What started as a blacksmith shop almost 120 years ago has evolved into one of the area’s most successful manufacturing firms.
Marion Body Works Inc. is based in Marion and opened a second manufacturing facility in Shawano in 2022. It received a Business of the Year award from the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 18.
The company has grown from building cattle racks and milk wagons for farmers to building all-aluminum fire truck cabs.
“Our focus has always been on the quality of our product, as well as our customers,” said Kevin Ignacio, the company’s president since 2023. “Our employees are dedicated to providing our customers with the best experience and product. We have a great team that pushes past any challenge to ensure the customers’ satisfaction.”
Marion Body Works has 322 full-time and four part-time employees.
“Our employees are the main focus here at Marion,” Ignacio said. “Marion Body Works takes pride in our extremely low turnover rate and the longevity of our employees’ time here. We strive to be the employer of choice and do what we can to make sure our employees are set up for success, growth and overall happiness. We provide a place of employment that allows our employees to grow and succeed.”
The company’s roots go back to 1905 as a blacksmith shop owned by the Milbauer family. The company started manufacturing all-aluminum fire apparatus in 1964. Wausau Homes acquired the shop in 1971 and renamed it Marion Body Works.
Vinson “Bud” Simpson purchased the company in 1980, and under his watch, the company started a new business segment in 1981 as a result of a partnership with Oshkosh Corp. to build wrecker and cargo bodies for the heavy expanded mobility tactical truck program.
Marion Body Works constructed a storage building in 1986 and converted the former storage building into fully equipped production space.
Two expansions in 1989 added to the company’s truck mounting and paint drying capability, and the company purchased surrounding land in 1990 and 2001 for future expansion.
The company began building all-aluminum fire truck cabs for custom chassis builders, and an addition to the manufacturing building in 1999 accommodated the growth of van body production.
Curt Ignacio and Jim Simpson assumed leadership of the company as co-presidents in 2003. Simpson passed away in 2012, and Ignacio stepped down from his role as president in 2023.
Marion Body Works broke ground in 2015 for its new headquarters, which opened the following year on Ramsdell Street in Marion.
The company expanded its commercial truck building production by opening a second manufacturing facility in Shawano in 2022.
“Marion Body Works continues to develop all aspects of our business,” said Kevin Ignacio, who represents the third generation of leadership for the Simpson-Ignacio family. “In October 2022, Marion Body Works expanded into the Shawano community by opening a second location to help support the necessary commercial truck body manufacturing.”
Lead times are one of the significant issues the company is facing, according to Ignacio.
“In order to help accommodate orders, we opened the second production facility in Shawano and invested a lot into making sure the building could accommodate these high production numbers,” he said.
The company supports the local community in a number of ways, including charitable donations, sponsorships and a Christmas For Kids program.
“MBW has a Caring Committee that is staffed by our employees,” Ignacio said. “The main focus is finding ways to give back to our communities,” Ignacio said. “We are very adamant about supporting our local communities that so many of our employees reside in.”
Marion Body Works still going strong
