JIT Toyota-Lift Blog

Remembering Where We Started – A Celebration of 30 Years

  • March 20, 2013
  • Joyce Schwob

Way back in May of 1983, Bud & Mary Short embarked the adventure of creating a business. Jamestown Industrial Trucks was born in a 2 bay garage in Frewsburg with the idea that they could do things a better way.

Through risk taking balanced with sound financial decisions, Bud & Mary grew the business from 2 employees in 1983 to over a dozen just 5 years later.

As the business grew, so did the building. We chuckle sometimes about the way our building is designed — it’s long, the additions are obvious and many of the rooms are a little undersized or strangely constructed. But our building is a permenant reminder of the path JIT has taken; growth was at a pace we could afford and we’ve always made do with a little less than we needed.

I’ll continue the story in future posts, because there’s a lot of history here to share. But for now, we fondly remember our humble beginnings and revisit the things our founders taught us; integrity, fiscal responsibility, humility, faith and the invaluable importance of families. JIT exists today because of the foundation Bud & Mary laid for us.