Brown Industries, LLC

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Brown Cargo Van

807 East 29th Street
Lawrence, Kansas 66046

(800) 255-6827

 

 

Dane Jennison

President

(800) 255-6827 x. 119

 

Ron Thomson

Dry Freight & Refrigerated Sales

(800) 255-6827 x.113

(816) 500-3541 cell

 

Russ Briney

Dry Freight & Curtainside Sales

(800) 255-6827 x.121

(785) 760-3515 cell

 

We build top quality van bodies and trailers for customers throughout the United States. Our team prides themselves on creating the most durable, efficient, hard-working van bodies available from design, through production, to final finishing.

 

Brown Cargo Van Leadership

Dane Jennison - President

Dane began his career at Brown Industries (formerly Brown Cargo Van) in 1976 after graduating from the University of Kansas with a Bachelors degree in Journalism. He started at the lowest rung on the employment chain as someone who "bucked" (or flattened) aluminum rivets. Since that inauspicious beginning, he has served as a parts manager, purchasing agent, supervisor, plant manager, salesman, general manager and is now the President of Brown Industries.

 

Ron Thomson - Regional Sales Manager

Ron Thomson began his career in the transportation industry working at a local Kansas City trucking business owned by his family. While attending high school and college Ron began working in the truck maintenance shop and over time worked in every aspect of the business. Ultimately the business evolved to become a full service truck rental and lease operation. In 1999, as president, he negotiated the sale of the business to a large regional leasing company. Afterward Ron went to work as a regional sales manager for a nationwide truck body manufacturer. He came to work for Brown in 2008.

 

Russ Briney - Regional Sales Manager

Having grown up, worked around, and driven heavy trucks most of his life, Russ went to work for one of the largest GMC and Volvo Trucks dealerships in the country in 1994. He specified and sold all classes of trucks from Class 1 through Class 8. As a customer of Brown Cargo Van, he became intimately familiar with the Brown product. Approached about a sales opportunity with Brown Cargo Van in 1998, Russ elected to join the company and has been here since. With his technical background in specifying trucks, Russ can use that knowledge to better help you in designing the total truck package to meet your business needs.

 

Jerry Smittkamp - Regional Sales Manager

Jerry Smittkamp has spent nearly his entire life in the van body manufacturing business. Jerry started working in the van body manufacturing industry in 1973, when he joined the sales team at Timpte Van Body in Denver, CO. Eventually, Timpte Van Body was purchased by Alfred Industries, and Jerry went on to work at Alfred Industries until he joined Brown Cargo Van in 2011. Jerry is located in Denver, CO and will be serving customers in Colorado.

 

Keith Pfannenstiel, P.E. - Director of Engineering

Keith has a Mechanical Engineer's degree from Wichita State University and is a Licensed Professional Engineer. He is a seasoned rubber tire vehicle engineer and joined Brown Industries, LLC in 2009. He has led numerous new product design teams to develop products to meet customer requirements. His experience is in the Transit Bus Industry, Specialty Vehicles and Trailers Industries, Trailer Handling Terminal Tractors Industry, and Construction and Industrial equipment industries, including shuttle buses, ambulances, and mobile medical clinics. Many of the products he has developed are in service at numerous cities throughout the United States. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers.

 

Our Mission

Our mission is to manufacture, deliver, and service exceptional products which reflect the pride and craftsmanship of our employees and that enable our customers to transport their goods and services safely and more efficiently.

 

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