FOL-DA-TANK boss: ‘We know we can save lives’

The recent wildfires out west have been on Joel Wright’s mind lately. Those fires — more than 6,700 just in California — have killed 35 people, burned hundreds of structures to the ground and caused alarming air quality issues across the country, according to the federal government. While the fires have caused devastating problems, Mr. […]

The recent wildfires out west have been on Joel Wright’s mind lately. Those fires — more than 6,700 just in California — have killed 35 people, burned hundreds of structures to the ground and caused alarming air quality issues across the country, according to the federal government.

While the fires have caused devastating problems, Mr. Wright is focused on offering some solutions from his Quad Cities company — FOL–DA-TANK. Located in Milan, the company is providing firefighting equipment to the many departments and volunteers battling the western wildfires — and other fires across the world. The company, whose history dates back to 1954, produces a wide variety of portable water tanks and other equipment to help firefighters, especially in rural areas, facing water source problems. Mr. Wright said there are 30,000 fire departments in the United States “and all those departments know who we are.” He added that FOLD-DA-TANK workers are especially proud that their products are making a great difference — and likely saving lives — out west. “That’s why we do this. We know we can save lives and property … It’s a driver for a lot of people around here,” Mr. Wright added. Currently, one of the local company’s big sellers is a self-supporting water tank (SST) that is used in remote areas to fight fires including out west and many other places. Some SST models look like a small above-ground swimming pool. They are collapsible and easily stored in their own compact storage bag, which in turn, can be stored in the back of a truck or in the cargo compartment of a helicopter, the company’s website said. It also makes a wide variety of other products to help the firefighting community such as: pillow tanks that can hold up to 50,000 gallons of water; quick assemble tanks; folding frame tanks; and many accessories.

“There is a need for our products. … We are in a good position to provide them,” said Mr. Wright, who became the company’s president two years ago. The cost of the products varies, but he said the “average sized tank” costs about $2,000. In addition to the many products, the FOL-DA-TANK leader said he is especially proud of the fact that his company can get the life-saving products out to the field in a short time. In an era when other companies’ products are being delayed by supply chain issues, FOL-DA-TANK has made the commitment to get products to its customers within 10 days after an order is placed. “One of our favorite success stories is reducing lead time from 45 days to less than 10 days and then sustaining it for 10 consecutive months so far,” Mr. Wright said on the company website. He added this is being done through the strategic buying of materials, a positive work culture, and its many great employees who can meet the tough deadlines to produce the needed products. “It’s a great company culture. People here work well together.” The quality of “working well together” will likely be needed more than ever in the coming months. That’s because these are changing times for the Milan company. 

Some of those changes include:

In October, FOL-DA-TANK acquired EVAC Systems Fire and Rescue, a Moline company that makes bags and other products for fire and rescue crews. The EVAC workers, products, showroom and facilities have been relocated to the Milan company site. “We’re always looking for ways to innovate in the fire and rescue industry, and EVAC Systems’ range of solutions perfectly complements our line of products,” Mr. Wright said in a statement announcing the purchase. “With this acquisition, our combined teams will be in a position to better serve our customers and offer an even wider array of smart, reliable products.”  The company also is preparing for the future by developing a firefighting system for electric vehicle fires. It is working with the Illinois Fire Service Institution in Champaign  on this project. “This is a really exciting development,” Mr. Wright said. The FOL-DA-TANK president added that the company continues to go through modernization steps and is looking forward to letting its customers know about those steps. “Every 68-year-old company goes through phases and we have executed a comprehensive modernization in the last two years.  Our biggest challenge is communicating our company’s recent positive changes to our customers — especially the ones who have known us for years,” he said.  

AT A GLANCE: FOL-DA-TANK

History: FOL-DA-TANK was founded in 1954 to provide fire departments with rugged, purpose-built portable water tanks. The original FOL-DA-TANK frame tank was designed in 1954 to open quickly like a child’s playpen.  “Our founder elegantly transferred the playpen concept to make a durable portable water tank for firefighting. It’s a story of American ingenuity at its finest,” according to the company’s website. Founder Giles Eldred worked for a bank in Rock Island in the early 1950s when he met a customer applying for a loan to start a company that repairs fire trucks. In researching the issue, Mr. Eldred discovered that getting water to rural areas was a problem during fires. In some cases, firefighters were staging water in temporary water reservoirs made out of extension ladders tied together in a square with a canvas tarp draped over them.  The banker began thinking of better ways to solve the water problems. One day, while folding up his daughter’s playpen, he got the idea for a folding tank that could easily be stored on a ladder rack on a fire truck. Equipment: The company offers a wide variety of portable water tanks including self-supporting tanks, quick assemble tanks, flying water tanks, pillow and bladder tanks. Leadership: Joel Wright, president.  Workforce: 19 employees. The future: According to the company’s website, FOLD-DA-TANK is focusing on three areas in core firefighting equipment: providing reliable supply; winning at the point of sale; and driving demand for innovation.  EVAC product line: Equipment includes bags and packs for fire, rescue and EMS equipment such as rope, rope guards, masks packs and medical packs. Accessories include racks, cross lays, ground/top covers and tarps. More information: Visit Fol-da-tank.com