Duo Lift Manufacturing Celebrates 80 Years

Duo Lift Manufacturing recently celebrated its 80th Anniversary by inviting the business community to a Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours Event. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, State Senator Mike Moser and Mayor Jim Bulkley were present and spoke to a record crowd of 150 people.

Duo Lift began in 1943 when farmer Arthur Hellbusch designed a wagon lift in the back of his milk barn which consisted of a frame placed between the wagon box and the running gear operated by pulleys and cables to lift the box. This eliminated having to scoop grain out of the wagon and allowed it to simply run out of the box. He may have been the first to do this, but that is unknown. Arthur sold his lift to neighbors and friends by word of mouth. Eventually, the state of Nebraska required him to have a name and a sales tax number calling him a manufacturer and not a farmer. He later built irrigation trailers to haul gated irrigation pipe to and from the field. His focus was still farming and as a hobby he built things to make farming easier.

In 1969, his son, Jim Hellbusch, returned from college and joined the family farming operation with the desire to see if he could make his father’s hobby into a business. Since then the company has grown and expanded from a 30’ x 80’ building to over 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space which includes robots and laser tables. The product lines have changed too. The company now builds fertilizer trailers, head hauler trailers swather hauler trailers fuel haulers, brine makers, and semi trailers to name a few. The product lines span agricultural, commercial, and custom trailers. The company sells in the continental United States and Canada through Distributors and Reps. The company holds contracts with States for state highway departments and sells on occasion to the federal government.

Duo Lift has been recognized for its innovation by The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) for its LowBoy fertilizer wagon and in 2023 for its All Steer Head Hauler trailers.

Duo Lift joined the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association (FEMA) in the early 1980’s and credits that relationship with helping the business grow. Jim Hellbush served as the FEMA President in 1999.

Sons Ben and David have joined Duo Lift and are leading the company into the next phase of company growth. Ben is currently serving as FEMA President. The company’s goal is to produce safe, high-quality equipment that is manufactured and sold with pride.

DuoLift.com | Member since 1983