Extang manufactures its innovative tonneau covers at its 70,000 sq ft Ann Arbor, Michigan facility. You’ll find they’ve been producing cutting-edge truck bed covers since 1982, founded by entrepreneur Steve Landsem. They leverage advanced in-house engineering, custom tooling, and lean manufacturing principles to create high-quality covers. With over 40 patents and a strategic partnership with Truck Hero, they’re pushing truck accessory innovation forward. Curious about their technical prowess?
Company Origins and Founding
Although founded relatively recently in the automotive aftermarket landscape, Extang quickly established itself as an innovative force in truck bed cover design. The company was founded in 1982 by entrepreneur Steve Landsem, who pioneered the first tri-fold tonneau cover design that would revolutionize the industry. Through strategic innovation, Extang earned over 40 patents, demonstrating their technical prowess and commitment to advancing truck accessory technology. Today, the company operates from their Ann Arbor headquarters, which houses everything from R&D to manufacturing in a 70,000 square foot facility. Their breakthrough approach to tonneau cover design set them apart from competitors, positioning Extang as a leading brand in the automotive aftermarket. By continuously pushing design boundaries and introducing groundbreaking features, the company transformed how truck owners think about protecting and enhancing their vehicle’s functionality. Extang’s commitment to innovation has been a hallmark of their corporate identity since inception.
Manufacturing Facility and Location
Extang’s innovative spirit extends beyond design concepts to its robust manufacturing infrastructure, centered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. You’ll find their 70,000 square foot corporate headquarters serves as the epicenter of Tonneau covers production for truck bed accessories in the USA. The facility leverages in-house tooling and injection molding operations, enabling precise quality control throughout manufacturing processes.
At this Ann Arbor manufacturing facility, Extang applies lean principles to optimize production efficiency. Their highly skilled team guarantees consistency in every cover produced, reflecting the company’s commitment to superior craftsmanship. Since 1982, this facility has been the birthplace of pioneering truck bed cover designs, solidifying Extang’s reputation as an industry leader in innovative automotive accessories. As part of Truck Hero, Inc., Extang continues to maintain its position as a leading manufacturer of high-quality tonneau covers.
Design and Production Process
At least five key stages define Extang’s meticulous design and production process for premium tonneau covers. You’ll witness their pride in Ann Arbor through a sophisticated approach to truck accessories manufacturing. By applying lean manufacturing principles, they’ve developed industry-leading innovation that sets their product quality apart.
Their design and production process leverages cutting-edge technology and in-house tooling to engineer superior truck accessories. With over 40 patents and a commitment to precision, Extang continues to lead the market. Their highly skilled team validates each component through extensive testing, ensuring every cover meets demanding standards.
Manufactured in the USA, these covers represent the pinnacle of their family of brands, embodying technical expertise and uncompromising quality. The company competes with other top tonneau brands like Access, Truxedo, and BAK Industries in delivering high-quality truck bed covers.
Quality Control and Innovation
Something remarkable sets Extang’s quality control protocols apart in the truck accessories industry. Their innovative approach combines extensive testing with advanced engineering, ensuring each Extang® bed cover—whether the Solid Fold, Trifecta E-Series, or Endure ALX—meets rigorous standards. You’ll find their hard folding tonneau covers utilize aircraft-grade aluminum, demonstrating a commitment to superior materials within the truck bed cover market. Like Advantage Truck Accessories, many manufacturers focus on custom-designed hardware to ensure optimal bed coverage and protection.
Truck Hero Partnership and Expansion
In recent years, a strategic alliance has transformed Extang’s market positioning through its pivotal partnership with Truck Hero. This collaboration has propelled Extang into a market-leading company within the bed cover market, leveraging innovative product lines and advanced manufacturing techniques. The company manufactures GM-branded tonneau covers alongside other major truck accessory brands like TonnoPro and Truxedo.
Key benefits of this partnership include:
- Expanded reach to truck owners seeking Maximum Strength warranties
- Introduction of cutting-edge ALX technology in tonneau covers
- First to introduce revolutionary design concepts in truck accessories
The synergy between Extang and Truck Hero represents a calculated move to dominate the truck accessory landscape. By joined the Truck Hero network, Extang has considerably enhanced its capacity for innovation, ensuring that each tonneau cover meets the highest standards of performance and durability. This strategic expansion positions them at the forefront of automotive accessory development.