What Vanair makes

Vanair builds vehicle-mounted mobile power systems for work trucks and service fleets. The company describes its catalog as the most comprehensive in the category, with more than 100 standard commercial models ranging from 10 to 1,500 CFM, plus custom configurations. The core product lines are PTO-driven underdeck rotary screw air compressors, engine-driven and abovedeck hydraulically driven compressors, welders and generators, hydraulics, chargers and boosters, engine starters, and Electrified Power Equipment marketed under the EPEQ brand.

The equipment groups into a few families. The Air N Arc line is an all-in-one system that combines a welder, generator, air compressor, battery booster, battery charger, and hydraulic output on a single chassis-mounted unit. The PowerFlex modular system lets a buyer configure only the functions a given application needs. The Goodall line covers jump-starting, charging, and engine-starting products, and the XCITE line covers PTO-shaft and hydraulic engine-driven generators. Since joining Lincoln Electric, Vanair also carries Lincoln Electric engine-driven welder-generators and the battery-powered ELEVATE SLi cordless welder within its work-truck portfolio.

Vanair positions itself as an engineering-driven manufacturer rather than a distributor or assembler. The company claims a list of category firsts, including the first PTO underdeck rotary screw air compressor in 1972, the first to combine a rotary screw compressor and generator in a single underdeck unit, the first to offer six forms of power in one all-in-one system, and the first to offer 1,100 CFM in a chassis-mounted PTO configuration. Recent EPEQ development has pushed toward zero-emission, battery-powered units built on the company's ELiMENT lithium iron phosphate battery technology, aimed at fleet electrification and idle reduction. Buyers evaluating vehicle-mounted power for service fleets can compare it against other work-truck upfit options and against the aftermarket supply base more broadly.

Financial performance

Vanair does not publish standalone financials as a private subsidiary, but its parent disclosed the key figures at acquisition. Per Lincoln Electric's July 2024 announcement, Vanair's annual revenue was approximately $100 million with a low double-digit percent EBIT margin, and its results are reported within Lincoln Electric's Americas Welding segment. Lincoln Electric Holdings (Nasdaq: LECO) is a publicly listed, investment-grade industrial manufacturer, which gives the Vanair business a well-capitalized parent. Before the acquisition, Vanair was a growing independent: a 2023 filing tied to a $8.3 million, 100,000-square-foot plant expansion in La Porte County reported roughly 160 employees and a 75-job hiring plan, and company leadership described 15 years of sustained growth.

Ownership and history

Vanair was founded in 1972 in New Buffalo, Michigan, as Sullair PTO, a division of Sullair Corporation, to bring compressed air to the work truck without a separate engine. The founding product was the vehicle-mounted 185 CFM underdeck rotary screw air compressor. The business became Vanair Manufacturing in 1984 and later relocated to Michigan City, Indiana, where it remains. Through its independent decades it was a family-led company; a 2023 expansion announcement named Ralph Kokot as chief executive, Greg Kokot as president, and Bill Anderson as chief financial officer.

In July 2024, Lincoln Electric Holdings acquired Vanair Manufacturing, LLC. Regional coverage reported the deal at a value of about $116 million. Lincoln Electric President and CEO Steven B. Hedlund described Vanair as renowned for high-quality manufacturing, innovation, and engineering expertise in the maintenance and repair service truck market, and said the acquisition broadens Lincoln Electric's technology platform. Vanair continues to operate from Michigan City. The company is a member of MEMA, the Vehicle Suppliers Association, reflecting its position in the vehicle aftermarket and upfit supply base.

Certifications and quality

Vanair presents itself as an engineering-driven manufacturer with more than five decades of research and development focused on vehicle-mounted power. Its recent underdeck systems include proprietary, patented features it markets as standard equipment, such as the FailSafe dual-sensor redundancy system, which switches to a backup sensor if a primary temperature or pressure sensor fails, and the ThermalGuard weather protection kit, which uses engine coolant to preheat compressor oil in cold weather. The company also markets a PTO plug-and-play wiring harness and a super-capacitor-with-alternator design among its patented technologies. Vanair does not publish a specific quality-system registration such as ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 on the pages reviewed here; buyers requiring a formal certification should confirm current scope directly with the company.

Known customers

Vanair sells vehicle-mounted power to work-truck and service-fleet operators across utilities, construction, oil and gas, mining, towing, and municipal fleets, and it upfits onto chassis from Chevrolet, Ford, RAM, Isuzu, International, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Freightliner, and Hino, per the truck brands shown on its site. Named end-customer programs are not published, which is normal for an upfit and aftermarket equipment maker that sells through dealers, distributors, and fleet channels rather than through disclosed OEM production contracts.

The clearest institutional relationship is corporate: since July 2024 Vanair is a wholly owned Lincoln Electric business, and Lincoln Electric engine-driven welders now appear inside the Vanair work-truck portfolio.

Sourcing evidence

Vanair's US import record is consistent with a domestic manufacturer that sources components abroad. Public customs data lists 321 US import shipments under the primary Vanair Manufacturing entity, with the most recent shipment recorded in September 2026, so the company is actively importing. The named foreign suppliers on record include Shenzhen Southking Technology, Rotorcomp Verdichter, and Latin Express Shenzhen. Rotorcomp Verdichter is a German maker of rotary screw compressor air-ends and components, which fits a compressor manufacturer buying core air-end modules rather than finished units.

Coverage caveats: these are US ocean-freight bill-of-lading records only. Air, truck, and rail movements do not appear, some records name freight intermediaries rather than manufacturers, and product categories come from declared manifest codes, which are noisy. Absence of a record is not evidence of absence, and shipment counts here reflect the single largest importer entity, not every Vanair-affiliated filer.

Frequently asked questions

What does Vanair make?

Vanair manufactures vehicle-mounted mobile power systems for work trucks: PTO-driven and engine-driven air compressors, generators, welders, hydraulics, battery chargers and boosters, engine starters, and Electrified Power Equipment under the EPEQ brand. It offers more than 100 standard models from 10 to 1,500 CFM plus custom configurations.

Who owns Vanair?

Vanair Manufacturing, LLC has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: LECO) since July 2024. Before that it was a privately held, family-led company in Michigan City, Indiana. Its results are reported within Lincoln Electric's Americas Welding segment.

What is Vanair's revenue?

At the time of the July 2024 acquisition, Lincoln Electric reported Vanair's annual revenue at approximately $100 million with a low double-digit percent EBIT margin. Vanair does not publish standalone audited figures as a private subsidiary.

Where is Vanair headquartered?

Vanair is headquartered in Michigan City, Indiana. Its headquarters and South Plant are at 10896 W 300 N, and it operates a second North Plant at 1625 E 2nd St in the same city. The company was originally founded in New Buffalo, Michigan, in 1972.

Who are Vanair's customers?

Vanair sells to work-truck and service-fleet operators in utilities, construction, oil and gas, mining, towing, and municipal fleets, and upfits its equipment onto major truck chassis brands. It does not publish named end-customer programs, which is typical for an aftermarket and upfit equipment manufacturer that sells through dealers, distributors, and fleets.

When did Lincoln Electric acquire Vanair?

Lincoln Electric Holdings acquired Vanair Manufacturing, LLC in July 2024. Regional coverage reported the transaction value at about $116 million. Vanair continues to operate from Michigan City, Indiana, and its equipment portfolio now includes Lincoln Electric engine-driven welders.

Last verified September 28, 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.