Milwaukee Hand Trucks: Who Owns The Company & What All Do They Sell?

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If you regularly find yourself in need of moving heavy objects from one place to another, or if you happen to do that for a living, odds are you often find yourself loading and unloading a hand truck of some sort. In fact, either scenario essentially dictates that said device is one of your de facto tools of choice, and if you count yourself a bona fide connoisseur of hand trucks, you've likely got opinions about those bearing the Milwaukee badge.

That brand is, after all, a fixture on the shelves of many big-box home improvement outlets, including Lowe's, The Home Depot, and Ace Hardware. They're even sold through Amazon these days. Whether you're currently a user of a Milwaukee-branded hand truck or have merely pondered whether one of the devices might be worthy of investment, it's a safe bet that you know little about who owns and operates the company.

Given the name, one might reasonably assume that Milwaukee Hand Trucks is owned by Milwaukee Tools. But the hand truck outfit does not have anything to do with the iconic manufacturer that birthed the age of the lithium-ion battery. In fact, Milwaukee Hand Tools is not owned by any of the other major tool brands. Rather, the hand truck operation is part of The Gleason Group, whose factions have dwelled in various consumer and industrial markets since 1946. And yes, in case there's any question, that company does boast origins in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  

While various wings of The Gleason Group have dallied in the manufacture of gear like hammocks and sports bags, Milwaukee Hand Trucks has focused primarily on making hand trucks since the brand came into being. That continues to be the company's primary focus today, with Milwaukee Hand Trucks now offering a wheeled device designed to suit virtually any need that may arise.

Milwaukee's list of hand truck offerings is vast indeed, with the brand currently selling an array of aluminum models, those built to handle appliances, and convertible trucks that lie flat for pulling. They also make cylinder hand trucks, D-handle models, dual-handle builds, and flow back styled trucks, as well as P-handle models, pin-handle trucks, platform trucks, and hand trucks that are designed to easily fold up for storage. Prices vary between models, of course, so you'll need to do some research to suss out which best fits your needs. 

Apart from hand trucks, Milwaukee does offer a few other items one might deem essential for their next big move. Among those items are furniture dollies and, of course, moving pads that might keep your furniture from getting scratched in transit. The company also makes a range of handy stocking carts, including a warehouse-ready model that's built a lot like the luggage carts you see in some hotels. On top of that, Milwaukee Hand Trucks also manufactures replacement wheels and casters for its hand trucks. Because even if those trucks boast Milwaukee's claimed pro-grade toughness, it's a given that a wheel or two might give out sooner or later.