FOL-DA-TANK is one of the leading manufacturers of portable, folding water tanks for fire services and first responders on the front line
FOL-DA-TANK founder, Giles Eldred, worked in the business loan department of a small bank in Rock Island, IL, in the early 1950s, when he met a customer who was applying for a loan to start a company that repaired fire trucks. In the conversations that Eldred had with this customer regarding the firefighting industry, the issue of providing water was a common topic. In some rural areas where fire hydrants were not available, firefighters were staging water in temporary water reservoirs fashioned out of extension ladders tied together in a square with a canvas tarp draped over them.
The problem faced by these emergency responders stuck in Eldred’s mind; one day he got the idea for a folding tank that could easily be stored on a ladder rack in a fire truck. He started the company under the name FOL-DA-TANK. After 68 years in business the company makes several styles of portable water tanks and specialty water moving strainers and fittings needed to move large volumes of water at rural structural and remote wildland fire scenes.
FOL-DA-TANK Today
FOL-DA-TANK came under new ownership in November, 2020. Joel Wright, President and Co-Owner, quickly transformed lead times and created a robust supply chain. Ensuring that FOL-DA-TANK can be trusted to support first responders, support their communities. In fact, FOL-DA-TANK now boasts a quick ship program that offers many popular products shipped the same or next business day!
Quality Products
The first responders FOL-DA-TANK serves are on the front lines of disasters and emergency situations; working to protect people, property, and the environment from harm. FOL-DA-TANK honors their resolve with a commitment to building the best water storage tanks and accessories available. Always meeting or exceeding industry and regulatory standards. From patented hinge guards to painted frames, quality, reliability, and durability are the hallmarks of every FOL-DA-TANK product.
Driving Innovation
FOL-DA-TANK’s commitment to innovation has spurred creations such as the: Rapid Release, Jumbo Drain, and flange mount plate. The Rapid Release mechanism is a slim profile device built into the tank frame. It firmly holds the drain sleeve in place and releases easily with one swift motion. It was important to firefighters that this mechanism could be operated with gloves on. Jumbo drains are bigger versions of our standard drain sleeves and drain leftover water from the tank 6 times faster than the standard size sleeve. The flange mount plate is a permanent through wall flange set on a folding frame tank. The device connects two tanks or a low flow strainer which eliminates running a hard suction hose over the tank frame.
Looking Forward
Since the ownership transition and changes in management took place in November 2020, FOL-DA-TANK has focused on three areas in our core firefighting market: providing reliable supply; winning at the point of sale; and driving demand for innovation. FOL-DA-TANK continues to support these initiatives and be a leader in the loose equipment market.
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