Established as the Iowa Vulcanizing Co., in March 1, 1911, by
Fred Prior and George Koons, the Midwest Wheel Co. of Des
Moines has hit the century mark.
The firm, the first rubber vulcanizer west of the Mississippi
River, has expanded to become the largest truck parts
distributor in the Midwest, according to President Mike
Callison. Midwest employs 180 people at seven locations in
Iowa ( Des Moines, Clear Lake, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and
Sioux City) and Missouri (Kansas City and Grandview ).
Callison is the fourth-generation owner and Koons’ great-
grandson. A fifth-generation member of the family is also
employed by the company.
As part of its year-long century celebration, Midwest has
made a $20,000 donation to the Iowa Motor Truck Association’s
Iowa Motor Carrier’s Foundation and a $10,000 contribution to
Des Moines Area Community College.
“As we turned 100-years-young, we felt that it was
appropriate to show our appreciation of the trucking industry
by establishing scholarship programs to promote the
industry,” Callison says.
“We want to thank all of our employees, customers and
suppliers for their support over the past 100 years,” he
notes. “They are the people who have made us ‘100 Years
Strong.’”
Vintage photos can be viewed at Facebook.
For more information, visit www.midwestwheel.com. Vintage photos of can
also be viewed on Facebook.
