The early 1900s saw the beginnings of revolutionary change in the world: The Wright brothers’ flight at Kitty Hawk, Einstein’s theory of relativity and Marconi’s first transatlantic wireless message. This was also the time a man named Julius P. Heil embarked on a personal journey to transform the transportation industry with his innovative ideas. In 1901, Julius Heil founded the Heil Rail Joint Welding Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, pioneering the use of electric welding. As the company grew and prospered, Heil began building truck bodies, hydraulic hoists and a variety of truck trailers for the newborn automotive industry.