Since 1952 tallman has been setting the standard for linemen

Our History

The roots of Tallman Equipment formed in the mid-1940s when John Tallman returned from World War II and, with some of his friends from the Army, saw a growing need for tools and equipment in the electrical construction industry. Warren Tallman, John’s son, officially incorporated Tallman Equipment in 1952 and established its first office on 31st Street in downtown Chicago.

The original company consisted of Warren, a sales representative, one shop worker and an accountant, and remained in that form until the mid-1990s. Warren’s focus was on helping the customer rather than growing or expanding beyond the company’s capacity at the time. The team averaged about eight orders a day, many of which were done by hand or on a typewriter, as Warren had no interest in introducing computers.

In the mid-1970s, the company relocated to the western suburbs of Chicago, settling in Bensenville, Illinois, next door to O’Hare Airport. The property consisted of a dilapidated pole barn where products were stored and a converted two-car garage that was used as an office. At that time, the business consisted of selling and renting tools and repairing stringing blocks in-house. One of the company’s first innovations was a formula developed by Warren Tallman for relining stringing blocks called Tallurine. This “Secret Formula” is still in use today.

In September 1995, Tony Bozell, a lineman and general foreman for an electrical contractor in Chicago, joined the company. Tony eventually purchased Tallman Equipment from Warren and became sole owner in 1996, upon Warren’s retirement. Tony served as President of Tallman Equipment until 2017 when he transitioned to CEO, and in 2023, Tony transitioned from CEO to Chairman of the Board. 

Tony’s vision for Tallman Equipment recognized that the growth of the company and maintaining close customer relationships could go hand in hand. By focusing on the needs unique to the electrical utility industry, the company could provide tools and equipment to more and more linemen without losing the customer service that had always defined Tallman Equipment. 

One of the first growth opportunities for Tallman Equipment was becoming a Stanley Hydraulics distributor. The company quickly grew to become one of the top distributors of Stanley Hydraulics, despite operating in only two states. This was just a taste of the growth that was to come under Tony’s leadership.

The next major milestone for Tallman Equipment was the introduction of the DDIN product line. While Warren Tallman had already developed tools under his direction, Tony’s field experience was instrumental in expanding and innovating the quality tools that utility workers needed. The mission of the DDIN product line is to produce a higher-quality product for linemen. Before a product is brought to market, it goes through “Lineman Proof” testing and quality control. DDIN products are built to the highest quality possible because they are tested to survive the field conditions of actual linework.

Under Tony’s leadership, Tallman Equipment continued to grow, developing more products and improving the services the company offered. In the early 2000s, the company added a tool repair department in response to an increasing number of customer requests. 

Due to continued growth, Tallman Equipment moved to a larger facility in Bensenville, but even with this move and the larger facility, there was still not enough space to accommodate the rental equipment. At the same time, the operations and sales teams continued to expand and space quickly ran out.

In 2006, Tallman Equipment added a second location when Tony purchased an old schoolhouse in his native Columbus, Indiana. The first departments to move were the rental, tool repair, and assembly operations. 

By 2008, two more buildings had been constructed, and yet the Columbus location was still too small to accommodate the growing company. As employees at the time said, it wasn’t just full, it was “Tallman full.” The team would often resort to storing equipment in the driveway during the day to make room to work inside the building before squeezing everything back in at night.

In 2014, Tony Bozell sold Tallman Equipment to employees and formed the ESOP. 

In 2015, construction began on the new Tallman Equipment Headquarters, now located on International Drive in Columbus. With this expansion, the rental department and rental inventory moved to the new facility. Operations continued to be located in the original Columbus facility and sales continued to be handled out of the Bensenville facility. 

In 2016, Tallman Equipment expanded its manufacturing capabilities with the acquisition of Bradley Machining in Addison, Illinois. Bradley Machining continues to run its own operations while partnering with Tallman Equipment to innovate and machine new lineman tools. This expanded the reach of the Tallman ESOP.

