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As many companies nervously grapple with supply chain concerns and the threat of rising costs, some may yield to the temptation to put their growth and expansion plans on hold. For Scelzi Enterprises, that is not the current mindset. A regret for owner Mike Scelzi during his 45+ years at the company helm was his nervous reaction to the 2009 housing bubble collapse. As economic fears rose, the company slashed spending and staffing. “It made it too difficult to bounce back fast,” recalls Scelzi. “We were too lean to take advantage of some opportunities during the recovery period.”

A lesson was learned, and in the following 15+ years the Scelzi reaction to bad economic news is never to panic or overact. As 2025 has unfolded, that commitment to long term growth and expansion is once again front and center at the company. “Several key suppliers immediately raised some pricing to us earlier this year at the first hint of supply chain disruption,” states Scelzi, “even before they had seen their actual costs increase. We’ve tried to absorb those increases as best we can. We understand how uncertainty can lead to cautious behavior, but at times you need to be bold and confident in the people and strategies you have already put into place.”

Facility Expansions

Due to more than a decade of double-digit sales growth, Scelzi Enterprises production facilities have been pushed to their limits. Plans for expansion have been in high gear for the past few years. In Fresno, the addition of 5 acres and over 50,000 square feet of production space in 2023 has allowed for more breathing room for Scelzi’s booming service and repair business, which moved to a new work area late last year. That expansion also has provided a more comfortable work area for sales support functions, like inside sales and chassis management. In the La Salle facility near Denver the original square footage in 2017 was tripled in 2024 as two adjacent buildings were added. The result is more efficient production. In Tacoma, a newer and larger facility is being prepared for a late-2025 move-in party. The result should be even shorter production lead times for Scelzi truck bodies once all the new equipment and work teams are in place.

New Truck Body Styles

The need for more room is driven by the expanding Scelzi product line of Premium Truck Bodies. As Scelzi customers ask for more options, production facilities for those options must be found. Two new trends at Scelzi are the ever-expanding line of semi-elliptical dump bodies and a redesigned Hauler Body that drew large crowds at several trade shows earlier this year.

Semi-Elliptical Dump bodies have curved sides rather than the traditional square/rectangular bed design, allowing for better flow when dumping and increased strength of this design. The curved shape also offers better heat retention, load balancing, and higher payload capacity. Scelzi offers a variety of options on these dump bodies, which require a fair amount of space to build efficiently.

The new Scelzi Ranch Hauler body was the star of the World Ag Expo Farm Show in Tulare, CA this past February. The polyurea-lined bed design improves both foot traction for increased worker safety, as well as providing enhanced corrosion protection for the bed itself. The ball hitch makes it a great towing vehicle as well.

The Calm After the Storm

Whatever delays and challenges are caused by the current economic bad weather, the effects are likely to be temporary. Looking ahead to brighter skies has always been a strength at Scelzi Enterprises. “We are a bit dismayed that we have to put the brakes on some of our plans, but most are proceeding at full speed ahead,” declares Mike Scelzi. “The need for high quality work trucks has never been higher, and we should all be happy we are working successfully in this industry.” 

It is this attitude and approach to business that has served the company well for over 45 years.