The heads business in Navasota, Texas started in 1959 when three men installed a small press and furnace on 44 acres of land they had recently purchased. They soon began manufacturing and selling small diameter heads under the name Tru-Weld Co. with only five employees. In 1966, Trinity Industries purchased the assets of Tru-Weld Co. and changed the name to Hackney Iron and Steel to complement Trinity’s other fittings and head manufacturing plant. At that time, the Navasota facility employed 25 people.
During the 1970s, the Navasota facility added a 1,000-ton hot forming press and expanded its cold forming capabilities to produce larger heads. The business experienced considerable growth in the 1980s and 90s and a large hot spinning machine was purchased, giving the facility capabilities that could only be matched by head formers outside North America. Hackney also acquired 2,000-ton and 3,000-ton hot forming presses, which enhanced their custom and propane hemisphere business. In 1985, the facility began producing moldboards for road graders. In 2001, the name of the business was changed to Trinity Heads, Inc.
Supporting market needs, Trinity Heads has expanded its capabilities and equipment. A new 3,000-ton hot forming press and furnace was recently installed at a new heads manufacturing facility located in Castaños, Mexico. At the Navasota facility, new 3,000-ton and 1,000-ton hot forming presses and furnaces, new cold forming equipment, a high-definition plasma plate burning system and new blasting equipment have been recently installed. A 20,000 square foot burning facility was also recently constructed at this facility.
Since 1966, the Navasota facility has grown from 20,000 to more than 260,000 square feet and has become one of Trinity Heads’ leading manufacturing facilities. It produces heads as large as 20 feet in diameter and as thick as eight inches. Manufacturing expertise has evolved from the basic hot forming of carbon steels, to manipulating specialty metals such as aluminum, high alloys like titanium, stainless steels and clad bonded materials. Markets served include refining, petro-chemical, cryogenics, LNG, CNG, tank car, military, agriculture and pharmaceuticals.
Today, Trinity Heads, Inc. produces tank heads for a variety of storage and distribution containers and railcars and employs a talented group of individuals who are dedicated to manufacturing a superior product.
Trinity Craftsmanship is at the core of what we do and contributes to our uniqueness as a company. The flexibility inherent in Trinity Craftsmanship will help ensure our reputation for quality is carried forward into future generations. Our ability to provide superior products and services to our customers rests in the hearts and hands of the men and women who represent Trinity Craftsmanship. We are grateful for their dedication and commitment.
To learn more about Trinity Craftsmanship within Trinity Heads, please view the video on the right.
