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Established in 1962
Competitors have
Come and Gone, But Slagle's keeps going strong!
What's our Secret?
We Care about the Product Quality of What We Sell.
We also Strive to Provide Good Customer
Sevice During the Sale Process and After
Final Delivery.
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Welcome Friends and Future
Customers
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Jack L. Slagle
Founder & Chairman |
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You have entered the web site
of one of the Largest most Time Enduring Fire Truck
& Equipment Dealerships in the United States. We
hope you will take the time to read and
familiarize yourself with our founder Jack Slagle
and how Slagle Fire Equipment Company got started.
You will also learn where we’re located and be given
a summary of the many products & services Slagle’s
proudly offers the many fire departments and
firefighters we serve. |
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Our Heritage and History
I n
1962 Jack Slagle started a one man part-time business, or
some would say hobby, selling fire equipment and related
supplies. The idea of this venture becoming a full-time
career was something Jack kept well hidden, possibly even
from himself.
The seed for this new business was
planted a few years earlier. The year was 1951, Jack and a few
other townsfolk decided to organize a volunteer fire
department after an arsonist burned down half the town.
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Devastating fire
leveled part of Virgilina, Va.
(Photo from Halifax Gazette, May 31,
1951.) |
Third mysterious fire levels one
third of Virgilina
business district. |
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Virgilina VA, or is it Virgilina NC, (the
state line runs through the middle of town), was the site
for this new fire department. The coverage area of the new
department consisted of one town and parts of four counties.
Imagine the difficulties they must have encountered starting
a fire department to cover large areas in both North
Carolina and Virginia.
Folklore stories about the early
days of Virgilina’s Volunteers are still alive in the area.
Throughout most of the 1950's and
early 60's Jack was the fire chief. He also operated a small
family owned grocery store located next door to the fire
station. Rumor has it that once, in a rush to get to a fire,
Jack accidentally locked some shoppers inside the store. |
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(Photo from Halifax Gazette, May 31,
1951.)
Virgilina's First Fire Truck was a 1930 Brockway
with a 300 GPM Rotary Gear Pump and a 313
Gallon
Water Tank.
Jack is pictured to the left of the apparatus. He
bought the truck from the department in the early
1970's and still owns it today. |
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Another tale has it that a new
fireman once caught a ride with Jack to a fire; when it was
time to go back to the station, the weary man refused to get
back in the fire truck. The fireman threw up his arms and
shouted, 'if I can’t catch a ride back with somebody else,
then I’d just as soon walk back.'
Even today when driving down the
rural back roads just outside Virgilina, one can easily
conjure up visions of wild, frantic fire truck rides down
these narrow, curvy roads running throughout the hilly areas
surrounding Virgilina. |
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The Beginning of a New and
Unusual Business |
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This is
the one
room cabin where our business
started. |
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It was in small-town Virgilina that the
seed for new and unusual business was planted, took root and
grew. The year was 1962 and the first location of the
business was a small, one room building.
With Mrs. Slagle taking care of things on
the home front, Jack began a ritual of loading up his
station wagon with as much new & used equipment as it could
possibly hold, he'd then head out of town to cold call
on Small-town and Rural Volunteer Fire Departments.
The roads were long and the
car was loaded with fire equipment. Townsfolk would see Jack
leaving Virgilina early Monday morning and returning late
Friday night and even sometimes on Saturday. Sometimes the car
would be empty when he returned and other times it would be
just half empty.
The long roads traveled
have at one time or another taken Jack to just about every
fire department in the Southeast. Jack has made many a friend
and heard quite a few tales during his years of travel.
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When Jack
decided to go into business full time, he made the
company's first big capital purchase. A 1964 Ford Galaxy
stationwagon. He'd load it up with equipment and set out
to call on fire departments in Virginia and North
Carolina. |
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These long roads and late nights have brought about a solid
foundation of good customers and lifelong friends. Without
these many loyal friends and customers, our growing business
would not have been possible. Jack, along with family
and some great employees, has grown a business that for many
years has been well known and respected in the Fire Truck &
Equipment Industry.
Slagle Fire Equipment Company Today
For several years
now, all five Slagle sons (Virgil, John, Barry, Garry and
Scott) have worked full time in various areas of the
business. Slagle's has two (2) fully-staffed Sales &
Service Facilities, one (1) in South Boston, Va., and the
other in Columbia, SC.
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South Boston,
VA., Sales & Service Facility |
Columbia, SC., Sales & Service Facility |
Combined, these
facilities represent over 20,000 square feet of display,
office, warehouse, and service & manufacturing space.
Reporting to these sales & service facilities are numerous
salesmen who call on fire departments in Virginia, North and
South Carolina.
These
salesmen are experienced full-time professionals who live and
work within their set territory.
The Slagle
Family has dedicated its time and its resources to building a
full-service dealership; one capable of handling most any need
a fire department may have. With our continuing goal of
striving to improve customer service, we now have
SlagleFire.com; a detailed and informative fire-rescue
apparatus & equipment web site.
New Fire Trucks and Equipment
Due to the
after sale service & support required on some products,
customers outside our normal coverage area will not be
able to purchase some items. These items will usually
be marked as such. When shopping at SlagleFire.com, fire
departments and firefighters will be able to shop for fire
protection items such as turn-out gear, boots, hoods, helmets
and gloves. If your fire department needs fire hose, nozzles,
adapters & appliances, foam & foam adapters or PPV fans & vent
saws, we can get it to you. If you need warning or scene
lights, we can handle it. If its time to purchase a new
aerial, pumper, tanker, rescue, mini or midi pumper, skid unit
or rescue vehicle, Slagle’s is here to serve you.
Pre-Owned Apparatus
If a fire
department anywhere in the world needs a good pre-owned fire
truck, Slagle’s can provide a dependable, reconditioned or
refurbished: aerial, pumper, tanker, mini or midi pumper, skid
unit, rescue vehicle or even an ambulance.
Services Offered
If a department
needs fire truck repairs, or refurbishing & paint, Slagle’s
Apparatus Service Centers have the skilled mechanics &
craftsmen needed to do the job right. We also
have On-the-Road Service Trucks that are stocked and Available
for Emergency Repairs or PM Service. Our new service trucks
even have on-board oil recovery systems to meet OSHA
requirements. We bring the new oil and take away the old oil.
Closing Comments
The Slagle
Family and the many dedicated Slagle employees would like to
offer a sincere thank you to our existing customer. We
appreciate the opportunity and privilege given us in serving
the equipment and apparatus needs of your fire department, and
your community.
If you’ve
never done business with Slagle’s, please give us a try. We
want to earn your present business and your future business.
We aim to please, we aren’t perfect, but we’re getting closer
every day.
Please take
your time and enjoy shopping through the many areas of
Slagle’s Virtual Fire Mall. Items are being added and changed
daily. The Shopping Cart feature is available for use in
buying certain items. If you need assistance with anything,
please Call Toll-Free: 1-800-446-8896 or Send an E-mail to
slaglefire@slaglefire.com.
Our goal
is to assist you as quickly and as thoroughly as is possible.
Thank you for your time and your interest. Have a very nice
day.
Yours Truly,
Scott Slagle
Web Site Administrator
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