Hunter Highlights Vol. 129

		Pictured at left, freshly powder coated RX alignment rack runways are prepared for final assembly at the Durant, Mississippi production plant (inset). Below, welders fabricate the larger lift rack components by hand. Robotic welders are also used at the plant when appropriate for highspeed, repetitive processes. At bottom left and right, CNC technology speeds production and allows the fabrication of advanced designs.

In the summer of 1976, shortly after coming on line, Hunter’s Durant, Mississippi production plant shipped its first lift rack. Thirty years later the plant employs a team of 200 craftspeople and managers, producing every Hunter lift rack, jack and inspection lane unit sold in the United States and shipping more than 20 million pounds of product annually.

Through the years Hunter has continuously reinvested in the plant to keep pace with new manufacturing technologies and market trends. Plasma and laser metal cutting technology replaced dated oxy-acetylene, improving speed and efficiency. Brake press capacity was increased to form longer and heavier lift rack runways. In 2003, a 40,000-square-foot expansion added a powder coating line that improved lift rack finishes while reducing waste and environmental impact.

Hunter’s first lift racks were produced in St. Louis in the early 1950’s to support the company’s newly developed wheel alignment systems. Production was expanded to Mississippi in the 1970s after a surge in demand for Hunter products.