Throw Back Thursday 6/19

MacLander1

Miller Products Co. has long been known as a much diversified company; making a variety of parts, and owning a variety of businesses. This Throw Back Thursday takes us back to the year of 1977 where bean bag chairs, lava lamps, platform shoes, and go-go dancers were all the rage. The year was also home to the year Miller Products Co. bought the remains of the Hyland Trailer Manufacturing Company.

The company originally started in Carlisle,IA by Bob Hyland; who had the concept / idea of the fifth wheel camper trailer and built a variety of campers. Hyland had big plans to come to Osceola and build an initial plant with a major future expansion, but then got into financial difficulties. As the market changed, Hyland got more into commercial use truck boxes and trailers, but were eventually closed down by the SPA.

Miller Products always had an interest in having a product line in something larger than pins. As the opportunity opened up to buy the remains of the Hyland Trailer Company; Miller decided to snag it up since it was already in town, close to the Miller factory, had nice facilities, and a line of fairly well thought of products. In an attempt to capture some brand identity the name was changed to MacLander (a Miller/Hylander hybrid). MacLander was sold in 2007 to Salford Inc. that is still located in Osceola. Miller Products Co. owned MacLander for 30 years.