Hartford Business Journal

18 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 7, 2025 Day Palmer and her husband, Craig Palmer, with their son, Craig Palmer Jr. The family owns and manages Watertown-based Gowans-Knight Co., a builder of fire apparatus bodies. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Higher Ground This CT company builds firefighting vehicles; its new Watertown HQ will accommodate growth, help it escape recurring flooding issues 255 fire vehicles annually. Its clients are fire departments, mostly located in Connecticut, but also in New York and Massachu- setts. The company bids for work against much larger competitors, like Pierce Manufacturing, which makes fire apparatuses in Wisconsin and Florida, or E-One, a global manufac- turer headquartered in Florida. Gowans-Knight has an advantage of being in closer proximity to the depart- ments it services, the Palmers said. They purchased the new Seemar Road building from Solla Eyelet Prod- ucts Inc., which ceased production less than a year before the property was sold. The roughly 28-year-old, mason- ry-construction industrial building will get about $1 million in upgrades, including HVAC system and roof repairs, new bay doors and a new paint booth able to accommodate a 43-foot-long ladder truck, among other improvements. The new location will help the company be more efficient and maintain high levels of service for its existing customer base, said Day Palmer, wife to Craig Palmer Sr. and vice president of the company. As part of the relocation and expan- sion, the company took out a $2 million loan from Thomaston Savings Bank. The Palmers said they also built up a $1.5 million reserve, which has been dedicated to the purchase and renovation effort. Stephen L. Lewis, president and CEO of Thomaston Savings Bank, said under- writing for the loan was "straightforward" thanks to Gowans-Knight's strong track record, solid expansion plan and growth potential in the new location, in addition to the elimination of a By Michael Puffer mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com I n August 1955, the Steele Brook in Watertown, swollen with runoff from back-to-back hurricanes, overflowed its banks in a raging torrent that caused immense property damage. In a low-lying industrial area adjacent to the brook, the flood swept away building materials gathered for the construction of a headquarters building for Gowans-Knight Co. That didn't deter the Water- town-based employer. After the flood passed, Gowans-Knight proceeded with its construction plans and built a 14,000-square-foot building along what is now called Knight Street. At the time, the metal fabrication and welding company largely serviced the massive brass factories that once dominated the Naugatuck Valley. Over the decades, Gowans-Knight evolved into a builder of firefighting vehicle bodies. However, flooding has remained a recurring problem that has repeatedly held up production. Last year alone, the company had to undertake flood precautions eight times — moving tools and materials onto high tables and shelves, and relocating vehicles off-site, among other efforts — losing a day's work on each occasion. One storm, in August, flooded its building with about 2 feet of water. Those headaches will soon be in the rearview mirror. Gowans-Knight in late December paid $2.5 million for a 35,000-square- foot Watertown manufacturing facility at 50 Seemar Road, which will serve as its new home. "As I've gotten older, I spent many an hour staring at radar screens worrying about flooding," said 33-year-old Craig Palmer Jr., who is in line to succeed his father, Craig Palmer Sr., as pres- ident of Gowans-Knight. "So, for me, this move is a good thing. It's going to buy some stress relief." Gowans-Knight has begun to transfer equipment and operations into the new facility — a move that is expected to be completed by this summer. The new space, which is more than double the size of its current building, will help prevent future flooding issues, and provide the opportunity for growth and other operational efficiencies, the Palmers said. More demand Gowans-Knight over the past five years has grown from 20 to 29 employees. Palmer Sr. said he would hire a half-dozen more fabricators if he could find them. Work has picked up in recent years, as a result of fire trucks becoming more susceptible to corrosion. The Palmers think it could have some- thing to do with the materials used to de-ice roadways. The company builds bodies and equipment for three new rescue fire engines or pumping trucks every year. It affixes the bodies — which each take about six months to complete — to chassis and motors bought from other manufacturers. The company also services about Stephen Lewis AT A GLANCE Gowans-Knight Co. Industry: Firefighting vehicle manufacturing Top Executive: Craig A. Palmer Sr., President HQ: 49 Knight St., Watertown (soon to be 50 Seemar Road) Employees: 29 Annual gross revenue: $4M Website: www.gowansknight.com Contact: 877-352-4871

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