In 2017, the second phase of the headquarters expansion was completed, consolidating sales, rentals, and operations under one roof.

In 2020, Bradley Machining expanded its manufacturing capabilities by moving into a 53,000-square-foot facility in Addison, Illinois. Tallman Equipment also moved operations for the Illinois sales team into a portion of the same facility and opened the first Tallman Equipment showroom.

In 2021, Tallman Equipment added a state-of-the-art rubber goods testing lab to the Columbus headquarters. 

In 2022, Tallman Equipment expanded again and added a location in Lake City, Florida. 

In 2026, Tallman Equipment partnered with Platte River Equity to inaugurate a new era in company history. 

Tallman Today

Tallman Equipment is not simply a company that sells tools and equipment. We are a complete partner to those in the electrical utility and linework industry. We have expanded our business to include product sales, rentals, repairs and refurbishment, testing, and fabrication all with technical expertise and field-focused service for the ultimate goal of helping linemen.  

Our partnership with Platte River Equity is all about maximizing our ability to deliver the same excellent service that built Tallman Equipment into what it is today. We are actively investing in expanding inventory, improving service capabilities, strengthening operations, and elevating the customer experience, all while preserving the people, culture, and expertise that got us here in the first place. 

When you walk into the Tallman facility in Columbus, you see a sign that says “Do the Right Thing.” This is a motto that has always driven our philosophy. 

In the same way that we are externally focused on linemen, we seek the same high level of relationship with our employees. The vision was and is to build a company like no other place anyone has ever worked. We take great pride in our employees taking ownership in their respective departments and finding new ways to make Tallman better. Our team cares about the products we make and sell and has a vested interest in them, and we are keenly aware of the linemen whose lives and livelihoods depend on them.

Tallman Equipment now operates 11 different departments, each with the goal of better serving linemen: Tool Sales, Tool Rental, Shipping, Receiving, Stringing Block, Small Tool Repair, Cable Assembly and Preparation, Rope, Fiberglass Tool Testing and Preparation, Rubber Goods Testing Lab, and Stress Testing.

We continue to expand the DDIN line of tools, which now includes more than 250 different tools. Many of these designs originated from specific customer requests or challenges crews were facing in the field. Each challenge became an opportunity. 

From design and prototyping to manufacturing and testing, Tallman Equipment has the in-house capabilities to partner with electric utilities and powerline contractors on most projects.

Our Future

Although we are currently based in the Midwest, Tallman Equipment is looking to expand our operations across our great nation and far beyond. Our people make all the difference. As long as there are still storms and linemen answering the call, Tallman Equipment will be there to support them.

 

Tallman Today

Tallman Equipment is still a small company focused on customer service. When you walk into the Tallman facility in Columbus, you see a sign that says “Do the Right Thing.” This is a motto that drives much of the company’s philosophy. Our goal is to help the lineman in the field so they can get the lights back on for customers.

With an external focus on customer service, we maintain the same high level of relationship with our employees. Tony’s vision was to build a company like no other place anyone has ever worked. We take great pride in our employees taking ownership in their respective departments and finding new ways to improve workflow and productivity. Our employees care about the products they make and have a vested interest in them. They know a lineman’s life can often be on the line.

Tallman Equipment currently operates 11 different departments: Tool Sales, Tool Rental, Shipping, Receiving, Stringing Block, Small Tool Repair, Cable Assembly and Preparation, Rope, Fiberglass Tool Testing and Preparation, Rubber Goods Testing Lab, and Stress Testing.

 We continue to expand the DDIN line of tools which now includes over 250 different tools. Some of these are designed to solve specific customer problems. From design and prototyping to manufacturing and testing, Tallman Equipment has the in-house capabilities to handle most projects.

Our Future

Although we are currently based in the Midwest, Tallman Equipment is looking to expand our operations across our great nation and far beyond. Our people make all the difference. As long as there are still storms and linemen answering the call, Tallman Equipment will be there to support them.