MLA Business Member Spotlight: Hews Company

Hews Company, LLC has been in business for a long time. “It will be our 100th year in 2027,” said Katy Hews, director of marketing for the family-owned business. The company is a distributor of truck-mounted equipment throughout New England and manufacturer of custom truck bodies, with facilities in South Portland and Bow, New Hampshire.

Hews custom truck bodies are used throughout the Maine coast. Hews Co. photo.

It all started when Roland C. Hews traveled from Aroostook County to Portland in 1927 to put his skills related to horse-drawn wagons to work. He quickly realized that those skills were not needed in the bustling city and instead turned his hand to auto repair and body work. He founded the company and, despite the Great Depression, kept it growing. After World War II, he welcomed his son Claude to the firm. Later Claude’s sons, Bob and Charlie (after brief stints in the NFL) took over and became president and executive vice president, respectively; today Charlie’s sons, Jim and Drew Hews, are the fourth generation to manage the business.

Customer service is the focus of the company at every level. “We work closely with our customers to understand what their needs are and install equipment to meet those needs,” Hews said. “Because we are Maine-based we work hard to stay involved with the state’s key industries, like forestry, building supply, transportation, and marine businesses.”

Truck-mounted cranes are a large part of the company’s work, and Hews is not afraid to tackle customers’ challenges, such as installing a stationary crane on a barge for an Eastport aquaculture company. “We support local industries and the professional associations of our customers, like the MLA,” Hews said.

Hews Company has weathered some difficult times during the past several decades. Economic downturns, such as the economic crash of 2008 and more recently the effects of the Covid pandemic, have made the company agile and adaptive to their customers’ needs. “We focus on service; it really is the key to the business,” Hews said.

Hews Company has steadily grown over the past several years. Currently it employs 45 people at the Maine facility and 18 in New Hampshire. “The tenure of our employees is remarkable. Many of our technicians have been here for over 25 years,” Hews said. “As our long-time employees retire, our recent hires are stepping up to the plate. One area where we’ve been very fortunate is bringing interns from PATHS [Portland Arts and Technology High School]. We have also been working on equipment and facilities upgrades. It’s exciting to watch.”

Hews Company

190 Rumery St.

South Portland, ME 04106

207-767-2136

www.hewsco.com