A.R.E. Celebrates 40 Years with Dealers, Employees and Customers

In the late 1960s, two workers built a friendship. Jonas Yoder and Sal Gatti left the company they were working for and forged a new company to manufacture wood frame truck caps, which was the fashion of the time. A.R.E. was founded in 1969. The company’s name actually comes from the first initial of Gatti’s three oldest children: Anne Marie, Ralph and Elizabeth.

To recognize the milestone, A.R.E. recently hosted more than 130 guests — including local and state government officials, long-time dealers, suppliers and employees — during an open house at the company’s manufacturing facility in Massillon, Ohio. A.R.E. took attendees on plant tours and provided a catered lunch, 40th Anniversary t-shirts, posters and cigars.

“A.R.E.’s founders built this company based on their vision to develop products with quality, customer service and the highest ethics,” said Terry Seikel, A.R.E. president and CEO. “Their entrepreneurial spirit and strong leadership have gotten us where we are today, with A.R.E. marking its 40th anniversary as an industry-leading supplier.”

From the beginning, A.R.E. has prided itself on developing innovative, high-quality truck caps and tonneau covers to fit the needs of truck owners. Friends Sal Gatti and Jonas Yoder, plus first employee Aden Miller, founded A.R.E. in 1969 to manufacture truck caps. In 1979, they began production of Deluxe Commercial Units (aluminum truck caps for commercial use). Contributing to A.R.E.’s success has been new product designs, completion of a state-of-the-art Massillon-based production facility, nationwide distribution and an expanded workforce.

“When success came our way, the needs of the customer always came first,” said A.R.E. chairman Ralph Gatti. “We knew we must listen and respond to our customers. I have no doubt A.R.E. will continue to do this — and more great things — in the future.”