About Us

Company

  • Positech Corporation is the leader in design, manufacture, and application of lift assist and positioning equipment.

Headquarters

Founded

  • In 1976, Mefferd Industries, Inc. a manufacturer of hydraulic cylinders and rotary manifolds was purchased by Tom Mefferd.
  • In 1977, the product line shifted from hydraulic cylinders and rotary manifolds to pneumatic manipulators and custom tooling, due to demands for equipment with greater capacity and higher safety standards.
  • In 1980, Mefferd Industries Inc. was renamed Positech, short for “Positioning Technology.” Positech manufactured manipulators and custom tooling, along with hydraulic cylinders and rotary manifolds.
  • In 1989, Positech became a division of Columbus McKinnon Corporation, a major hoist and chain manufacturing company.
  • In 2004, Positech was purchased by a local management group, American Handling Systems, Inc.

Employees

  • Positech’s current staff includes 81 employees.

Positech Brand List

  • Positech: Founded in 1951 by Tom Mefferd, in Laurens, IA.
  • Conco: Previously located in Mendota, Illinois. Founded in 1965 as Conco Engineering Works, Inc. Acquired by Positech in 1996 under Columbus McKinnon.
  • Coleman Equipment: Founded  in Irvington, New Jersey by Joe Coleman, and  acquired by Positech in 2005.

Business Units

  • Integrated Solutions
  • Lifting Products
  • Rotary Unions

Key Products

  • Hydraulic Manipulators
  • Pneumatic Manipulators
  • Associated Tooling

Certifications

    Classification
  • SIC-3526
  • NAICS-333923

Trade Association Memberships


 

Some of our customers...

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3M Company
A
A.O. Smith
ABB Inc.
Abel Electro Polishing
Alcan Packaging
Alcoa
All-Lift Systems, Inc.
Amana Refridgeration
AMCOR 
American Axle & Mfg
American Ordinance
Anniston Army Depot
APEX Precision Technologies
Arvin Meritor
AT & T Corp.
Auth-Florence
Avery Dennison
B
B&C Research 
BBA-Fiberweb
Bharat Forge
Boart Longyear
Boeing 
Borden Chemical
BorgWarner 
Budd Company
Bullard Company
BWXT Pantex LLC
C
Cambrex
Cargill
Case Corporation
Caterpillar
CFAN
Cheseborough-Ponds
Chevrolet Motors
Christy Concrete Products
Chrysler Corporation
Columbus McKinnon Corp.
Climax Molybdenum 
Cooper Tire and Rubber
Copper Power
Corning Glass
Cosma Structural Systems
Cummins Engine
D
Dana Corporation
Dannon
Delta Faucet
Detroit Diesel Allison
DEXTER COMPANY
Dow Chemical
Dow Corning
Drago Supply Co
Dunlop Tire
DuPont
E
Eaton Corporation
Engine Systems
Enkei
Eveready Battery Company
 Excel
ExxonMobil
F
Federal Mogul
Firestone Tire and Rubber
Flexcel, Inc.
FMC Corporation
Ford Motor Company
Freightliner
G
G.T.E.
General Electric
General Foods
General Motors
General Tire
Georgia Pacific
Gilbane/Merck
GMPT Defiance
Goodrich
Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Grant Prideco
Gusmer Corporation
H
Herrenknecht Tunnelling
Hershey Chocolate
Honda
Howmet
Hughes Aircraft
I
I.B.P., Inc.
IBM Corporation
Industria de Asiento Superior S.A. de C.V.
Ingersoll Milling
Ingersoll Rand
INSA
InteliCoat Technologies
International
International Diesel of Alabama
International Harvester
International Truck & Engine 
Iowa State University
Isuzu Motors
J
John Deere and Company
Johns Manville
Johnson & Johnson
JR Engineering
K
Kaiser Aluminum
Keebler Company
Kennatmetal
Kimball Furniture
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Kodak
Kraft Foods
L
Lear Siegler
LeBlond Makino
Liebert
Locke Insulators, Inc.
Lockheed
Lucent Technologies
 Lynx Golf
M
M.I.T.
Mack Trucks
Magna/New Venture Gear
Maillis Strapping (Wulftec)
Marine Corps
Martin Marietta
Maytag
McAlester Army
McCord Leakless Seal
Mercedes
Metaldyne
Michelin North America
Minnesota Explosives
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Polysilicon
Modern Drop Forge
Modine
Molded Fiber Glass
Monsanto Company
Montezuma Mfg
Morgan Construction Co.
Morrison Industrial Equipment
Motor Wheel
N
NACCO Materials Handling Group
Naval Ordnance
Navistar
Nissan
Nomax Solutions
Nordyne
Northrop Corporation
NTN Forging
O
Okidata
Oman
Omni Seals
Optical Fibres
Overhead Material Handling
P
Pamco
Panasonic
PCC Airfoils
Pepperridge Farm
Polaroid Corporation
PPG Industries
Pratt & Whitney
Procter and Gamble
Productivity Resources
Q
R
RCA Corporation
Research Products
Reynolds Metals
Rockford Powertrain
Rockwell International
S
Sanyo Solar
Saturn
Showa Denko Carbon, Inc
Siemens Dematic Corp
 SKF Bearings
Snap-On Tools
Solutia
Sony
Southern Railway
Southwest Crane & Engineering, Inc
St. Gobain
Stahl
Steelcase
StraTec
Subaru
Sub-Zero Freezer Co. Inc.
SVC Quaker Oats
T
TC Thiolon
TDS Automation Inc.
Tenneco 
Texas ARAI
The Marquardt Company
The Vendo Corporation
Thomson Mexicali
Timken
TMA
Toray Composites Inc.
Trane
Trans Tech (WH Sales)
Treat All Metals
Tredegar
TRW Metals
TX Steel Conversion
U
U.S. Mfg
U.S. Steel
UEC Electronics & Automotive
Uni-Cast, Inc.
V
W
Walker
Walter A Wood
Water Pik
Watlow
Webasto Roof Systems
Weller
Westinghouse Electric
Whirlpool
Willy Wonka
Wilson Golf
Wolverine
Wulftec
X
Xerox
Y
Yamaha
Z
Zygo Corporation
 
Indicates multiple machine purchase