Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
RITE-HITE CORPORATION
RITE-HITE CORPORATION. Rite Hite, founded in 1965 by Arthur White, was a privately held manufacturer of loading dock safety and productivity equipment. At the time of the purchase, Rite Hite's products included loading dock levelers, lift/leveler systems, loading dock information processing systems, and vehicle restraints. In 2005 the company had manufacturing facilities in Milwaukee, WI; Memphis, TN; Denver, CO; Volkmarsen, Germany; Aarhus, Denmark; and Jawor, Poland. There were an estimated 1,600 employees worldwide with an estimated 280 located in Dubuque. (1)
On July 17, 1991, the sale of FROMMELT INDUSTRIES INC. to the Rite-Hite Corporation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was announced.
In September 1991 Rite Hite announced that Robert Frommelt would serve as the company's location manager with responsibilities for overseeing the production, engineering, and materials activities at the Dubuque plant. Paul FROMMELT was named the president of Rite-Hite's safety production division. (2)
In May 2016 the company announced plans for a $9 million expansion in the form of a 138,000-square-foot addition to its local facility. The firm was anticipating the addition of twenty-four additional jobs. (3)
Expansion was announced in January, 2022. A third shift was announced with workers hired for assembly, welding, industrial sewing, and CNC machining. Company officials cited soaring demand for loading dock seals and shelters as well as industrial doors, fans, safety barriers, fabric curtains walls and fabric air-dispersion systems. The workforce expansion was aimed at helping Rite-Hite Environmental Enclosures double its current production levels by mid-year. (4)
The 1993 Dubuque City Directory listed 4343 Chavenelle Drive.
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Source:
1. Mozinski, Eileen. "Rite-Hite Finds Its Way Through the Manufacturing World," Telegraph Herald, October 16, 2005, p. 1
2. Montgomery, Jeff. "Rite-Hite Plans $9 Million Expansion," Telegraph Herald, May 13, 2016, p. 1
3. Ibid.
4. Kelsey, Elizabeth, "Rite-Hite to Add 3rd Shift, 100 Jobs," Telegraph Herald, January 15, 2022, p. 1A