ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Polar, a tank-trailer manufacturing, parts, and service organization, has announced initiatives to reduce production lead times and expand after-sale support for customers that transport fuel, chemicals, propane, food, and other products.

“Tank fleets are challenging their suppliers to help them be more competitive and efficient,” said Ted Fick, CEO at Polar. “Polar recognizes these challenges and has introduced manufacturing and service programs to give our customers a distinct advantage.”

On the manufacturing side, a second production shift has been added at Polar’s Opole, Minn., factory and a third production shift at its Holdingford, Minn., and Springfield, Mo., plants. All told, the company has hired 500 employees in the past nine months to respond to increasing demand for its products.

In addition to new manufacturing tools and software, Fick says the company has also expanded its manufacturing capabilities so each plant can produce a wider variety of trailer models and configurations. “This increases production flexibility and minimizes transportation costs associated with delivering the final vehicle,” he said.

With regards to sales and aftermarket support, Polar has recently added nine service centre locations, with the intention to add another 15-25 within the next 24 months. Investments in Enterprise Resource Planning, electronic inventory tools, and electronic vehicle configuration resources have also come in recent months, according to Polar officials.

“Our sales, manufacturing, and aftermarket networks are tightly connected to help us and our customers make better strategic decisions related to parts availability, pricing, delivery status, and fleet cost-tracking,” Fick said.

Polar’s acquisition of JARCO, a manufacturer of propane delivery trucks and truck-mounted tanks for refined-fuel, is designed to allow the company to up-fit propane bobtails through its service centre network, the company said.

In addition to capital investments, Polar has also secured new labour agreements with its manufacturing employees.

“Instead of rationalizing capacity or manpower, Polar has been investing and implementing new programs to help our customers prepare and grow their business,” Fick said. “We’re able to immediately respond when customers need equipment, parts, or service.”