John L. Grove

Co-founder / JLG Industries & Grove Manufacturing Company / 1921 - 2003 / Inducted 1993

In 1946, John L. Grove and his brother Dwight formed Grove Manufacturing Company in a two-car suburban garage to manufacture farm wagons. Within three years, they developed and built the first industrial yard crane for use in their own operations. Since then, John L. Grove has emerged as a leading authority on the application of hydraulics to construction and industrial mobile equipment. A holder of numerous patents, he is known as the "father" of the hydraulic telescoping crane boom. He is also recognized as the founder of the modern-day aerial-work platform and as the inventor of the hydraulic roll-back truck bed.

Under his leadership Grove Manufacturing established itself as the world leader in the design and development of hydraulic telescopic cranes. In 1968, following his retirement, John Grove co-founded JLG Industries, which today is a world leader in aerial-work platforms and access equipment, with a line of hydraulic truck-mounted cranes and personnel lifts.