Gorganstein (Truck Manufacturer) (1927-2001)

Gorganstein Motor Works, commonly referred to as Gorganstein, was an American manufacturer of commercial vehicles, and was based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1927 until 2001, Gorganstein was founded in 1927 by Wilford Krupnick from the remains of the Krupnick-Albertson Motor Works, which was based in Detroit, Michigan. After the Gorganstein Motor Company filed for bankruptcy in June 2001, the Gorganstein name changed hands twice, first as a marque for heavy duty trucks by Hightower Wheeled Vehicles from 2002 to 2005 and then by Gavril Trucks until 2012. Since Gorganstien Otosan was the only division of the original Gorganstien from 1927 still in operation at the time, Hightower Wheeled Vehicles and Gorganstien Otosan entered into a license agreement in 2001 to borrow the Gorganstien trademark on a 20-year lease that would ultimately be sold to Gavril. When PACCAR invested in usage of the name in 2018, there were no grounds for objection from Gavril as the Gorganstein trademark was sold to PACCAR by 2017. However, by that point it subsequently had become dormant for nearly 10 years after Gavril's discontinuation of the name in 2012. The Gorganstein brand was later revived on May 17, 2021 as a brand of PACCAR through affiliate Peterbilt after the rights to the Gorganstein marque were legally purchased from Gavril in 2019.