news| last=Hare| first=Jim| title=Elmira: Fire Engine Capital of the World| url=https://www.stargazette.com/story/news/local/twin-tiers-roots/2015/11/10/history-elmira-fire-engines/75148572/| date=10 November 2015| access-date=1 December 2020| newspaper=Star-Gazette| location=Elmira, New York| language=en-US}}

File:American LaFrance Type 12 Tourer.jpg

ALF produced a small run of passenger cars from about 1910 to 1920, totaling around 22 (with several additional "speedsters"). An example of their touring model exists, and because the design was based on a Crane-Simplex chassis, several early ALF fire trucks have been retroactively converted into speedsters.{{cite journal| title=No Smoke without Fire – American La France| journal=Blacktop Magazine| url=https://www.blacktopmagazine.com/14375/no-smoke-without-fire-american-la-france/| date=October 2016| access-date=1 December 2020| last=Ford| first=Grant| language=en-US}}

In 1927, ALF acquired the Utica-based O.J. Childs company. The company had created Foamite, a liquid chemical designed to extinguish fires in temperatures ranging from −15 °F to 110 °F.{{cite patent|country=US| number=2308845| title=Foam-type fire extinguisher| pubdate=1943-01-19| invent1=White| inventor1-first=Clifford B.| url=https://www.freepatentsonline.com/2308845.html}}

In 1947, ALF introduced the 700-series fire apparatus. The 700-series was a "cab forward" design, placing the driver ahead of the engine and providing an expansive forward view. This would become the industry standard.{{cite web| title=Encyclopedia: American LaFrance| website=Society for the Preservation & Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America| url=https://spaamfaa.org/encyclopedia-american-lafrance/| access-date=9 November 2020| language=en}} In 1959, ALF introduced the 900-series cab-forward chassis. Although it was similar to the 700 (and closely related 800-series), the 900 was an all new design with a wider cab. In addition to the 700-800-900-Series trucks, ALF produced models under the names Century, Pioneer, and Eagle.

The company suspended operations and closed the Elmira operations in 1985. A much-reduced company re-opened for operations in Bluefield, Virginia, in 1986, operating through 1994.{{cite web| date=6 February 2014| title=Farewell to American LaFrance| url=https://www.fireengineering.com/2014/02/06/219070/farewell-to-american-lafrance/| access-date=19 November 2020| website=Fire Engineering| language=en-US}}

= Freightliner era =

In 1995, Freightliner, a subsidiary of Daimler AG, purchased the remnants of the company, yet again resurrecting LaFrance. Freightliner continued to utilize American LaFrance's original nameplates and designations including the Eagle custom chassis. Many of their Liberty products were built on Freightliner M2 or Sterling Acterra chassis. ALF operated additional manufacturing facilities in Ephrata, Pennsylvania; Sanford, Florida; and Hamburg, New York. In 2005 it was the fifth largest manufacturer of emergency vehicles in North America.

= Patriarch Partners era =

In December 2005, it was announced that Freightliner had transferred the ownership of American LaFrance to the New York–based investment firm Patriarch Partners, LLC. The headquarters and main plant in Ladson, South Carolina, were not included in the transaction. However, Patriarch Partners was allowed to use the plant until early 2007, when DaimlerChrysler began using the plant for assembly of the Dodge Sprinter. Under new ownership ALF relocated within the Charleston, South Carolina, area in summer 2007 to a brand-new facility,{{cite web |title=American LaFrance: Company Info |url=http://www.americanlafrance.com/interior.asp?n=13&p=2&s=13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016061348/http://www.americanlafrance.com/interior.asp?n=13&p=2&s=13 |archive-date=16 October 2006}} including manufacturing and corporate headquarters, with nearly {{convert|500000|sqft|m2}} of total space.

On 28 January 2008, American LaFrance filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, blaming problems with implementation of a new IBM enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.{{cite news| url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/customer-blames-bankruptcy-on-ibm-it-failure/| title=Customer blames bankruptcy on IBM IT failure| first= Michael| last=Krigsman| date=11 February 2008| publisher=ZDNet}} On 25 July 2008, the company emerged from bankruptcy with a revised business plan to transfer the firetruck body building portion of the business to the remaining Hamburg, New York (formerly RDMurray Inc.), and Ephrata, Pennsylvania (formerly Ladder Towers Inc.), facilities. The Summerville, South Carolina, plant continued to manufacture fire truck cab and chassis, but focused on vocational vehicles and the Condor vehicle line. In 2009, the company closed Hamburg and Ephrata, attempting to consolidate operations to Summerville.{{cite news| title=American LaFrance closing Hamburg plant| url=https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2009/04/20/daily20.html| last=Ball| first=Richard| date=21 April 2009| newspaper=Buffalo Business First| access-date=December 1, 2020}} On 17 January 2014, the company announced it would cease operation.{{cite web| title=Breaking News: American LaFrance Fire Apparatus Closes Doors| url=http://sconfire.com/?p=2687| date=17 January 2014| publisher=SConFire.com}} Remaining assets of the company, which included parts and partially completed trucks, were auctioned to pay creditors. As of that October it was highly unlikely American LaFrance would be opening its doors ever again.{{cite web| title=American LaFrance Assets Picked Like a Turkey Carcass| url=https://www.firehouse.com/apparatus/blog/12011116/american-lafrance-fire-truck-assets-auctioned-off| last=Ballam| first=Ed| date=21 October 2014| publisher=Firehouse.com}}

= Historical collections =

The North Charleston Fire Museum and Educational Center, located in North Charleston, South Carolina, claims to house "the largest collection of professionally restored American LaFrance fire apparatus in the country". The museum has an active collection of 20 ALF vehicles, each in operating condition.

File:North Charleston Fire Museum (13886571509).jpg

File:American LaFrance Steam Pumper, used by Oakland Fire Department from 1898-1921 - Oakland Museum of California - DSC05256.JPG|American LaFrance Steam Pumper, used by Oakland Fire Department

File:5 Aerial American LaFrance, Adelaide Street Firehall (4546514881).jpg|Aerial American LaFrance, Adelaide Street Firehall c. 1934

File:American LaFrance Ladder (23832055698).jpg|American LaFrance 700/800/900-Series

File:Glendale-American LaFrance - Foamite 700 Series-1954-2.jpg|American LaFrance 700/800/900-Series

File:WPFD Engine 6.jpg|Pioneer Series

File:O-11A airport crash tender.JPEG|O-11A airport crash tender

File:American LaFrance FT.jpg|1977 American LaFrance FT