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A new manufacturing facility in Liberty, Missouri, is set to open in July 2026 for Dakota Bodies, part of American Trailer World( ATW). The new facility marks a major step up in the business’ response to sustained demand across utility and infrastructure markets. The investment expands both production capacity and manufacturing capability, positioning the company to support customers operating in environments where reliability and lead time directly impact operations.
For Senior Vice President and General Manager Braden Edwards and VP of Operations Monty Geter, the expansion reflects a broader shift in how the entire ATW Truck Equipment business scales to meet that demand, growing not just Dakota Bodies, but also CM Truck Beds, PJ Truck Beds, and Warrior Truck Beds.“ We’ ve seen tremendous demand for our product, and the market keeps growing. Our three current facilities are maxed out. To keep up, we knew we had to expand our footprint and support that growth,” Braden says.
The Liberty investment aligns with wider infrastructure trends, such as expansion in data centers, grid reinforcement, and continued investment in utilities, fueling demand for the equipment Dakota Bodies designs and builds. At the same time, the new facility strengthens ATW’ s Truck Equipment platform, adding capacity while introducing new technologies that support both product customization and expanded throughput.
▼ Braden Edwards, Senior Vice President and General Manager
Building the platform
Dakota Bodies has operated in the custom truck body space since 1997, focusing on application-driven design.“ We now have three manufacturing facilities: two in Watertown, South Dakota, and one in Liberty, Missouri. Our focus is specialized truck body manufacturing for power lines,
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