Our Story

Keeping Midwest communities running since 1968.

Our History

58+ Years of Keeping Communities Running

What started as a single Fort Wayne shop has grown into the Midwest’s premier service and equipment provider. Here are the milestones that shaped Brown Equipment Company.

1968

Opening the Doors

Brown Equipment Company opens in Fort Wayne, Indiana as a manufacturer of the Portapatcher, a self-propelled pothole patcher built for municipal road crews. From the start, the goal was simple: keep crews patching, not waiting on broken equipment.

1970s

Building the Indiana Base

Through the 1970s BEC focused on serving Indiana municipalities, deepening relationships with public works departments and growing the Portapatcher line. Service and parts support, not just sales, defined the company's reputation from the beginning.

1980s

From Manufacturer to Dealer

The 1980s marked a shift from manufacturing to service and equipment distribution. BEC transitioned out of building equipment and into providing factory-authorized sales, parts, and service under one roof. The dealer model allowed BEC to offer customers a wider range of solutions without sacrificing the customer support that built the company.

1990s

Growing Across Indiana

Demand from central and northern Indiana led to new facilities in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. These locations extended full-service support, including sales, parts, and factory-trained technicians, to a much larger territory.

2022

Crossing State Lines

Expanded into the Chicago-land market with our McHenry, IL location, our Cleveland market with our Canton, OH location, and into Kentucky with our Lexington, KY location.

2024

New Hydro Excavation Partner

Began our new partnership with Hydro-Spade, distributed by Smart Outdoor Equipment: hydro-excavation equipment designed with our customer's work in mind. Super versatile. Easy to operate. Easy to maintain.

Explore Hydro-Spade

2025

New Partnerships and Wisconsin

Began new partnerships with RapidView IBAK North America, the country's premier line of sewer camera systems; with BrineMasters, the market's most precise, user-friendly, and cost-effective brine maker; and with Energreen, specialized heavy-duty machinery and attachments designed for vegetation management, highway maintenance, and landscaping. We opened our Jefferson, Wisconsin service center, bringing BEC to seven locations across five states.

A Message From Our President

“At BEC, we pride ourselves on offering our customers outstanding service, and that commitment to our customers has always been our highest priority. Our customer-focused philosophy is always pushing us to expand our services, create better processes, partner with leading manufacturers, and work with purpose. We thank our customers for entrusting BEC with their most important business needs, and our BEC team for their commitment. It is not the product that we are selling but a solution, and each member of the BEC team is dedicated to bringing quality solutions to our customers.”

Joseph W. Fisher, President

We Are BEC Blue

Our Values

It’s who we are and what we do, on every service call, in every parts order, and at every BEC location.

Have Passion for Our Work

We have purpose in our work and seek a sense of accomplishment, and will do whatever it takes to get the job done regardless of responsibility.

Make Service First

When our internal and external customer says jump, we say how high.

Hold Ourselves Accountable

We meet our commitments to others.

Continuously Improve

We see only opportunities, never problems.

Enjoy Working with and Respect Others

We cannot imagine it any other way.

Celebrate the Wins

No matter how big or small.

Give Grace

We know we are not perfect and forgive others easily.

Find Solutions

We take quick and decisive action.

58+

Years in Business

Midwest Locations

10,000+

OEM Parts in Stock

25+

Manufacturer Brands

Locations

Seven Locations Across Five States

Every BEC facility is staffed with factory-trained technicians and stocked with OEM parts. Wherever you are in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, or Wisconsin, expert support is nearby.